CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW

21st Century Education

S1-ENGLISH EDUCATION

SKOR NILAI:

Children’s Development in the Digital Age

Child Development and Education in the Twenty-First Century (Joshi & Shukla, 2019)

Arranged by:

Ivan Daniel Nita Novena Riris

Evita Sari Butar-Butar Iin Sagita Manullang
Sihombing Siringoringo
(2213121053) (2213121051)
(2213121038) (2213121061)

Lecturer: Nora Ronita Dewi, S.S., M.Hum.

Class: English Education E-2021

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND ARTS
MEDAN STATE UNIVERSITY
SEPTEMBER 2023
 PREFACE

First of all, we would like to thank God Almighty for His grace and guidance so
that we can complete this assignment and can put all the results into a Critical Book
Report paper entitled "Children’s Development in the Digital Age". Our lecturer, ma’am
Nora Ronita Dewi, S.S., M.Hum. as the supervisor for the 21st Century Education
course has given us the opportunity to make a Critical Book Report.
The purpose of this assignment is to hopefully be useful and broaden the reader's
knowledge about it better. Therefore, we really hope for criticism and suggestions, so
that we can make it better than before.

Medan, 11th September 2023

Author

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE
PREFACE ....................................................................................................................... ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................. iii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 4
1.1. BACKGROUND .............................................................................................. 4
1.2. PURPOSE ......................................................................................................... 4
1.3. BENEFITS ........................................................................................................ 4
1.4. BOOK IDENTITY ........................................................................................... 4
CHAPTER II SUMMARY ............................................................................................ 6
1. Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Age ............................................. 6
2. Digital Engagement Across Different Age Groups........................................... 7
3. Some Guiding Principles for Use of Technology and Media ........................... 8
4. What Parents Need to Know .............................................................................. 9
5. Relationships, Identity, and New Technologies .............................................. 10
6. Digital Literacy .................................................................................................. 11
CHAPTER III DISCUSSION ..................................................................................... 13
3.1. THE STRENGTHS OF THE BOOKS ........................................................ 13
3.2. THE WEAKNESSES OF THE BOOKS ..................................................... 13
CHAPTER IV CLOSING ............................................................................................ 14
4.1. CONCLUSION .............................................................................................. 14
4.2. SUGGESTION ............................................................................................... 14
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................. 15
ATTACHMENT ....................................................................................................... 15

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 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

1.1. BACKGROUND
Doing a Critical Book Review (CBR) on a book is very important to do, from
this activity we can find out the advantages and disadvantages of a book. It is from
criticizing books that we get competent information by combining information from
books. Critical Book Review (CBR) making skills in writers can test the ability to
summarize and analyze a book or a chapter of book, recognize and give value and
criticize a written work that is analyzed. With a critical book review (CBR), it is easier
for us to understand the book we are reviewing.

1.2. PURPOSE
The objectives of this 21ST Century Education critical book review are:
1. Students are able to develop a reading ability.
2. Improve knowledge and skills.
3. Adding insight into reading material.
4. In order to know the general description and assessment of a book.
5. Knowing the importance of a book.

1.3. BENEFITS
The benefits of this 21ST Century Education critical book review are:
1. To help students criticize books.
2. To add insight into Reading.
3. To make students think critically to analyze books.
4. To train students to be more active in reading.

1.4. BOOK IDENTITY

Book 1
Title Child Development and Education in the Twenty-First Century
Author Priti Joshi and Subir Shukla
Year 2019
Publisher Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

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City New Delhi, India
ISBN 978-981-13-9257-3 (Print)
978-981-13-9258-0 (eBook)
Pages 151-172
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9258-0
Cover

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 CHAPTER II SUMMARY

Children’s Development in the Digital Age

For a large section of the adult population, it is possible to recall the world as it
was before digital technology became common. There are also, in contexts like ours,
very sizeable sections of population who do not have access to technology or are greatly
underserved on this score. It is easy therefore to perceive at once the tremendous
advantage that technology bestows on those who can access it enabling communication,
access to learning, entertainment, medical care, time-saving processes, increased
productivity, creation of new industries and whole new economies that rely on digital
technology. A consequence of this is that it seems almost a given that exposure to
technology is good for children, and from as young an age as possible.
Vendors and suppliers of devices, software and apps too have responded to this
demand and the last 20 years has seen an extraordinary increase in technology for
children. This has also provided the opportunity to research and understand better how
far the promise of technology has held good when it comes to enhancing children’s
development, learning and well-being. The picture that emerges is not as promising as
might have been expected, requiring parents, educators and policy-makers to exercise
caution as they intervene in children’s engagement with digital technology and media.
The optimistic view of technology as offering ‘solutions’ needs to be tempered with an
understanding that perhaps the ‘problems’ have not been solved to the extent expected
and new issues have emerged that did not exist to begin with.
1. Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Age
Children and adolescents under 18 years account for an estimated one in three
Internet users around the world (UNICEF, 2017). Parents are often surprised at their
children’s abilities to handle devices and find their way around in the digital
environment. Most are proud but some worry about the effect this exposure might
have on their children and are unsure of what their own role ought to be – do they
allow, deter or set limits to children’s exposure to the digital world? And if so, of
what kind? What will work well for their children without bringing them to any
harm? However, these are largely the concerns of middle-class parents. In contrast,

