Positive childhood development revolves around healthy interactions and habits which may be negatively impacted by technology and social media. Adolescents are surrounded by technology and social media which has many positive and negative effects. In the article Harmful Effects of Media on Children and Adolescents it mentions that media effects adolescents in many ways such as exposure to violence, substance abuse, early sexual initiation, and obesity. Children who are exposed to these things are more likely to be involved in them and access is right at their fingertips. Most screen time is not monitored by adults, so children are watching whatever they want and they begin to mimic the behaviors they are watching because “children cannot discriminate between reality and fantasy” (Harmful). This means children could …show more content…
The time spent on media takes away from the time spent on “activities necessary for the healthy development like playing, reading, storytelling, and spending time with peers and family” (Harmful). Excessive TV watching negatively affects academic performance and also leads to “poor peer relationships.” Interactions with people and the world around the child are vital to their development. The lack of interaction can lead to depression, anxiety, and social anxiety (harmful).
Although there are many negatives to technology and social media, there are also many positives. In the documentary Growing up with Gadgets a young girl is followed throughout her day to see how technology plays a role in her everyday life. In school technology is used throughout most of the day. Kids are given IPod touches that they use for certain activities. The kids are given an assignment where they need to take pictures, or record something. These strategies make learning more interactive. Children often enjoy technology, so using it while in school may make it more fun for them to