Research Log #1 - Solutionary Project 2023

Date: 24 February 2023

Name: Jacob Kina
Central Question: How do toys and technology affect child motor skills?

Thesis: Even though technology has taken the place of toys for many children, providing them with convenience
and access to anything on the internet, it brings negative effects onto their motor and social skills such as struggles
with hand eye coordination and ability to connect with others which will lead to problems later in life so we must do
as much as we can now to stop it.

Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? Children today
aren’t able to focus and develop effective motor skills along with others due to technology

#2: What has been and is being done? Technology use is being limited and children are being presented
with activities and toys to develop their skills

#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? Toys like a kendama should be given
to children instead of technology and activities to promote their development should be introduced

In which section will you use this source? #1

Excerpts:
1. Children lack the skills to use technology efficiently so why don’t we let them develop those skills first.
“While touchscreen technology is commonly perceived as easy to use, observations of children in this
age group indicate a lack of necessary cognitive and fine motor skills to efficiently operate the devices.”
(Archer, 2017)

2. Technology has the same effect young children as television which can lead to lower developmental
outcomes. “The use of mobile technology for passive activities to preoccupy the child, is a concern that
may result in similar negative developmental outcomes that are found for television viewing rather than
enhancing children’s learning opportunities through technology.” (Archer, 2017)

3. A child’s development in their social and language skills is negatively impacted by technology.
“Television viewing impacts may areas of development that could in turn affect children’s behavior
towards others and, therefore, their social development. Delays shown in areas such as language
development could impact children’s ability to communicate with other children, and impede further
social opportunities that are so fundamental to children’s social development.” (Archer, 2017)

Commentary and Analysis:

1. While touchscreen technology presents itself as easy use, young children struggle to navigate and
perform tasks with it. This is because they haven’t developed the cognitive and motor skills to be
successful in using the technology. A child developing their cognitive and motor skills early on in life
can be impeded through technology which will lead to problems later in life.

2. Children using technology passively will have similar effects that television has. There is often negative
effects that come along with this as it doesn’t help children to develop and advance their skills or
promote development. Not providing children with opportunities to learn and develop early on will lead
to them struggling in their adolescence and adulthood.
 3. The use of technology can lead to negative effects in a child socially and with their communication
skills. This will result in lost social opportunities and struggling to communicate with others. A child
who isn’t able cooperate and communicate will lead to struggles and a harder time building
relationships. Not being able to connect with others may also lead to health problems such as anxiety or
depression.

MLA Work Cited:

Archer, Karin. Scholars Commons @ Laurier | Research at Wilfrid Laurier University. 2017,
https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3031&context=etd.

This is a reputable and reliable article because Karin Archer is an experienced, PhD graduate of the Kinesiology and
Physical Education program at Wilfrid Laurier University. Published on the Scholar Commons @ Laurier, it is a reputable
and credible resource as it is used for scholarly publications and research.

Research Log #2 - Solutionary Project 2023

Date: 29 February 2023
Name: Jacob Kina
Central Question: How do toys and technology affect child motor skills?

Thesis: Even though technology has taken the place of toys for many children, providing them with convenience
and access to anything on the internet, it brings negative effects onto their motor and social skills such as struggles
with hand eye coordination and ability to connect with others which will lead to problems later in life so we must do
as much as we can now to stop it.

Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? Children today
aren’t able to focus and develop effective motor skills along with others due to technology

#2: What has been and is being done? Technology use is being limited and children are being presented
with activities and toys to develop their skills
 #3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? Toys like a kendama should be given
to children instead of technology and activities to promote their development should be introduced

In which section will you use this source? 1

Excerpts:
1. A child with a developing brain is very impressionable. “As mentioned above, the brain is plastic, which
suggests that it changes based on our experiences. This is especially prominent in the earlier years, and
research suggests rapid development and considerable plasticity in the brains of newborns through the
first few years of life.” (Gottschalk, 2019)

2. The development of basic skills plays an important role for children and their future. “During the first
three years of life, a child’s brain may create over 1 million new connections per second, which is
essential for development of various functions such as hearing, language and cognition. These create the
foundation for higher order functions, especially those formed in adolescence, as many neural networks
underlying things such as decision making mature during this time.” (Gottschalk, 2019)

3. Technology is being linked to issues and negative results in children. “There is an emerging body of
work linking certain elements of ill-being to technology use. Furthermore, overuse of technology more
generally might be linked to poorer outcomes in adolescents including physical, behavioural, attentional
and psychological issues.” (Gottschalk, 2019)

Commentary and Analysis:

1. The brain is very impressionable as it molds and changes throughout our life as we grow and develop.
This is important because as young children, we pick up things and develop different skills through what
we experience. Being exposed to technology may disrupt a child development as the brain is so flexible.

