The discourse rages on with regard to whether technology adversely affects, or positively enhances children’s social skills. Obviously, living in today’s modern world of digitally-driven and technological advancements in nearly every industry – including education – parents and educators negotiate concerns. Reformers have traditionally assumed either a ‘pro’ or ‘con’ stance in students’ and children’s ability to retain healthy, normalized social skills in the face of mounting technological usage among youth. A recent article by educational research experts Ernst and Moye published in the ‘Journal of Technology Education’ stated “Educators at all academic levels strive to provide students with a high-quality education while maintaining an environment that promotes learning as well as the health and well-being of each individual” (2). Continual concern puts pressure on both educational professionals, political officials, and parents in the community. The focus of this paper revolves around the question asking: How has technology affected children’s social skills, for better or worse? Both pros and cons of the situation will hopefully present both the pitfalls, and the constructive highlights of children’s interaction with technology in terms of their impact on social skills.
For a long time the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) has instituted well-respected programs for educators and research in areas pertaining to the topic. Recently, a report acknowledged a concern about student’s social skills being affected due to “their increased use of digital media” (“Social Adjustment At-Risk Technology”). At the outset of this investigational essay, it is imperative to realize the great extent to which children engage in technology usage. Children use technology in their personal lives, and are also required to depend on electronic aids in education as well. As children mature to the age wherein they initiate opportunities to become employed, these young adults constantly use the technology in their jobs. However, children early physical and cognitive development is of particular concern in this discussion of how their technology usage affects social skills. In the UCLA report, something of rather stunning significance was discovered. Scientists found that “sixth-graders who went five days without even glancing at a smartphone, television or other digital screen did substantially better at reading human emotions than sixth-graders from the same school who continued to spend hours each day looking at their electronic devices” (“Social Adjustment At-Risk Technology”). The factor of the children in the study being drawn from the same school represents a powerful indication of the validity of the case. In addition to the effects upon children’s social skills professors, educators and researchers are concerned about the costs of technology in education. However, at the end of the day, even psychologists explain their concern over the situation in terms of lessened sensitivity to emotional cues response. For example, a highly distinguished Psychology Professor commenting upon such decreasing sensitivity by stating “losing the ability to understand the emotions of other people – is one of the costs. The displacement of in-person social interaction by screen interaction seems to be reducing social skills” (“Social Adjustment At-Risk Technology”). However, not all would agree that the effects of technology on children is detrimental.
The exceptionally regarded research design organization, Pew Research, has recently examined the data of response surveys which claim that by the year 2020 people believe the brains of children will have improved as they approach teenage-hood and adulthood, as a result of their interaction with technology. The report directly states that 55% of respondents believe “in 2020 the brains of multitasking teens” will be “wired differently from those over age 35” (“Main Findings Teens, Technology, Human Potential”). With so many children and teens utilizing technology to communicate in their personal lives (social media) one proponent of the positive effects on children’s social skills hails from Amber Case, a ‘cyberanthropologist’ who insists that the socio-physiological brain function will evolve to change to “adapt to the environment” (“Main Findings Teens, Technology, Human Potential”). Her perspective posits that it is no longer important to ‘internalize memories.’ Still another industry leader in the Internet world of Web strategies, Susan Price believes that “Those who bemoan the perceived decline in deep thinking or [human] engagement, face-to-face social skills and dependency on technology fail to appreciate the need to evolve our processes and behaviors to suit the new reality and opportunities” (“Main Findings Teens, Technology, Human Potential”). One would be wise to wonder what she meant by ‘the need to evolve our processes and behaviors.’ Nevertheless, so far mixed opinions drive the debate of pros and cons in this situation. Undoubtedly, educators have obtained an awesome responsibility to balance the tasks of the provision and dispensing of quality education for children, while also caring for their social development towards responsible citizenship.
The fact of the matter, according to a professional journal article publication by Ernst and Moye, children are adversely affected in terms of their social skills as a result of the impact of technology usage. How much technology places children at risk? Is technology use among children overall truly a bad deal? Among young children at the K-12 educational level, a 2011 study by Gordon and Preble “recognized that there are confounding difficulties challenging K–12 education, such as student feelings of social isolation and collective student emotional needs not being adequately met” (Ernst et al., 2). This is problem. Before delving into a quotation from Maslow, concerning the importance of humans’ basic needs for ‘belongingness’ the report emphasizes that certain groups of children particularly suffer – in terms of their social skills diminishment as connected to technology use. The thorough credibility of Ernst’s and Moye’s evaluation clearly shines, as they examine social effects of children as they interact with technology. While it may be true (yet remains to be seen) that children’s ‘brains’ shall evolve with and ‘adapt’ to the all-pervasive digitized technology in the environment, others would argue. Ernst et al. strongly suggest that the educational technology use in the classroom fosters a potential for “a vehicle for students to improve self-esteem, social skills, and ultimately fit in the school environment” (2). Part of the discussion in their erudite observation involves a balance of technology being used in the classroom in a way that increases students’ opportunities to interact, personally, with kids that are their peers. While the Pew Research report sings the praises of ‘brain-evolutions’ thanks to kids using technology, the article also acknowledged the admonitions of a New York Communications Professor, Stephen Masiclat. Masiclat commented on the impact on social skills saying “The impact of a future ‘re-wiring’ due to the multitasking and short-term mindset will be mostly negativebecause the social incentives for deep engagement will erode” (“Main Findings Teens, Technology, Human Potential”). The jury is still out and must be decided in collaboration with parents, educators, and policymakers.
In conclusion, both parents and teachers must maintain an acute awareness of the situation as it evolves. Paying close attention to their students’ behavior and learning patterns is one thing teachers can do well. Parents as managers and caretakers of their children can work together with their kids’ teachers and commit to becoming involved at the local level – wherein obviously they are the most affected. Parents may also ask advice from teachers, in terms of their child’s interaction with other students and receiving feedback from teachers since they are in the classroom and in almost daily interactions with the children. One source herein has declared that economically disadvantaged, or children with disabilities suffer most from decreased ability in social skills due to technology. This issue corresponds to difficult questions pertaining the social skills of children as impacted by technology use, but awareness dictates the first steps to mitigation of future problems.
Works Cited
Ernst, Jeremy V.1, , and Johnny J.2, Moye.
“Social Adjustment of At-Risk Technology Education Students.” Journal of Technology
Education 24.2 (2013): 2-13. Education Source. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.
“Main Findings: Teens, technology, and human potential in 2020.” Pewinternet.org
Pew Research Internet Project, 29 Feb. 2012. Web. 17 Dec.2014.
Wolpert, Stuart. “In our digital world, are young people losing the ability to read emotions?”
Newsroom.ucla.edu UCLA Newsroom – Health and Behavior, 2014. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.
