Some of the negative effects that technology can have on children and some preventatives.

1. HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN A
TECHNOLOGICAL ERA

2. PHYSICAL EFFECTS
EYE SAFETY!!!!- One of the major consequences of looking at a screen for a majority of the day is eye strain.
Symptoms of Digital Eye Strain
✔ Eye redness or irritation is usually the result of staring at the bright backlight of screens for a long period of time.
✔ Dry eyes can result from reduced blinking rates. Screens set at eye level can also cause dryness.
✔Blurred vision is often due to screen glare. The chance of glare rises with bright overhead lights, older
computer monitors, dirty screens, and outside sun.
✔ General fatigue can occur from staring at screens and straining to see small fonts and images.
✔ Back pain can occur because of poor body posture when a screen is not positioned properly.
✔Neck pain is usually caused by poor screen and monitor positioning. Painful pressure can build on muscles if
the neck is constantly moving up or down.
✔ Headaches can be caused by repeated eye strain.

3. PHYSICAL EFFECTS CONT.
• Back problems caused by the constant arc of our backs while on a computer. (not just desktops, but also tablets,
laptops and gaming systems)
 Back strain, muscle spasms
 Neck strain
 Cervical arthritis or stiffness
 Scoliosis
 Musculoskeletal deformities
 Shoulder stiffness
• Decreasing fine motor skills
 Sloppy writing even at higher grade levels
 Young students inability to preform the tripod grasp

4. SOCIAL EFFECTS
Let’s be real with ourselves; technology has changed the way our children interact. Being on a gaming system
and talking to other children who live in different countries is NOT the way to be social active.
Technology can:
• Decrease social interaction
• Decrease social conventions
• Decrease social language

5. LET THEM PLAY TOGETHER, NOT BE ON PHONES NEXT TO
EACH OTHER!

6. EMOTIONAL EFFECTS
• Elevated Exasperation
“These days, children indulge themselves in internet, games or texting. These activities have affected their
psyche negatively, consequently leading to increased frustration. Now they get frustrated whenever they are
asked to do anything while playing games or using internet. For instance, when their parents ask them to take
the trash out, they get furious instantly. This behavior has shattered many parent-children relationships.”
• Deteriorated Patience
“Patience is a very precious virtue and its scarcity could deteriorate a person’s Will. Determination is a
necessity that comes with patience and without it no individual can survive the hardships of life. According to
studies, tolerance in children is vanishing quite increasingly due to the improper use of technology. For
example, children get frustrated quickly when they surf internet and the page they want to view takes time to
load.”
http://www.edudemic.com/the-4-negative-side-effects-of-technology/

7. EMOTIONAL EFFECTS CONT.
• Lack of self-esteem: Children relate themselves to what other children are able to do in the ways of technology so if
they “fall short” of those other children, then their self-esteem lowers. (Charlie was able to beat this video game in a
week but I can barely get passed the first level)
• A lowered self-esteem can also come from cyber bullying or media portraying the “perfect image”
• Increase in pride, but it can be the wrong type of pride. We want our children to feel good about themselves when
they have accomplished their first marathon run or did well in a tough class but instead, they get their pride from
completing a difficult level on a video game
Children will believe anything that is told to them, even if it is negative. Be aware of what your children or students are
being exposed to!

8. POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE COGNITIVE EFFECTS
• Ability to read more fluently: Students who surf the web are constantly reading things whether it be articles found
online or just somebody’s facebook post.
• Inability to spell: Whenever using a computer or phone, a child’s misspellings are underlined and all they have to do is
right-click and select the correct spelling. When it comes to phones and some computer applications, the word isn’t
even underlined, it is just simply corrected without even letting the writer acknowledge the mistake (auto-correct)
• Decrease ability to problem solve: When a child is doing something on a computer, it will not let the child make a
mistake or lets the child do something that is not plausible in reality. (virtual puzzles, dropping unbreakable dishes)

9. THERE IS HOPE
Even with negative effects, technology can still be used in a safe and meaningful way
• Educate your children or students on the risks
• Take preventative measures
 Frequent breaks
 Limited technology time
 Using proper posture
 Using technology cooperatively (the same device at the same time like a smartboard)