2. A child’s brain is responsible for making connections and developing skills through them. This will
provide them with a strong base as they grow up and implement these skills into other activities. The
development of these skills and making sure a child is exposed to the correct things plays such a big role
and provides a basis for how they will function in the future.

3. A link between technology and damaging issues is rising. Trouble in children and attentional issues,
behavioral issues, and more can be found to be linked to an excessive use of technology. The use of
technology is damaging to their wellbeing and affects their attention, behavior, as well as their abilities
in physical issues.

MLA Work Cited:

Gottschalk, Francesca. Impacts of Technology Use on Children - OECD Ilibrary. 2019, https://www.oecd-
ilibrary.org/docserver/8296464e-en.pdf?
expires=1606740727&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=E4C76681971AACB302AAE6C8CC2CB0F7.
This is a reputable and reliable article because Francesca Gottschalk is an analyst for the 21st Century Children project.
She holds many titles and honors such as an Honors BSc in Human Biology and Psychology from the University of
Toronto, a Master of Arts in Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Paris, and completed a
certificate course in International Human Rights Law at the University of Oxford. The OECD is an international
organization which helps to provide support and promote things such as economic growth and development. Her article,
being published on the OECD library, is a reputable and credible source.

Research Log #3 - Solutionary Project 2023

Date: 26 March 2023
Name: Jacob Kina
Central Question: How do toys and technology affect child motor skills?

Thesis: Even though technology has taken the place of toys for many children, providing them with convenience
and access to anything on the internet, it brings negative effects onto their motor and social skills such as struggles
with hand eye coordination and ability to connect with others which will lead to problems later in life so we must do
as much as we can now to stop it.

Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? Children today
aren’t able to focus and develop effective motor skills along with others due to technology

#2: What has been and is being done? Technology use is being limited and children are being presented
with activities and toys to develop their skills

#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? Toys like a kendama should be given
to children instead of technology and activities to promote their development should be introduced

In which section will you use this source? 2

Excerpts:
1. Different types of toys provide for different needs and experiences. “Pretending through toy characters
(eg, dolls, animals, and figures) and associated toy objects (eg, food, utensils, cars, planes, and
buildings) can promote the use of words and narratives to imitate, describe, and cope with actual
circumstances and feelings. Such imaginative play ultimately facilitates language development, self-
regulation, symbolic thinking, and social-emotional development.‍26 Problem-solving through play with
 the “traditional favorites,” such as blocks and puzzles, can support fine motor skills and language and
cognitive development and predicts both spatial and early mathematics skills.”‍(Healey et al., 2019)
2. One of the pieces of advice given to parents is to realize what positives toys bring. “Recognize that one
of the most important purposes of play with toys throughout childhood, and especially in infancy, is not
educational at all but rather to facilitate warm, supportive interactions and relationships.” (Healey et al.,
2019)
3. When choosing a toy for a child, a parent should pick one that helps to promote their imagination and
problem-solving skills. “Indeed, sometimes the simplest toys may be the best, in that they provide
opportunities for children to use their imagination to create the toy use, not the other way around.
Choose toys that will grow with the child, foster interactions with caregivers, encourage exploration and
problem-solving, and spark the child’s imagination.” (Healey et al., 2019)

Commentary and Analysis:

1. The toys a child is provided with impacts and promotes what skills they learn. Today, children are being
given some form of technology which promotes bad habits and has less impact on the skills they are
supposed to develop. The use of toys is starting to become more uncommon, and the children will have
to adapt and learn their skills later on in life.
2. The solution to the problem starts with the parents and seeing how toys provide more for their children
than technology. The parents ultimately have the power to help solve the problem and give their children
the proper tools to help them develop their skills. If the parents don’t recognize this, the problem will
continue to grow.
3. Parents can start with giving their children the appropriate toys that promote their developmental skills.
The toys don’t have be very intricate or complicated as long as they promote the right developmental
skills in the children. This will help provide them with a solid base of imagination, problem-solving
skills, and social skills.

MLA Work Cited:

Healey, Aleeya, and Alan Mendelsohn. “Selecting Appropriate Toys for Young Children in the Digital Era.”
Publications.aap.org, Pediatrics, 2019,
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/143/1/e20183348/37330/Selecting-Appropriate-Toys-for-
Young-Children-in.

This is a reputable and reliable article because Aleeya Healey and Alan Mendelsohn are both certified medical doctors
in pediatrics. The article was also published by Pediatrics which is the official peer reviewed journal for American
Academy of Pediatrics. The AAP is the largest professional association of pediatricians in the US in which they devote
themselves to the health of infants, children, adolescents, and adults. The authors and the publisher are both a reputable
and credible source.
 Research Log #4 - Solutionary Project 2023
Date: 4 April 2023
Name: Jacob Kina
Central Question: How do toys and technology affect child motor skills?

