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The Effects of Technology on Children

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  • The Effects of Technology on Children
    • 07 MAR 23

    This teen gave up her smartphone. It changed her life. (The New York Times)

    Excerpt: How many hours do you spend on your phone each day? Probably more than you’d like. In our technology-saturated world, we rely on our devices for what feels like an endless list of daily tasks — everything from staying up-to-date on Twitter to killing time at the post office. The idea of reclaiming any degree of independence from our smartphones can often feel impossible.

    For the 17-year-old Logan Lane, the solution was to quit cold turkey. Lane grew up in Brooklyn and was a screen-addicted teenager who spent hours curating her social media presence on Instagram and TikTok. Then, a little over two years ago, Lane started questioning whether living a life of constant connection was actually a good thing and made the decision to ditch her smartphone altogether. She began assembling a “Luddite Club” — a group of teenagers who reject technology and its creeping hold on all our lives….SNIP

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    • 03 FEB 21

    China just issued a full ban on phones in schools

    EXCERPT: Effective immediately, China’s Ministry of Education said the ban would apply to all school children.

    Chinese authorities have banned cellphones in classrooms and school grounds effective immediately in an effort to protect students from digital addiction and save their eyesight.

    The ban will apply to all schoolchildren across the country.

    Chinese students will only be allowed to bring a mobile device to school only under special circumstances. However, during class, all devices would be surrendered to the teachers, said the ministry on its website on Monday.

    Aimed at “protecting the students’ eyesight and making them focus on study,” the ministry’s new rule strived to prevent student addiction to the internet while enhancing their physical and psychological development, the directive detailed….SNIP

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    • 25 JAN 21

    “Low dose” exposure to EMR may cause “severe health effects”…

    Research review by expert committee (BERENIS) convened by Swiss government concludes that exposure to a “low dose” of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields may cause “severe health effects” in the young and elderly and in people with immune deficiencies or diseases

    Meike Mevissen, David Schürmann: Is there evidence for oxidative stress caused by electromagnetic fields? A summary of relevant observations in experimental animal and cell experiments related to health effects in the last ten years. BERENIS – The Swiss expert group on electromagnetic fields and non-ionising radiation Newsletter – Special Issue January 2021…SNIP

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    • 22 APR 20

    New Paper on Autism and toddler’s exposure digital media devices

    Key Points:
    Question Are screen media exposure and social and demographic factors associated with the risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or ASD–like symptoms on the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers at 2 years of age?
    Findings: This cohort study of 2152 children controlled for perinatal and demographic variables and found that television and/or video exposure and less caregiver-child interactive play at 12 months of age were each significantly associated with greater ASD-like symptoms, determined by total revised Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers score, but not with the risk of ASD. Additional perinatal and demographic findings are discussed.Meaning Less screen exposure and more parent-child play at 12 months of age were associated with fewer ASD–like symptoms at 2 years of age, and more research on early experiential factors is recommended.

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    • 02 MAR 20

    Brain Scans Reveal Structural Differences In People With “Smart Phone Addiction”

    Excerpt:
    Children entering into the world today are being birthed into a sea of technology that their parents never grew up with. As a result, we don’t really know the long-term consequences these technologies could have on these generations as they age. Preliminary research, however, is already showing significant cause for concern, and one of the latest examples comes from a study published in the journal Addictive Behaviours via German researchers.The researchers examined 48 participants using MRI imaging, and 22 of the participants had smartphone addiction (SPA), and 26 of them were non-addicts. The main findings were that individuals with SPA showed “significant lower” grey matter volume (GMA) in the insula and in certain regions of the temporal cortex compared to the individuals without smartphone addiction, known as the controls. Secondly, right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity was “significantly lower” in individuals with SPA compared to controls. Third, the researchers found associations between the smartphone addiction inventory (SPAI) scores and GMV as well as amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF), converged on the ACC.The authors wrote that:…SNIP

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    • 12 NOV 19

    DigiKids: A special report by ABC’s Four Corners program on how the digital age affects children and their learning

    Excerpt from the ABC Four Corners page: Why too many young Australians are struggling with literacy in the digital age.“You see kids fall through the cracks. You see things get worse. And it’s really difficult as a teacher because you want to help everybody.” There’s no more precious resource in Australia than our children. Equipping them with the reading and writing skills to face the future is vital, not only for their own success but for the nation’s prosperity.“Literacy now is more important than ever. If you go back 50 years…if you didn’t have literacy and numeracy levels, you could still get a job. You could still support a family with that job….That era has now gone.” Alarmingly, a number of test results and international benchmarks indicate some of our children are slipping behind in the key area of literacy. “Vocabulary has definitely decreased, and spelling is quite atrocious – small, simple words are really misspelt.” On Monday, Four Corners examines the way reading and writing is being taught in our schools to find out what is going wrong.“We have a situation now where schools basically get to choose their own adventure with respect to how they go about the important business, life-changing business, of teaching children how to read.” Academic Teachers say they’re seeing children struggle with the study of English well beyond the first year of school.”Writing’s a real worry. The results have been steadily getting worse – both for boys and for girls – boys are much worse than girls. But the average student is working about 12 months below where they used to be a decade earlier.” SNIP

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    • 22 OCT 19

    The Dangerous Push For More Technology In Schools

    From the International Business Times By Dr. Devra Davis from the Environmental Health Trust 10/19/19 AT 1:33 PM A legacy of President Lyndon Johnson”s Great Society, Title 1 schools, are located in some of the poorest neighborhoods in this nation. More than half of all schools in America are eligible for special funding to enhance

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    • 24 MAR 19

    Oregon proposed legislation would require health officials to review independent studies on microwave radiation from wireless technology.