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 for parents from low-income families, the worry is not about children’s excessive
exposure to technology, but about not having enough opportunities for digital
learning. Parents fear that their children will fall behind, thus voicing concern about
the digital divide between the rich and the poor (UNICEF, 2017). Children from
poor families do use mobiles and/or interactive media, though with inferior or
intermittent connectivity (high-end devices or personal laptops not being accessible)
(UNICEF, 2017). Users of tech devices are usually male; girls have low access, with
the traditional gender divides applying here as well when resources are scarce.
Children often share devices and commonly get to access them in late childhood.
2. Digital Engagement Across Different Age Groups
Research across the world reveals wide variations in the manner in which the
effects of digital engagement on children’s development are assessed. Many studies
are limited by their narrow focus and the absence of longitudinal studies makes it
difficult to arrive at any conclusive understanding. Early Childhood Children’s
usage of or play with devices (such as TVs, tablets, smartphones, game consoles,
laptops and PCs) depends on the development of motor and cognitive skills. They
pick up basic operation skills quickly and younger ones who do not read are able to
use icons and logos to navigate or play, and spend increasing number of hours per
week with screens (Common Sense Media, 2013).
Middle Childhood Children’s use of digital technology really explodes during
this phase, especially at home, with peer influence playing a major role. This can
also be attributed to the dramatic upsurge in access to handheld devices such as
mobile phones, tablets and electronic games, which inevitably find their way into
the hands of children as well, including very young children. It is common to see
children involved in media multitasking at an age when they otherwise develop the
ability to concentrate deeply. Surveys indicate that this unchecked engagement can
be as much as 4–5 times the recommended amount; the serious and long-term
consequences of this can easily be imagined (Barnes et al., 2013; Rideout, Foehr, &
Roberts, 2010). By the time children reach the age of 10–11 years, they are using
the Internet independently (Livingstone and Bober, 2004), with play as well as
homework revolving around technology. As they reach the 11–14 years age group,
there is a leap in their media use.

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 Adolescence This is the phase of life when a compulsive engagement with
digital media may be seen in the Global North and urban middle classes in the
Global South. In a study involving 1060 teens aged 13–17 in the United States,
Lenhart (2015a) found that smartphones were commonly available and 24% of
the teens were online almost constantly. A majority (71%) were on more than
one social network site, with Facebook being the most popular. While boys were
more likely to play video games, girls were predominantly engaged with
visually oriented social media. In Lower-Middle-Income Countries (LMIC),
girls tend to have less access to mobile phones when compared to boys. A study
in Mumbai, India, a large metropolis, revealed that middle- and lower-middle-
class children surfed the Internet regularly, at times unsupervised. They played
games, checked information of interest and did some schoolwork too.
3. Some Guiding Principles for Use of Technology and Media
The earlier section explored how children engage with technology. Here, we
look at what may be considered ‘appropriate’ use of technology for children at
different developmental stages. The section presents considerations and principles
that support parents in understanding and using technology meaningfully with
children. Infants Babies love to be with others and have so much to learn from
human interactions that they should not spend any time with TV or a tablet. Before
age two, babies must eat, sleep, listen, talk, and play. For children younger than 18–
24 months, based on the development and learning that takes place during infancy,
nearly every research concurs that babies should not spend time on screens unless
for video chatting with family. This is important because engagement with digital
media ends up replacing other aspects that are vital at this stage, such as exploring
the immediate physical environment with one’s hands and senses or interacting
socially with the caregivers that babies trust and are comfortable with.
These act as triggers that enable the development of cognitive, language, motor,
and social-emotional skills. During this period, infants and toddlers have limitations
in symbolic skills as well as memory and attention – interactions with caregivers
who respond to them help develop these competencies. Learning of this kind is not
possible from digital media, and what children do learn from screen interaction they
find difficult to transfer to their three-dimensional experience. Children’s emotional

