New technologies have changed the way children spend their free time.
Do you think the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?
Leisure time habits of children have been affected by modern technologies in different ways. While this trend is advantageous to some extent/degree, I share the view that the negative impact of technology on children’s downtime is more considerable.
Admittedly, new technologies children use in their free time benefit both them and their parents. The main advantage for children is improved cognition. That is, early exposure to computers and smartphones stimulates neurological growth in children as they are compelled to process many forms of visual and audio information while interacting with these devices. Having bolstered their cognitive abilities from a young age, children are likely to perform well at school, which is essential for their future success. Parents are also at an advantage from allowing their children access to electronic devices such as hand-held consoles and tablets. This is because these gadgets are a virtually free source of entertainment as opposed to taking children to amusement parks and attractions.
In spite of being somewhat beneficial, I believe new technologies do children more harm than good. Firstly, technology can be a source of distraction for children. It can distract them from their studies and other important commitments such as sports. Once distracted, children often see their performance at school decline and eventually, fall behind their peers. More than just causing poor academic performance, technology damages a child’s social life. When children are occupied with technology, they are deprived of chances for social engagement in the real-world context, and if they do not learn to develop social bonds, they fail to do so in adult life. However, perhaps the most worrying aspect of modern technology for children is its health implications. Children who use electronic devices are likely to develop a sedentary lifestyle and harmful addictions like compulsive TV-watching and playing video games. In no way can the use of technology among children be justified if their health is at risk.
In conclusion, the use of technology for leisure among children can be a change for the better in some aspects, but I consider that its downsides ranging from poor school performance, lack of social interaction to health detriments are more concerning.
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