    Excerpt:
    A bill has been introduced in the Oregon state Senate that would require the board of education and the Oregon Health Authority to review independently funded studies relating to the biological effects of microwave radiation from wireless technology in schools. It would also require schools to begin teaching kids how to use their wireless devices more safely…SNIP

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    • 18 MAR 19

    New paper on the risks that mobile technologies have on children

    From The GR3C a research organisation which has ongoing research engagements with several major international organisations, including: Fidelity Investments, Bank of New York Mellon, Deutsche Bank, Santander, Barclays, NatWest; RegTech and FinTech vendors such as Corlytics, Governor Software, Terra Nua, MCO, and Mizen; Global law firms such as Linklaters and UK-based professional services firms such as Grant Thornton and Deloitte; and, finally, regulators such as the Bank of England, the FCA and international industry bodies such as the RegTech Council.
    “Professor Tom Butler publishes a new working paper on the risks that mobile digital technologies present to children, titled “On the Clear Evidence of the Risks to Children from Smartphone and WiFi Radio Frequency Radiation”. See the link below. This paper is an in-depth review of independent peer-reviewed research. The findings are thought-provoking and alarming for parents and guardians of children and adolescents…SNIP

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    • 17 MAR 19

    How Much Screen Time Should Kids Have?

    From “Smart Parent Advice”

    By Ryan Howard

    Excerpts:

    Screen time. In today’s connected world, there are more and more reasons to experience screen time. Screens are so prevalent, it’s hard to avoid them altogether. Having children only complicates the matter–do you find yourself wondering what the right amount of screen time for kids is?

    Your children are likely living a very different childhood from the one you had. Balancing the good that screen time may bring, with the importance of other activities, can be hard. If you’re trying to figure it all out, here’s what you need to know about screen time–both the good and the bad…SNIP
    What Are the Disadvantages to Screen Time?

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    • 29 NOV 18

    A Dark Consensus About Screens and Kids Begins to Emerge in Silicon Valley

    The New York Times

    By Nellie Bowle, Oct. 26, 2018

    Excerpt
    SAN FRANCISCO – The people who are closest to a thing are often the most wary of it. Technologists know how phones really work, and many have decided they don’t want their own children anywhere near them.

    A wariness that has been slowly brewing is turning into a regionwide consensus: The benefits of screens as a learning tool are overblown, and the risks for addiction and stunting development seem high. The debate in Silicon Valley now is about how much exposure to phones is O.K.

    “Doing no screen time is almost easier than doing a little,” said Kristin Stecher, a former social computing researcher married to a Facebook engineer. “If my kids do get it at all, they just want it more.”…SNIP

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    • 13 JUN 18

    Friend or Foe? The Ultimate Screen Time Guide For Kids

    Is your kid addicted to the screen, whether it’s the tablet, computer, or a gaming console? Are you wondering how much you should be limiting their time in front of electronics and if they’re getting anything out of it? If you’re wondering about it, you should pat yourself on the back. That means you’re a…SNIP

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    • 18 MAY 17

    Changemakers Tasmania: Disconnect from your devices

    Here’s a very positive campaign from a start up group here in Tasmania. If you are concerned over the increasing dependence on devices, especially by children, check out their website.

    Changemakers: Disconnect to reconnect

    We believe in the power of being present to promote positive change. That’s why we have created Meet me Unplugged. Our grassroots campaign encourages people and organisations to disconnect from their devices and reconnect with themselves, each other, their communities and their environment.

    We use a vintage approach to disseminate our ideas, word of mouth is our channel of choice. So if you heard about us, the odds are someone you know and cares about you told you or send you an email.

    If you wish to join our campaign start by telling colleagues, friends and family when scheduling meetings: Meet me Unplugged. You wont regret it! SNIP…

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    • 09 APR 17

    The RSI and Overuse Injury Association of ACT raises device concerns

    From the Canberra Times, April 8 2017

    Emily Baker

    Excerpt

    Increasing numbers of Canberra parents are reaching out for help with their child’s neck, back and arm pain as more schools implement “bring your own device” policies.

    The RSI and Overuse Injury Association of the ACT has raised concerns about how the use of iPads and laptops in classrooms could impact on mental and physical health.

    Association director Ann Thomson said more parents were getting in contact with the organisation for help addressing their teenagers’ injuries.