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 expressions (both positive and negative) shape parental responses and the quality of
parenting (Fields, Cole, & Maggi, 2016). All young children, particularly toddlers,
cry and have tantrums. However, children’s expressions of ‘negative emotions’ that
are marked by both high intensity and frequency (such as crying or expression of
anger or irritability) might be difficult for most parents to handle. In these
circumstances they are likely to hand devices such as phones or tablets, or put on the
television, to calm the child.
4. What Parents Need to Know
Now that technology is here to stay, the family has a greater role to play as a
setting for children’s digital socialization. Parents, too, need education to understand
the less visible aspects of digitization and online access. Since technology is going
to be integral to the world children grow up in, it is also part of the literacy to be
acquired from a young age. How Parents Themselves Use Technology And its
Implications The starting point could be for parents to reflect on how they use media
themselves, how frequently and in what ways, and if it has taken away some of the
interaction they would otherwise have had with their children. For instance, when
walking with the child, the parent’s use of mobile phone may occupy time;
similarly, showing the child resplendent trees on the screen without looking at those
in the neighbourhood; or having connectivity with close friends in distant lands but
not with neighbours.
According to Kleeman (as cited in Anderson & Rainie, 2018): Digital life will
continue to erode personal interactions, reduce the diversity of ideas and
conversation and contribute to negative health impact reduction of engagement with
and caring for the environment as a result of increased interaction with on-line and
digital devices. (Para. 22). Digital’ Is not Necessarily the ‘Best’ There is often a
tendency to assume that the use of the ‘latest’ technology will largely accelerate
children’s learning. However, it would be prudent to be cautious and ensure children
engage with digital technology in a manner that supports – rather than hinders –
their development. In fact, given the ‘born learners’ that children are, especially in
the earliest stages of their lives when they absorb learning from their environment
and relationships at an astounding rate, the use of technology actually hampers and
limits their development. Children have much to give, respond to and interact with

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 as they engage with the world. Parents putting their children ‘on screen’ are likely to
miss out on the joys of the early years. Like most things technological, screen time
too has a positive and a negative aspect (Guernsey, 2012). Know the World Wide
Web Stepping into the world of the Web, children take part in a larger sphere where
the norms of social life do not operate in the usual sense; harassment, negativity and
abuse are far more common in online situations than face-to-face ones.
It is estimated that one in four teens may have experienced cyberbullying in the
US. It is also estimated that one in six teens may have cyber-bullied others (Lenhart,
2015a). Similar figures are not available for the Indian context though it is likely
that such harassment will be present here. Taking a Mediated Approach: Exploring
the Digital World Together Though school is often seen as the site where children
learn about digital technology, children’s digital engagement actually begins and
grows mainly within the home (Nikken & Schols, 2015). At school, there are greater
restrictions (including filters) and the involvement with technology is intended to
further the agenda set by the teachers or school. Students do not have much occasion
or inclination to bend this to their own interests, though they do grab opportunities
to pursue their own digital activities ‘undercover’. At home, however, it is children
to some extent who decide what they want and use devices for their own interests.
Parents do mediate but often give in to children’s demands. In this situation,
therefore, it is natural for digital engagement to extend beyond the kind of time
allocated for it at school.
5. Relationships, Identity, and New Technologies
Relating with others who are not physically present is a relatively recent
experience in human history, having originated with writing a few thousand years
ago. The telephone was invented less than 150 years ago, the Internet around
35 years ago and social media became common some 20 years ago. All these modes
of relating require one to ‘present’ oneself – to select aspects from one’s personality
and life to create an image that the other may ‘see’ as our ‘identity’ or ‘who we are’.
And of course, in presenting ourselves to others we get to see our own image or self
too. Social Media and Identity From the perspective of a greatly diverse and
pluralistic mix of cultures that South Asia represents, it is worth noting that the
Internet continues to facilitate and accelerate the dominance of Western paradigms.