Thesis: Even though technology has taken the place of toys for many children, providing them with convenience
and access to anything on the internet, it brings negative effects onto their motor and social skills such as struggles
with hand eye coordination and ability to connect with others which will lead to problems later in life so we must do
as much as we can now to stop it.

Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? Children today
aren’t able to focus and develop effective motor skills along with others due to technology

#2: What has been and is being done? Technology use is being limited and children are being presented
with activities and toys to develop their skills

#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? Toys like a kendama should be given
to children instead of technology and activities to promote their development should be introduced

In which section will you use this source? 2

Excerpts:
1. It is unrealistic to fully take away technology in a child’s life as it is available and used everywhere.
“For us to say that technology should be taken out of children’s lives all together has become a slightly
unrealistic notion, due to the vast amount of technology that is now available. To keep kids away from it
entirely would require them to be shielded from the cell phone, the television, the computer, and iPods.”
(Hatch, 2011)
2. The parents ultimately have the power to control the effects that technology has over their children and
how they develop. “Parental control over how children interact with technology can be a great protection
from the risks for children.” (Hatch, 2011)
3. Parents can provide and show their children that technology isn’t the only thing in their lives. “Parents
can play active roles in engaging the children in technology, but also showing them that there is more to
life than living behind a screen, and being good with a PC or Mac.” (Hatch, 2011)

Commentary and Analysis:

1. It would be impossible to fully take out technology in a child’s life as it is everywhere and an important
factor in today’s world. Technology use will continue to increase as we continue to grow older so it
would be impossible for children to be fully taken away from it. It is up to the parents to find a solution
and limit their child’s technology use to help them fully develop their skills.
 2. Parents can provide the solution that ultimately protects their children from the dangers of technology
use. If the parents continue to neglect the effects that technology has on their children, then in the long
run the problem will continue to worsen. The parents ultimately have the control over their children and
their technology use.
3. Parents have the power to show their children what experiences and skills technology cant provide. The
parents have grown up in a different time before technology, so they know what it is like without it.
They have the experience and power to guide and show their children the benefits and positive effects of
limited technology usage.

MLA Work Cited:

Hatch, Kristina E. “DigitalCommons@URI | University of Rhode Island Research.” Determining the Effects of
Technology on Children, 2011, https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1212&context=srhonorsprog.

This is a reputable and reliable article because Kristina E. Hatch is a student a part of the University of Rhode Island’s
Honors Program who wrote this paper as a part of the Seniors Honors Project. The paper was published in the
DigitalCommons for the University of Rhode Island, so it is safe to assume the paper is valid as the DigitalCommons is an
open resource for scholarly works. The article is a reputable and credible source.

Research Log #5 - Solutionary Project 2023

Date: 13 April 2023
Name: Jacob Kina
Central Question: How do toys and technology affect child motor skills?

Thesis: Even though technology has taken the place of toys for many children, providing them with convenience
and access to anything on the internet, it brings negative effects onto their motor and social skills such as struggles
with hand eye coordination and ability to connect with others which will lead to problems later in life so we must do
as much as we can now to stop it.

Essay Sections:
 #1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? Children today
aren’t able to focus and develop effective motor skills along with others due to technology

#2: What has been and is being done? Technology use is being limited and children are being presented
with activities and toys to develop their skills

#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? Toys like a kendama should be given
to children instead of technology and activities to promote their development should be introduced

In which section will you use this source? 3

Excerpts:
1. The way children interact and play helps them to develop their cognitive, emotional, and motor skills.
“Through play, children learn to interpret the world around them which in return enhances their
cognitive, emotional, social, and physical skills. Play-based learning promotes academic readiness and
outcomes.”
2. The toys featured to a child have much importance to that child’s development. “The play materials,
most commonly toys, are an important feature in the play experience. The developmental level of the
child, the interest the child has in the toy, the availability of the toy, and the impact of cultural beliefs are
key factors that aid in the selection of toys. Toys that include multiple parts, are lightweight with
contrasting colors and textures, and offer multiple responses, often elicit the most successful play.”
3. The parents are the ones who can provide their children with the right tools. “interviewed mothers
regarding the toys and other play objects available to toddlers in their homes. Results indicated that
mothers preferred to provide play items that they considered to be educational. Most toys came into the
home as a result of mothers’ purchases at a toy store.”

