UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLÓGICA DEL SUR DEL ESTADO DE MÉXICO

Effects of Technology on Children

English presentation

Student. Rosa María de Anda López

Effects of Technology on Children

According to a New York Times article, the average kid ages 8-18, spends over 7 ½ hours a day using technology gadgets, equaling 2 ½ hours of music, almost 5 hours of TV and movies, three hours of internet and video games, and just 38 minutes of old fashioned reading according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, which adds up to 75 hours a week! These statistics are not just mere numbers; they are a reflection of the way our society is heading. There is a direct correlation of amount of hours spent with gadgets and obesity, poor grades, impatience, violence, and a loss of family interest.

For all this in my family with my daughters, I limit the time of these activities, for example, I belive that videogames are very harmful, and I don't like this activities, always I'm supervising that my children don't play, the internet is necessary but controlling your content, and the use of multimedia devices has become a necessity, but is absorbing abilities in children, it's extremely dangerous, and I sometimes think I exaggerate, but I prefer this.

I remember that before we were studying using books, today this is impossible because the information is in the web. Before we played in different ways, for example, running, jumping rope, spring, and other, we were always moving.

I believe that before was better than today, is true that there was no internet, the communication was very complicated but it was fun being a kid.

Today the children prefer to eat in front of TV to share with family; the obesity is a biggest problem of the society. Being

overweight can bring with it great health concerns. Many of these children have a good chance of developing Type II Diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, social discrimination, high cholesterol and/or blood pressure. It's alarming.

I worry that my daughters were to become overweight, for this reason I invited continuously to practice exercise, the same while we live as a family.

In this topic of family life the technology is creating a generation gap that makes parents feel as though they can’t relate to what their kids are doing. In this moment they love the TV, video games, facebook, mobile, there family is a technology. Before the relation with the family was fundamental, for example I always ate with my family and I remember my mom's food was very delicious and was very healthy, my mom always checked my homework, she knew my friends and she's always was grading them.

Another controversial topic circling right now is the amount of violence kids are exposed to while playing video games or

watching television. Many TV shows now posses poor role models and expose children to things that they may be too young to see while video games allow kids to play with fake guns.

Young children are more easily impressionable. Have a harder time distinguishing between fantasy and reality. Can't easily discern motives for violence learn by observing and imitating.

I wonder, what future awaits these children?

In think, they will live whit many problems, they will be a sick children, they will be a lazy kids, and they will be sad, this is very complicated. In my opinion is obligation of the parents to change this situation.

If we want to be successful, then we should be careful with the access to use of the technology, we should share more time with them, and we should show our love to them.