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 Though local cultures and interpretations arising from them also find their place in it
(Manago, 2015; Meyrowitz, 2005), young people are bombarded daily by images
determined by consumerist content, creating a global youth culture (Schlegel, 2000).
People from distant places become significant and influence our self-image. From
‘Being’ to ‘Becoming’ With the Aid of Social Media Theorists of identity refer to
‘being’ as the identity one is born with, in contrast to ‘becoming’ as the identity one
acquires over the course of time. Technology is closely connected with the
‘becoming’ aspect of identity as individuals try to acquire attributes that embellish,
refine or redefine their identities. Several ways in which this takes place have been
observed and analyzed. Adolescents may project selected dimensions more than
others, or make claims about self that may not necessarily be true, or declare
membership to specific groups that add to one’s identity.
Girls who use Facebook may resort to self-objectification (Tiggemann & Miller,
2010), focusing on the body in terms of what it looks like to others. Social media
thus lends itself to users, especially adolescents, inventing hoped-for or intended
selves (Zhao, Grasmuck, & Martin, 2008), which affect their identity and self-
esteem. The difficulty with this manipulation of one’s identity is that it can easily
lead to a blurring between the real and constructed ‘selves’, which becomes a
challenge to our authenticity (Turkle, 2003). This reaffirms the need for digital
literacy and “sustained scrutiny of our relationships with computation” (Turkle,
2004, p. 287), to develop a sense of discrimination about adolescents representing
their identity, navigating social media and cultivating a mature sense of self.
6. Digital Literacy
Overall, the situation calls for ‘digital literacy’ on the part of all involved,
whether parents or children. This requires the use of cognitive and technical skills to
know what to look for, buried as it often is under vast amounts of irrelevant
information (Rivoltella, 2008). Thus understanding oneself (i.e. one’s mind and
what gives emotional satisfaction) enables exploration with purpose rather than
randomly following whatever surfaces on the Internet. The ability to search, sift,
find and critically evaluate whether the information unearthed is appropriate and
useful, as well as create and communicate information is part of digital literacy.
Given that digital media is ubiquitous, and that children’s involvement in the online

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 world continues to grow, it is important to discuss with children online citizenship
and safety, being respectful to others and preserving privacy (which, as mentioned
earlier, the #staysafeonline initiative seeks to implement).
Conclusion
Developments in digital technology have shaped our century in profound ways
and pervade all aspects of life from birth to our final breath. These have had far-
reaching effects on our lives and will doubtless continue to do so. In the case of
children’s development, though, it is a double-edged sword that needs to be used with
caution. When children are young, digital engagement runs the danger of replacing their
connection with the physical, natural, and social world, much to their detriment. As they
grow older, it tends to affect their social and emotional development, generating issues
that were not observed before or making them more intense. It would be as reckless to
abstain from using technology as it would be to use it with children without taking into
consideration the various dimensions involved. Attaining optimal outcomes involves
going beyond market-driven rhetoric to provide a thoughtful exposure to technology,
beginning later rather than sooner, while focusing on relationships that support children.

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 CHAPTER III DISCUSSION

3.1. THE STRENGTHS OF THE BOOKS

The strength of the book Child Development and Education in the
Twenty-First Century is that this book provides an explanation of Children's
Development in the Digital Age, the contents of the book are accurate, clear, and
provide explanations that are very easy to understand for readers of this book.
The material provided in chapter 8 is also good and understandable and the
words are not difficult to understand and understand. Some of the material is
also in accordance with the book.
The author also includes references in each chapter in the book, making
it easier for readers to look for other sources when they want to deepen the topic
being read and also by including references at the end of the chapter, it will
make the reader confident in the truth or facts of the contents of the book. And
this book also always provides an introduction in every new chapter or new
topic that will be discussed in the book, this is also an additional value because
the introduction will be very useful as a good introduction before going deeper
into the topic you want to study.

3.2. THE WEAKNESSES OF THE BOOKS

The author also includes references in each chapter in the book, making
it easier for readers to look for other sources when they want to deepen the topic
being read and also by including references at the end of the chapter, it will
make the reader confident in the truth or facts of the contents of the book. And
this book also always provides an introduction in every new chapter or new
topic that will be discussed in the book, this is also an additional value because
the introduction will be very useful as a good introduction before going deeper
into the topic you want to study.

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 CHAPTER IV CLOSING

4.1. CONCLUSION
The development of digital technology has greatly shaped our century
and pervades every aspect of life, from birth to last breath. It impacts our lives
and will continue to do so. As children develop, digital technology must be used
with caution. When children are young, digital technology risks replacing their
role with that of the physical, natural and social world, to their great
disadvantage. As they grow older, this affects their social and emotional
development and will cause problems never seen before or make them worse.
Restricting the use of technology is as reckless as using it on children without
considering the various factors involved. Optimal outcomes will require market-
driven efforts to provide thoughtful access to technology, start later rather than
earlier, and focus on activities that support children.

4.2. SUGGESTION
The advice we can give to this book, especially in chapter 8, is that
pictures should be presented in the book so that it will make it interesting for
readers and make the book cover more attractive so that it can increase reader
interest. And for Chapter 8 on Children's Development in the Digital Age, our
suggestion is that advances in technology have a big influence on the formation
of children's character and there are also many influences on children due to
advances in digital technology, so the role of parents who guide and supervise
children in using digital technology is important. in the formation and
development of children's character in this digital era.

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 REFERENCES

Joshi, P., & Shukla, S. (2019). Child Development and Education in the Twenty-First
Century. New Delhi, India: Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9258-0

ATTACHMENT

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