Writing Assignment #2 ​ ​ 1

Julia Bilotti

PSY 241

November 1st, 2019

Regulation Before Implementation: A Digital Era

Technology use in middle childhood development is becoming increasingly prevalent.

Children are growing up in front of screens and spend countless hours each day engaging in

digital gaming on computers, iPads, and other forms of technology. This increased use in

technology is not just a factor in their home life, but one study found that “of K-8 teachers, 74%

reported using digital games for instruction, with 80% indicating that they primarily used

educational games and apps.” Despite this increase relevance and use of technology, there is still

a major gap in studies measuring and discovering the effects of this increased use in technology

on middle childhood development. Because of the increase in the use of digital games by this age

group, it is essential that research is done due to its potential for developmental benefits, the

importance of regulating exposure to particular themes in the games, and the treat to resource

equality in schools.

Foremost, digital gaming offers a vast wealth of learning opportunities and

developmental benefits for children in middle childhood development. Each year, new and

improved technology is created in hopes of aiding positive and healthy childhood development.

While studies are being conducted on the effects of technology in television viewing in this age

group, use there is still a major gap in studies on its effects of digital gaming. The Society for

Research of Child Development (SRCD) stated that “In two meta-analyses examining the impact

of commercial video game use on information processing, only a few of the studies focused on
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children and youth from 3 to 17 years.” Two fundamental factors of middle childhood

development are the mastery of the concrete operational stage and information processing. In the

concrete operational stage outlined by Piaget, the importance of developing specific

developmental factors such as reversibility, seriation, and transitive influence are apparent

(Belk). Technology allows for opportunities for children to develop these areas in very effective

ways, such as creating games that require mastery of these specific factors. Additionally,

improving children’s information processing skills by developing their executive functions is

essential in avoiding developmental impairments such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

(Belk). The SRCD reported “Playing educationally oriented digital games is linked to enhanced

executive functions, mental rotation skills, basic math understanding, and problem-solving

ability. Such games may enhance selective attention and other abilities used to acquire academic

content.” Due to technologies potential for great strides in fostering positive development, it is

essential that the effects of technology are researched and, therefore, taken advantage of.

While there is great potential for technological aid in middle childhood development,

there are viable concerns that must be researched as well. With technology’s versatility and a

vast range of functions, children have access to significantly more information. While this can

present many benefits, it also poses a threat for exposure to harmful themes or information. One

of the major controversies with digital games is the exposure to violence. Many state that this

decreases sensitivity to serious and sensitive issues. Looking into the effects of children’s

television viewing, the SRCD stated, “Content matters, with educational television but not

violent or solely entertaining TV associated positively with academic outcomes.” Seeing as

though the content of technological usage is significant in childrens development, especially with
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greater ease of exposure to harmful or unwanted content, there needs to be increased research on

its effects and regulation on its usage. In children’s development, it is seen that “by middle

childhood, children have internalized rules for good conduct. They construct a flexible

appreciation of moral rules based on intentions and context and develop a better understanding of

personal choice and individual rights (Belk).” Because adolescence’ morals are so amenable,

ensuring that children are developing good morals is especially imperative. This is ensured

through research on digital gaming’s effects on development.

Lastly, while technology is becoming increasingly widespread, it is important to

acknowledge the potential for disparity in educational opportunities and developmental benefits

for children. The SRDC states, “Under-resourced schools need access to digital media and

high-speed Internet to integrate educational games into curricula.” This imbalance of resources

poses a great threat to educational equality and there is a greater need for research on policy

implementation. Ensuring that children in all school districts have equal access to these new

educational opportunities is an essential factor that must be looked into and researched. While

inequality of school resources is already an issue, technological disparities add a new layer to it.

Research on the ways to best prevent this issue from growing even greater than it already has is

imperative.

The rise of technology has fostered an increased need for research on its effects. This is

essentially pressing for middle childhood development as there is a remaining gap in research

relating to this age group. Neglecting to conduct proper research on this issue can result in

increasingly detrimental effects as the use of technology is only rising. This new era has the

potential for great developmental benefits, however, it is essential that any negative effects such
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as exposure to negative themes and educational inequality are mitigated. In order to do this,

further research must be conducted as soon as possible before any significant detrimental effects

become irreversible. In order to conduct this research, there must be a sufficient amount of

funding that can be given to it. This can be done by reallocating a small portion of federal funds

towards conducting research and creating policies addressing its findings. Additionally, because

the use of technology to this extent is still relatively new, it is essential that research is not only

conducted now but continues to be conducted as time goes on to look into any long-term effects

that digital gaming may have on development.

References:

Berk, Laura E.. Development Through the Lifespan (p. 332). Pearson Education. Kindle Edition.

Wartella, Ellen. “Understanding and Addressing the Effect of Digital Games on Cognitive

Development in Middle Childhood.”