The Effects of technology upon children in their developmental stages are apparent in the three major systems that are actively changing and growing during a child's youth: social, mental, and physical health. These are all aspects of wellness for every individual, compromising these as a child ensures repercussions of bad health as an adult.
Social Development
The social wellness of children is being gravely affected by the use of technology. It is very detrimental for a child to miss out on the experiences, interactions, and observations that are made while young. This is their time to soak up their surroundings and learn about the world and it’s inhabitants. When they are using technology by themselves, inactively, they are in a state of isolation. Children need exposure to human connections, touch, as well as nature. All of these interactions stimulate their brains and develop their tactile, praxis, and parasympathetic systems which allow for children to understand patterns of movement, behave with less anxiety and adrenalin, as well as focus and attention.
Mental/Emotional Development
The mental wellness of children is affected greatly by overuse of technology. Many aspects of this developing system are compromised including creativity/imagination, motor and sensory development, literacy and behavioral management. Relying on technology for entertainment limits children from developing their own creativity and poses threats to their motor development. When children sit and stare at the constantly changing and chaotic screen, it causes them to develop a need for high-speed. This need often results in attention and self-regulation issues. This contributes to many psychological and behavioral disorders including anxiety, depression, ADHD, learning disabilities, sleep irregularities, autism, and sensory processing irregularities.
Physical Development
The physical health of children is also beginning to deteriorate due to the increase in technology use. Children require a minimum of two to three hours of physical activity daily to maintain health by stimulating their sensory systems. Because of the nature of technology, children are instead sitting while watching television, playing on apps, and browsing social media sites. Childhood obesity and diabetes are increasing at the same rate as technology. Those are now national epidemics in the U.S. and Canada.