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Cris Rowan: The Impact of Technology on the Developing Child. Reminiscing about the good old days when we were growing up is a memory trip well worth taking when trying to understand the issues facing the children of today.

Cris Rowan: The Impact of Technology on the Developing Child

A mere 20 years ago, children used to play outside all day, riding bikes, playing sports and building forts. Masters of imaginary games, children of the past created their own form of play that didn't require costly equipment or parental supervision. Children of the past moved... a lot, and their sensory world was nature based and simple. In the past, family time was often spent doing chores, and children had expectations to meet on a daily basis. The dining room table was a central place where families came together to eat and talk about their day, and after dinner became the center for baking, crafts and homework.

Today's families are different. So what is the impact of technology on the developing child? 38% of Children Under 2 Use Mobile Media, Study Says. Nearly two in five children have used a tablet or smartphone before they could speak in full sentences, according to a new report.

38% of Children Under 2 Use Mobile Media, Study Says

Conducted by family advocacy organization Common Sense Media, the study found that 38% of children under the age of 2 have used a mobile device for playing games, watching videos or other media-related purposes. In 2011, only 10% had. By the age of 8, 72% of children have used a smartphone, tablet or similar device. "This is the true sign that the digital generation has arrived," Common Sense Media's founder and CEO Jim Steyer told Mashable.

The study found that mobile-device use among very young children is growing rapidly, especially compared to other mediums. Not only are more children using tablets and smartphones, they're using them for longer periods of time. "We're seeing a fundamental change in the way kids consume media," Steyer said. Steyer explained that children's increased access to and use of mobile devices has its pros and cons. I screen, you screen: the rise of children using technology. Kids wired: Scarlet Smithies (left) with Evie and Hugh Dillon.

I screen, you screen: the rise of children using technology

Photo: Steven Siewert Baby boomers, and even members of Generation X, most likely spent the long days of the summer school break hanging out at the beach, the local pool or bike riding around the streets with friends. The Millennials? Not so much. Parents of today reckon they can't get these digital natives away from their screens and out of the house, even when the sun is shining. But is that really such a bad thing? Experts have been warning that overuse of technology is having a dire effect on young people, destroying their ability to interact in the ''real world'', purportedly exposing them to all sorts of cyber nasties such as gaming addiction and limiting their attention span to that of a goldfish. Advertisement. How young is too young for technology? The programme was filled with seemingly damning sentiments, including from German Neuroscientist, Professor Manfred Spitzer, who said that giving a tablet to a small child is almost ‘a criminal act’ and who, in his 2012 book ‘Digital Dementia’ called for digital media to be banned from German classrooms.

However, the consensus seems to be, everything in moderation. A balanced curriculum means that young children are able to use such technology at an early age, developing the skills they will need in an increasingly digitalised world. Emma Asprey, Senior Lecturer in Primary PGCE at Bath Spa University argues that there isn’t a fixed age when children should start using technology. “With devices such as iPads, that have such an easy, direct interface, it’s perfectly possible for very young children to be using them” she says. “I don’t necessarily think that it’s the technology that is having a negative effect on children’s communication skills. Children using internet from age of three, study finds. Dr Aric Sigman, a leading psychologist, said: “The problem with this generation is that we accept there should be limits on the consumption of many things, such as sunlight or sugar and salt, but screen time is not something that is thought of as consumption.

Children using internet from age of three, study finds

“It is important to impose boundaries, rules and limits. “What parents often assume is a benign pastime is their main waking activity and the sheer amount of time that children spend at screens can lead to increased risk of physical disease as well as psychosocial issues.” The survey, which is believed to be the first to involve both children and parents, found that one in seven under-16s are so addicted to the web that they spend four hours or more glued to the screen.

More than a third begin to feel “angry and grumpy” if they cannot get online whilst one in five expressed concerns that they spend more time in the virtual world than with real people.