Screen Time Conundrum
I’m sure you remember the good ol’ days of kindergarten: fun arts and crafts, playing with friends, and singing your ABCs. Times have changed and the children have too, due to one thing: screen time. Kindergarteners now on the first day of school are given their very own computer when they don’t even know what the letters on the keys are.
Time for imaginative activities that involve fine motor skills and social interaction are shortened to make time for solo assignments using chromebooks. Although these screens sound evil there is a plus to their existence they can have high quality learning material at the tips of the child’s fingers. So the question is, to what extent–if at all–does technology belong in the kindergarten classroom?
Tech Yes!
Unlike the technology we had when we were in kindergarten (aka the desktop computer), kindergartners these days have advanced laptops and learning boards giving them access to the worldwide unforgiving internet.
Technology can also elevate students’ learning by giving them access to more material. Some think kindergarteners’ brains will turn to mush when using devices, but it can improve their language skills and intelligence levels . Tech can support kindergarteners in a way we weren’t when we were their age by giving them high-quality learning applications. They now have programs that teach them reading and math skills
No Tech, No Stress
Some extremists believe no technology belongs in kindergarten classrooms;too much technology at a young age can cause harmful effects on the students’ cognitive development and brain. The evil screens can harm their tiny brain by causing issues in functioning, sensorimotor development, and academic decline.
The brain is sensitive for kindergarten-aged students, so educators must be careful what media their kindergarten students are consuming. Similar to us high school-aged students, the young students often play low-quality media such as games on school issued computers instead of learning. This brings the question whether technology is giving young kindergartners’ minds too much information. We are in a crisis among all age groups attention spans decreasing due to the abuse of media consumption. The younger aged students such as our elementary aged siblings are the ones especially at risk.
Win-Win
Maybe the solution to our ever-growing issue is to use both sides of the spectrum. As we all know, media can hurt young brain development, but devices can also enhance students’ learning with innovative learning programs. Our teachers want what is best for us as students, so incorporating rich content into learning while limiting screen media content and usage is what is in the best interest of kindergartners.
Nowadays, technology is recognized as a learning tool for students because of its undeniable benefits. As we know, test scores are the holy grail to administration and are obviously the only way to show students learning abilities and skills. In fact, classrooms with technology showed higher test scores than ones without technology. We must find the best of both worlds to find a solution, so students have access to online programs , but with limitations.
We all know or have seen a child that is considered an iPad kid. If not, imagine a little kid glued to their stinky cheeto stained tablet. Although it may seem like a joke, these kids have a harsh reality ahead of them. The exposure to low-quality content can lead the child to seek unattainable levels of stimulation in real life, making it difficult for them to maintain focus in classroom settings.
It is our job to end the standard of handing children mind rotting devices. Young children are meant to run around, make friends, and play pretend, but now these important learning experiences have been replaced by roblox and YouTube. As the future generation, it is our job to break the dangerous cycle of screen media abuse and let kids be kids.
