Too Much Too Soon?

Hand almost any 3-year-old an iPhone or iPad, and they know how to play Angry Birds. Elementary-aged children can make PowerPoint presentations with animations, and most can also download music and know how to upload videos to YouTube. Like it or not, technology plays an important role in today’s society, and kids know earlier and earlier how to do things many adults can’t figure out. But with this increased role of technology come advantages and disadvantages. Is it too much too soon?

One advantage is in the classroom. “I think it’s great that students are exposed to technology early!  We are preparing our kids to be 21st century learners. It seems to have really exploded in the last year especially,” Beth Oyler, elementary teacher at Lewis and Clark elementary School in Liberty, says. “Many of my first graders come to me with very savvy tech skills.”

Misty Black, Liberty mother of two, says she notices positive traits with her children in regards to using technology. “They are ahead of the game in the ‘real world’ with experience with technology,” she says. “They have better hand-eye coordination.  They have the ability to keep themselves entertained on the go or while waiting for food at a restaurant.  They learn to type on computers more quickly, too.”

Technology will not be going away anytime soon, and kids need to learn how to use it. “Kids will encounter electronics everywhere and they need to be able to use them efficiently,” Stephanie Ritter, Kearney mother of two, says.

But with anything positive, there are usually some disadvantages.

“A disadvantage I see is the kids who have the technology versus those who don’t,” Oyler says. “However, I don’t think it separates them when they have access to the technology at school.”

Black points out that with the increased use of technology, some behavior issues come into play: “On the other hand, they learn to be impatient because they are used to being entertained always.  They can be spoiled with the technology or feel left out when their friends have more than they have.”

To Ritter, it is all about moderation. “They can be great learning tools, but can also be used inappropriately. Kids need to also experience imaginative play, hands-on activities, crafts, outdoor play, etc.,” she says. “I personally believe that electronics are a great tool for my children, in moderation.”

While many kids spend hours on video games, listening to music on their iPods or playing Angry Birds or Temple Run on an iPad, parents need to take an active role in monitoring their technology time and keeping a healthy balance.

“My daughter also has a Kindle that she reads her books on, but she also loves to have a ‘real’ book in her hands. She is learning the technology, but it doesn't control her life,” Ritter says. “Having a balance is what I believe makes having and using technology so important.”

Jennifer Higgins is a free-lance writer, mother and teacher from Kearney.