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Film 136C

Meadow Rhodes, Author

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How Does Technology Hinder Your Child's Growth?

Physical Effects

Technology can physically affect a child’s growth.  The more time a child spends with technology the less time they are spending on physical exercise.  To properly grow and develop children need exercise.  Moving their body helps stimulate blood flow throughout their body.  They will raise their brain chemical levels and help form ideas.  Exercising heps maintain your weight as well.  By not exercising, children are at risk of weight gain in their future.  By using an excess amount of technology the body is not being used to its maximum capacity.  If the preteen is not exercising then they are probably eating poorly as well.  Diet is a major factor in weight gain and energy levels.  The combination of little physical exercise and an unhealthy diet can cause mental effects, such as depression. 






Mental Effects

Some people believe technology stimulates the mind.  Others feel as if technology is hindering your child’s potential for success.  Children of today did not use their brain in the same capacity that we used to before this advanced technology.  This does not allow them to expand their minds and think creatively.  With an increase in technology they are more likely to experience stress in and out of school.  By spilling into their personal life they cannot escape the stressful environment technology has put them in. 






Growth as a Student

It has been argued that the sole purpose of technology in schools is to help students learn.  Experts accept the fact that children play with educational games with their technology, but some don’t agree that they actually help the child learn.  They feel that these games are just fun games masked by the look of educational purposes.  Another factor that hinders the child’s ability to learn is the parent’s opinion on technology and their involvement with the child’s learning.  Nowadays, parents rely on the technology to help the child learn as opposed to teaching their children through experience.  Children learn through observation.  By not watching their parents they cannot properly learn.  According to (http://www.bbc.com/news/health-22219881) children learn through example.  By watching their parents text and use technology they feel as if they can do the same.  They are not growing as teenagers.  They start to adapt adult behaviors.  Parents are role models and must remember to behave as such.  Children receive cell phones at such a young age now (http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2005-09-05-preteen-cell-phones_x.htm) and are expected to interact socially with them.  Phones are not just for adults anymore, they are more adapted to children than adults.  This hinders the child’s ability to learn in an outdoor setting.  Children, under no circumstances, should be behaving like adults. 

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