    “We’re concerned about the use of notebooks and iPads in schools because of the lack of adjustability and a separate keyboard and mouse, and also the fact that child is holding them with one hand while using them with the other, so that’s placing a lot of strain on the arms, neck and hands,” she said…..SNIP

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    • 06 APR 17

    Screenagers the movie: Growing up in the digital age

    Award-winning SCREENAGERS probes into the vulnerable corners of family life, including the director’s own, and depicts messy struggles, over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction. Through surprising insights from authors and brain scientists solutions emerge on how we can empower kids to best navigate the digital world…. I have been very concerned about this issue and as I’m a geneticist I’m very interested in the science behind it. The film is REMARKABLE: thoughtful, provocative and beautifully filmed and edited.” – Beth T., Geneticist at UCSF Children’s Hospital

    “Screenagers is a very balanced, sympathetic and sane look at the way millions of teens are struggling with phones and games and technology in general. In part by letting the teens themselves speak about their own concerns and solutions. Screenagers is deeply affecting, too.” SNIP

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    • 04 APR 17

    What Screen Time and Screen Media Do To Your Child’s Brain and Sensory Processing Ability March 28, 2017

    Excerpt

    It’s a scene we’re sure you’ve witnessed again and again:

    A family is sitting in a restaurant having dinner. The four year old is clearly fed up with sitting, and starts to complain, jump on her seat or run around. But a few moments later, she’s quietly in her seat again, enabling her parents and older siblings to enjoy a peaceful meal and conversation for the next 30 minutes.

    What happened?

    Her father handed her his iPhone.

    It’s a scene we see repeated in doctors’ waiting rooms, supermarkets, public transportation… and while we entirely understand it, it also saddens us.

    So many caring, well-meaning parents are unaware of the developmental damage caused to their children by exposure to screen time and screen media. SNIP………….

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    • 11 MAY 16

    ICNIRP’s meeting at Capetown, South Africa

    Excerpt

    Press release issued by the Electromagnetic Radiation Research Foundation of South Africa.
    https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mobilfunk_newsletter/0VYr4Y1ScS8
    As the world’s radiation protection agency meets in Cape Town, scientists call for the retraction of a study from a top industry researcher claiming that children are not at higher risk from mobile phones

    May 9, 2016

    The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) is a self-appointed body that sets the safety guidelines used by the World Health Organisation to cover all radiation from electrical and electronic apparatus, including power lines, smartphones, wifi, and telecoms masts.
    SNIP

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    • 02 APR 16

    The Mullumbimby Steiner School on EMR safety

    Excerpt

    From the newsletter of the Shearwater Mullumbimby Steiner School, located in New South Wales, Australia.

    EMR Safety

    WIRELESS RADIATION EXPERT and health researcher Priyanka Bandara, Advisor to the Environmental Health Trust USA and Doctors for Safer Schools, visited Shearwater last week for a series of presentations, to High School students, staff and the wider community, on the documented health effects associated with prolonged exposure to wireless radiation, emitted by devices such as mobile phones, Wi-Fi enabled computers and wireless routers.
    SNIP

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    • 09 FEB 16

    Stop Untested Microwave Radiation of Children’s Brains and Eyes EHT Scientists Urge Google

    From the Environmental Health Trust:
    Excerpt

    Environmental Health Trust (EHT) scientists are calling on Google to stop the spread into schools of wireless virtual reality system Global Expeditions Pioneer Program where middle-school children hold a cell phone encased in a cardboard box in front of their eyes to take virtual expeditions to Mars, the moon, and other special places.

    “Two-way microwave radiation transceivers, in the form of Smartphones, should not be used directly in front of children’s eyes and brains,” cautions University of Utah Distinguished Prof. Om Gandhi, who is one of the original developers of testing to evaluate wireless radiation from cellphones and is a Senior Advisor to EHT.

    Prof. Gandhi added, “We have never tested microwave radiating devices directly in front of the young developing eye. The absence of proof of harm at this point does not mean that we have evidence of safety.”

    “We want to know why is Google encouraging young children to employ a technology that has never been tested for their use when Samsung has a similar system that explicitly advises that no child under the age of 13 should be using it,” asks Devra Davis, President of EHT, and Visiting Professor of Ondokuz Mayis University Medical School and The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical Center.
    SNIP

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    • 29 JAN 16

    Screens Versus Brains: Are We Robbing Our Children Of The Ability To Think?

    Here’s an interesting article sent in by Richard Giles. It is written by Sue Palmer who writes and speaks about child
    development and education in the modern world. Her concerns mirror those of of Baroness Susan Greenfield on IT’s impacts on children

    Don
    ****************************************
    Have you been in a primary school classroom recently? Did you notice that a large white screen has replaced the old-fashioned blackboard? And have you any idea how much of the day the children spend staring at it? In the classrooms I’ve visited, the ‘interactive whiteboard’ features in almost every lesson. Children sit, with blank zoned-out faces, staring at brightly coloured shapes and figures zooming around the screen……”As children engage in more screen activity, they definitely read less – and the effect is likely to be permanent…..Ultimately, screen images render the printed word simply boring, at a crucial phase when the child’s
    brain and mind are developing. SNIP

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