Technology Integration

In today’s digital age, everyone is surrounded by technology and young children are no exception. According to this study by Dr Nirmala Karuppiah, 95% of the children started playing with electronic devices before they turned three (Teng 2013). Digital devices are increasingly integrated into their daily lives. As children continue to become more immersed in media, many adults have begun to wonder about the positive and negative effects of such exposure to the high amount of electronic media to the young children. On one hand, there is an argument that technology is preparing children for the future workforce (Daggett 2010). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than 50% of today's jobs require computer literacy skills and

Evidence also shows that technology integration is becoming more common in public and private schools. Technology integration is shown to be effective in all age groups and is also shown to be helpful for students with special learning needs. To reiterate, technology integration has the following benefits:1) increased student motivation; 2) increased student engagement; 3) increased student collaboration; 4) increased hands-on learning opportunities; 5) allows for learning at all levels; 6) increased confidence in students, and 6) increased technology skills (Couse & Chen 2010; Hsin, Li & Tsai 2014). This is further supported by Holloway, Green and Livingstone (2013) that technologies have helped young children to develop emergent digital literacies through playing games, watching video clips, socialising online. It can also support future academic achievement, playful encounters and social

Overuse of electronic devices may cause impairment in the development of a child’s social skills. This includes the ability to make friends in person, take responsibility for actions, display good manners, use polite language, control emotions and temper, follow verbal directions, and develop empathy for others. A child who excessively uses electronics may become isolated and fail to develop normal communication skills such as conversational skills, listening, and making eye contact. A child may also be less able to identify social cues and be less attentive. A child may avoid social interaction to spend more time using electronic devices or may use the device to avoid social situations due to social anxiety because of underdeveloped social skills (Ceulemans