TECHNOLOGY AND CHILDREN

In my opinion , technology is one of the principal driving forces of the future, it is

transforming our lives and shaping our future at rates surprising in history, with profound
implication which we can't even begin to see or understand. In today's world we are plagued
with technology. The technology which surrounds almost everyone in the modern society, is
changing every day, and will forever be a staple in our lives. But the real question is How
does it affect our children?

Certainly, the impact of technology development on the young generation is a topic

of widespread debate. Their brain is extremely malleable during this period of development,
being susceptible to environmental experiences. In fact, children grow up in an environment
where technology means everything, searching for information, friends, fun, communication,
learning. According to a European Commission report in Romania, about 69% of children use
the Internet in their room each week and 79% have a Facebook account. The proportion of
children who know more about Internet than their parents is higher in Romania and Denmark
than in other European countries. Children's enthusiasm when it comes to Internet, iPhone,
iPad, Facebook, Youtube can be based on the immediate reinforcements they receive and the
stimulating environment where they are immersed, full of sounds and colors. Frequently,
Internet, Facebook, or online games are being discussed. But what does this addiction mean?
In fact, brain changes occur in the reward processing system. And in the case of technology
addicts, as with other addictions (drugs, nicotine, gambling), dopamine problems a
neurotransmitter that when released is creating pleasure.
According to the recommendations of the American Pediatric Association, children under the
age of two should not have any media interaction, as even 9 minutes of cartooning have a
negative impact on executive functions in 4 year old children. I think an increasingly
important question for parents is whether or not they should prohibit children from playing
online / video. But are the allegations made by those who assert that the Internet is making a
generation of overactive children with concentration problems? ?
In contrast, although online / video games have been blamed for increasing aggression, they
have a number of positive consequences such as: improving visual and spatial skills, attention,
reaction time and decisional abilities when actively involving children in their use.
Technological devices can influence the mental health of children, with data showing that
they contribute to their sleeping problems. I consider that a way children learn is by modeling,
or imitating models (celebrities, parents, colleagues). In this respect, it is problematic to
expose them to inappropriate models on social networks. As a result, some girls develop
eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia), because through social comparison, they get a distorted
picture of their body.
At the end of all the general conclusion that can be drawn on how technology carries the
architecture of our brain is that only in terms of time spent and activities on technological
devices can we talk about beneficial or harmful effects. One thing is certain, we live in a time
when we have to adapt "healthy" to the galloping development of technology. As we can not
generally discuss the effect of nutrition on health, and when using technology we can not
make global assessments (technological development is beneficial or harmful) we should
rather educate on its effective use. Children's preference for the use of technology should be
used to motivate and involve curricular and extracurricular tasks, or to make difficult
situations difficult for them, such as visits to a doctor (eg presentation of medical procedures
before operation in the form of animations in their meaning), etc.