Raising a Digitally Dependent Generation Isn’t a Bad Thing

With innovation, societies change. Technology, in particular, has largely contributed to human development over the past years. While technology has affected our lifestyles it’s also impacted our attitudes and behavior as well. Since it is clear that technology has influenced society as a whole, obviously, it has influenced the behavior and attitudes of children too. 

Children are perhaps the most affected by technology. Especially, given how the children of this age were not introduced to technological innovation like the rest of us but were born into a technological age. In order words, a digitally dependent generation.  

When technology has become such an important part of society it has an impact on children's attitudes and behavior. While the rest of us take our time adjusting to new technology, these children view it as the norm and develop accordingly. This adaptation has had a wide range of effects on children's development, much like how children are shaped by institutions such as family, school, society, etc. They learn about social norms, adopt a moral compass, and develop a personality based on what they learn from these institutions. 

Technology has also slowly taken on a similar status in children's development. Especially when it comes to personal socialization. It is now the main contributor to most children's physical and cognitive development given its role in lifestyle and education.   

According to a study by Zimmerman et al. children that are exposed to television and visual media between the ages of newborn to three develop attention deficit disorders. Visual media includes television, cinema, digital media, etc but interactive media such as digital platforms have a different effect. Digital interactive media are perceived by children as simulations of human behavior and may assist learning. For example, if a child watches an interactive session on counting via YouTube it will definitely help the child learn to count. Even television shows that are interactive such as Blues Clues and Dora the Explorer have the same effect. 

Content that is more passive is what leads to difficulty in learning. Hence exposure to an interactive medium and interactive content is proven effective in learning. This then raises concerns about the content itself. Based on studies old or new most children pick up violent tendencies from televised and digital content. In such cases regulation is the only employed solution. Although YouTube does have a child-friendly subsidiary, specifically made for children under the age of 12, parent supervision is far more effective. 

A more obvious impact of technology on children's behavioral development is the effect it has had on their communication skills. Technology has revolutionized communication but is considered to have negatively impacted interpersonal communication, particularly,  in children. Traditionally children would adopt behaviors and develop a personality based on social experiences. Socialization was the key source of personality development in the past but that has changed with social media. As social media has globalized communication, its effects on the socialization skills of digital natives have been interesting. Social media enables easier access to a larger more diverse demographic. 

However, the effects are perceived to be negative given how there is no positive impact on personal socialization in the traditional sense. Children who do not interact with others traditionally grow up with social anxiety when effaced with real social scenarios. However, in a digital landscape they do socialize and even form ‘real bonds’. This is obvious among gamer groups. It is assumed that a digital social experience allows for a detached less emotionally involved social experience. The argument for that is obviously cyber-bullying. Then would that not go both ways, with the impact of cyber-bullying also being minimal given the emotional detachment of the user on the other end? It is argued that the personal socialization in a digital setting implies zero social consequences and an interaction devoid of apathy for others. Then how do we explain canceled culture? 

The reason children of the digital age have anxiety when they face these emotions in real life is because they normally experience them through a digital buffer. As a result children of the digital age can be socially retracted and overwhelmed by in-person interaction. That doesn’t necessarily mean their emotional capacity is stunted. In fact maintaining interactions and relationships online requires the same amount of time and energy as traditional interactions. 

Much like technology has enabled faster learning among children, particularly through interactive media, perhaps we need to make an effort for personal socialization too. Interactive media enables simulated acquired learning. Children respond to interactive tutorials as they would to a real learning experience. While using technology for learning most children will find a format and medium that they're comfortable with given the range of content, platforms, and the ease of customization. Maybe we need to do the same when it comes to interpersonal communication rather than shaming computer-mediated relationships. 

While social media has its flaws it has also globalized communication. Children can interact with culturally and ethnically diverse communities despite geographical distance. This allows for cultural familiarity and even cultural tolerance in some cases.  

The social and behavioral development of children in the digital age might not make sense to us, but not everything we don’t understand is bad. Maybe we need a change in attitude.