Born In the Age of The Media by Isabella

Born In the Age of The Media by Isabella - March 2022 Scholarship Essay

I was born in 2004 and was introduced to the television at the age of one. Although I wasn't able to talk yet I was able to recognize when Teletubies or Dora the Explorer was on. At the age of nine, I got my very first tablet and at thirteen I got my first phone. My generation grew up in a time period where technological advancements were beginning to emerge. We both were babies at the same time but technology just had more growth spurts than most of us did. Reflecting on this, I wonder just how much of an effect the introduction of technology has had on us. Generations in the past didn't experience technological immersion in their childhood, so this is new territory for experts to tread through. Studies have concluded that there are indeed many effects from the use of technology both good and bad, but the latter is certainly more prominent. In fact, introducing technology in the form of media to children at a young age has a detrimental effect on their development.
Children who are heavily interacting with the media at an early age have a higher probability of weakening their emotional intelligence which will leave a lasting effect in their life. In the article "How Technology Lowers Emotional Intelligence in Kids" the author, Sean Grover, describes emotional intelligence as being able to identify the emotions of one's self and the emotions of others. He believes that children are out of sync with their emotional intelligence due to their devices, which unleashes a variety of issues. Grover states that more "time on technology means less time with your own thoughts and feelings, the beating heart of mindfulness." Children are not allowed to delve into what they are feeling when all of their focus is aimed towards the screen. As these children grow older, the attachment to the media will lessen their ability to identify emotional cues and lead them to become more reactive instead of reflective. This new tendency of impulsivity can lead to immature behaviors such as "bullying, temper tantrums, and angry outbursts" (Grover). Giving children access to the media at a very young age and allowing this dependency to take over their lives will lead them to not reach their full potential when it comes to emotional maturity.
Mental health is a widely talked about topic that affects a vast majority of people and it has a deep correlation to the introduction of technology in the early stages of self-development. In the article "More Screen Time Linked to Higher Risk of ADHD in Preschool-Aged Children: Study" written by Dr. Joshua Rosenblatt, the author explains the relationship technology has with ADHD a disorder that causes inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity) in children who are in their early years of schooling. Rosenblatt describes a study conducted by the University of Alberta which concluded that children at the age of five who spend two or more hours each day on the media are "7.7 times more likely to meet the criteria for diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” than those who spent thirty minutes or less on a device (Rosenblatt). Although this may not seem like a huge number, it is important to note that the percentage of technology use within this age group is constantly increasing; meaning that the percentage of a child's vulnerability to this disorder will most likely increase too. In addition to ADHD, researchers believe that spikes in depression rates amongst the younger generation are related to the boom in technological advancements. If a child becomes strongly attached to using the media at a young age then it is logical to say that this attachment would only strongly increase as the child grows, transitioning into a teenager and later into a young adult. Between the years 2010 and 2015, platforms such as Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and Youtube became extremely popular amongst this audience. This was also the same time period that depression rates within this age group began to exponentially rise (Miller). In 2017 a study was conducted to survey over half a million eighth to twelfth graders on whether they are experiencing symptoms indicating depression. Researchers were shocked to realize that the "number exhibiting high levels of depressive symptoms increased by 33 percent between 2010 and 2015" (Miller). Teenagers who replace social interaction with social media are more likely to feel isolated when they are offline and emotionally unsatisfied, making them more susceptible to depression.
It is often supposed that the internet is a great resource for all curious children in school to use when wanting to know more about a certain topic. After all, the internet has a broad variety of information that is easily accessible for everyone. However, what this argument fails to consider is that not all students use the internet in a manner that enhances their knowledge. For a student, searching how to answer or simplify a question may be helpful, but this can very easily turn into the habit of solely wanting an answer that is straightforward and disregarding all other information. Parents must acknowledge the boundaries children should have with technology and communicate it with their child. In a society that is now shaped by technology, it is important to understand the limits we should have on technology