Commentary and Analysis:

1. The environment and tools a child is given impacts the way that they develop. We can learn from this
and better help the future generations of children by providing them with the necessary tools to help
them properly develop. If we continue to provide the kids with things that are detrimental to their health
and development, then the problem will only get worse. Engaging toys like a kendama should be given
to children instead of technology.
2. The toys kids play with are the most common and important feature that helps them develop. The best
toys are ones that are intriguing to the child and is easy to play with. We can easily go out and buy or
make these types of toys like a kendama to provide for the children. Future generations of parents can
easily go out and find toys like a kendama to provide for their children.
3. The parents are the ones making the decisions to go out and purchase items for their children. As
technology will become even more advanced and more common, it is important for parents to provide
their kids with simple toys like a kendama so that they can properly develop their skills. Toys are
timeless and will always have a positive impact on children.

MLA Work Cited:

Metz, Alexia E., et al. The Influence of the Number of Toys in the Environment on Toddlers’ Play. 2018,
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53595601e4b0c9059ae8bd3e/t/5c5267c342bfc114697c386f/
1548904391486/dauchimwalleocasiometz2017infbehdev.pdf.
This is a reputable and reliable article because all authors are experts in the field of child development. The article has
been published and peer reviewed by others. The article is a reputable and credible source.

Research Log #6- Solutionary Project 2023

Date: 20 April 2023
Name: Jacob Kina
Central Question: How do toys and technology affect child motor skills?

Thesis: Even though technology has taken the place of toys for many children, providing them with convenience
and access to anything on the internet, it brings negative effects onto their motor and social skills such as struggles
with hand eye coordination and ability to connect with others which will lead to problems later in life so we must do
as much as we can now to stop it.

Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? Children today
aren’t able to focus and develop effective motor skills along with others due to technology

#2: What has been and is being done? Technology use is being limited and children are being presented
with activities and toys to develop their skills

#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? Toys like a kendama should be given
to children instead of technology and activities to promote their development should be introduced

In which section will you use this source? 3

Excerpts:
1. Kendamas help to develop skills within people. “Kendama is a self improvement tool, to improve mind and body.
Many people say its meditative. Taking your mind away from other things, a brain break from heavy
concentration and screens. While you use it your brain subconsciously adopts lessons: Have a goal and Focus on
it. Practice is necessary when something is difficult. Failure is normal. The only true failure is not trying. Never
give up and be Patient in your pursuit of success.” (Jorgenson)
2. Kendamas provide relief from the digital world and help with social skills. “In our digital age we will continue to
experience technology everywhere. Screen time is both a growing requirement as well as an addiction, of all ages.
We are immersed at Work, School, and in Recreation. More and more hours every day are spent digitally.
Kendama for us is another option when waiting for the train, when slightly uncomfortable in a social
environment. We want to give people the option to enjoy kendama and improve themselves while doing it.
 Interact with eachother in different ways. One of the things that empower our journey to work each day is that
kendamas are not digital. They can be enjoyed the same as they were 100 years ago.” (Jorgenson)
3. Kendamas require a connection between the brain and hand to be developed helping to work hand eye
coordination. “We have a few trillion nerve cells in our brain, connected with neuro fibers, creating a network in
the brain. Synapses transmit information in this network. When those synapses are weakened from aging, it
causes this network to get cut off and lowers the brain’s cognitive function. A lower brain cognitive function
causes a loss of memory and decision making ability, known as dementia. Neurons regenerate when they are
stimulated. You play kendama with your hands, and using your hands is known to stimulate many parts of the
brain. Practicing kendama also makes you think. In order to master the complicated tricks, you have to come up
with a strategy and control your hand movements. These activities stimulate the frontal lobe, which is a necessary
part of the brain for thinking, controlling body movement, controlling memories, and communicating with others.
Practicing kendama can stimulate this frontal lobe.” (Jorgenson)

Commentary and Analysis:

1. Kendamas allow us to take a break from stress and helps to develop good habits and skills. If we keep
stress within, then it will cause more damage and we need an outlet to relieve it. Kendamas help to
provide that outlet and help to teach us focus. Technology can’t provide the same results or effects in the
end.
2. Kendamas provide for a different experience from technology. Technology will be continue to become
increasingly more common and will bring effects with it. Kendamas will provide a break from it and it
can put us into situations where we can learn and grow.
3. Kendamas help to develop hand eye coordination and makes us think to make connections. As stated in
the quote, playing with a kendama will help to stimulate our brain into thinking and control. As we get
older, our senses and abilities will start to get slower and less effective, so kendamas can be a way we
can try to preserve those senses.

MLA Work Cited:

Jorgenson, Matt S. “What Is Kendama.” Sweets Kendamas, https://sweetskendamas.com/pages/what-is-

kendama.

This is a reputable and reliable article because Sweets Kendamas has been around since 2010. Matt “Sweets” Jorgenson
started this company with a group of friends due to their interest and love for kendamas. Him and his crew have been
around kendamas and have researched it’s benefits and strongly support it. The article is a reputable and credible source.