Technology is changing how children learn and play. While it allows for new educational opportunities and connectivity, increased screen time from devices is reducing children's outdoor activity and social interaction. There are also concerns that extensive social media usage can negatively impact children's mental health and self-image. Whether technology becomes a helpful tool or distracting toy may depend on how both children and parents integrate it into development in a balanced way.

1. Is Technology
helping children's
development?
Image by:
Alumno Fake

2. “A mere 20 years ago, children
used to play outside all day,
riding bikes, playing sports and
building forts”
2 Image by: Sarah
Radzi
Rowan, Cris. "The Impact of
Technology on the Developing Child

3. Technology is changing the
way children learn about the
world.
Image by: Chad
Kainz

4. It is allowing children to learn words at an expedited rate through
interactive components which stimulate the brain
4
Image by: Jaume
Soriano Sivera
Sydneyeve Matrix, Queen’s University
Film 240 Class

5. 97%“of small children have used a mobile device"
5
Image by: Philip
Brookes
Koreen, Michael. "97% of Small Children Have
Used Mobile Device, Most Have Their Own –
Study."

6. Technology has
the potential to
“bridge gaps”
6 Image by: Grid
Enginge
Duncan, Arne. "What Can Technology
Do for Tomorrow's Children?"

7. It has the possibility to create a
“much cheaper online education
for many students” providing all
students with an equal
opportunity
7 Image by: Hans
Splinter
Cowen, Tyler. "How Technology Could
Help Fight Income Inequality."

8. With consistent new innovation,
technology is aiding children
with the ability to understand
concepts in their own learning
style
Image by:
featureset1
Unknown. "How ROBOX Is Promoting
STEM and Robotics in Schools

9. ▫“Technology is a boon to
students as it helps them learn
the way they like. It can help
students develop their own
learning styles even at a very
young age”
9 Image by: julie-
love
Unknown. "How ROBOX Is Promoting
STEM and Robotics in Schools

10. In the United States, the
Obama Administration
announced that they “aim
to provide high-speed
Internet service to low-
income households”.
10
Ultimately making
technology more
accessible for those who
are financially unstable
Image by:
Christiaan Colen
Reisinger, Don, and Marguerite Reardon. "Obama Unveils
ConnectHome to Get Low-income Households Online."
McGee, Craig, and Marc Kielburger. "Have Your Say: How Can We Help
Canadians Gain Better Access to the Internet?"

11. However, we have
gone from
“passing notes in
school” to sending text
messages
11 Image by: SeikaImage by: Ryan
Baker
Bell, Jeff. "Technology in the Classroom:
From Distraction to Learning Tool."

12. Instead of children living their
fantasy’s outside, they are
reverted to living them inside a
video game
12 Image by:
Jackeline Cibrian
Harris, Marlys. "Kids Stay Indoors:
What Happened To, 'Go outside and
Play'?"

13. “Compared to the 1970s,
children now spend 50
percent less time in
unstructured outdoor
activities. Children ages 10
to 16 now spend, on
average, only 12.6 minutes
per day in vigorous
physical activity”.
13 Image by: Scott
Orwig
Harris, Marlys. "Kids Stay Indoors:
What Happened To, 'Go outside and
Play'?"

14. “71 percent of
students sent or
received text
messages on
their cell phones
in class”
Image by:
oddcatz
Earl, Robert. "Do Cellphones Belong in
the Classroom."

15. Children’s motor
skill development
is now slowing as
more time is spent
looking at screens
then being
outdoors
15
Image by:
Eakakeeak
Akeeakake
Rowan, Cris. "The Impact of Technology on the Developing Child."

16. Technology is also
affecting children’s
16
Mental Health
Image by: W.Ho’s
Photo

17. 17
“Teens who are on social
media for more than two
hours a day... report poor
self-rated mental health,
psychological distress,
suicidal ideation or
unmet need for mental
health support”.
Image by:
Eminent Youth
Payne, Elizabeth. "Teens' Poor Mental
Health Linked to Social Media Use

18. Many children also
portray themselves
online as a completely
different person than
who they are offline
18
Image by:
Richard Walker
Green, R. Kay. "The Social Media
Effect: Are You Really Who You
Portray Online?"

19. Technology and Social Media is
creating “a false sense of self
and self-esteem through the use
of likes, fans, comments, posts,
etc. For many social media
users, it is an esteem booster,
which explains why so many
people spend so much time on
social media”.
19 Image by: Music
Buzz
Green, R. Kay. "The Social Media
Effect: Are You Really Who You
Portray Online?"

20. 65%“of children enteringprimary schools today will likely work in roles
that don’t currently exist”
20 Image by:
lighthouse labs
Dunne, Niall. "How Technology Will
Change the Future of Work."

21. In the end, it is up to
the children to
decide whether they
see technology as a
toy or as a tool
21 Image by: Mason
Stevens

22. All images shown in this
flipbook are sourced from Flickr
and fall under the Creative
Commons Attribution
agreement
22

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06 Dec.2014. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
Duncan, Arne. "What Can Technology Do for Tomorrow's Children?" Medium. Bright, 20 Apr. 2015. Web. 20 Oct.
2016.
Dunne, Niall. "How Technology Will Change the Future of Work." Www.weforum.org. WeForum, 24 Feb. 2016.
Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
Earl, Robert. "Do Cellphones Belong in the Classroom." The Atlantic.Atlantic Media Company, 18 May 2012. Web.
18 Oct. 2016.
Green, R. Kay."The SocialMedia Effect: Are You Really Who You Portray Online?" The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 08 July 2013. Web. 22 Oct. 2016.
Harris, Marlys."Kids Stay Indoors: What Happened To, 'Go outside and Play'?" MinnPost.MinnPost, 08 Sept. 2013.
Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
Sources
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24. Koreen, Michael."97% of Small Children Have Used Mobile Device, Most Have Their Own – Study." RT
International. Reuters, 02 Nov. 2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
McGee, Craig, and Marc Kielburger. "Have Your Say:How Can We Help Canadians Gain Better Access to the
Internet?" The Globe and Mail. Specialto The Globe and Mail, 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
Payne, Elizabeth. "Teens' Poor MentalHealth Linked to SocialMedia Use." Teens' Poor Mental Health Linked to
Social Media Use (2015): n. pag. 08 Aug. 2015. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.
Reisinger, Don, and Marguerite Reardon. "Obama Unveils ConnectHome to Get Low-income Households Online."
CNET. CNET, 15 July 2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
Rowan, Cris. "The Impact of Technology on the Developing Child." The Huffington Post.TheHuffingtonPost.com,
29 May 2013. Web. 18 Oct.2016.
Unknown. "How ROBOX Is Promoting STEM and Robotics in Schools." India's Premier Education Technology
(EdTech) Community.Edtech, n.d. Web. 23 Oct.2016.
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