How Digital Devices Affect Children’s Development: A Teacher’s Perspective

Chelle Robertson,

Founder and Lead Educator,

Learn by Heart

As a teacher in a classroom these days, there is an enormous demand on us to be more than a purveyor of lessons and an instiller of the love of learning. We are in direct competition with a fast-paced world, brought to a child's fingertips in the form of hand-held devices. At first glance, we may see something that will enhance learning, provide online support during difficult times, strengthen social connections between peers, and so on. But here are just a few of the issues that current research—and personal observations in schools—are highlighting.

When a child lands on a YouTube clip, a Netflix show, or any other type of media that is deemed boring or just not quite stimulating enough, they simply move on to something more preferable with a flick of a finger. They don’t need to learn patience or wait for the “good bits,” and they can be highly selective about what they absorb. Transfer this now to a classroom, where one teacher is trying to capture the attention and engagement of 20–30 small people who are used to swiping out of boring media. Even the most animated, creative teachers are at their wits’ end trying to entertain children who have not learned to be still. On top of this, increased administrative load reduces time for planning and preparing for maximum engagement. That load includes addressing the diverse needs of learners, particularly those with any condition that might impact their learning or focus.

Even the most animated, creative teachers are at their wits’ end trying to entertain children who have not learned to be still.

So, children are skipping out on focus and patience. But wait—there’s more. Recent studies have highlighted that the overuse of digital devices is impacting language development. Not only are children listening to characters with vocal affects and strong accents, but they are also spending significantly less time communicating with the human beings around them. They are often not learning the nuances of subtle facial expression and body language, and this impacts their social experiences once they get to school.

The habit of jumping from one app to another is proving to have an impact on executive functioning (the mental processes required to get things done), which in turn affects academic performance and concentration. The constant close-range stimulation of the brain has an effect on sleep patterns; increased inactivity contributes to higher levels of obesity; and exposure to content that young brains are not ready to process (sexualised or violent material) is contributing to increased levels of mental health conditions—most notably anxiety and depression (Muppalla et al., 2023). And this is before even considering the dangers of grooming and other predatory behaviours long associated with online platforms. Thankfully, recent age restrictions for social media use have been introduced to reduce such concerns, but they certainly have not been eliminated.

One of the most frightening things that I have seen in Kindergarten children is an addiction to personal devices so powerful that it took weeks before the child was able to get through even a morning session (just over two hours) without “screen time.” Behaviours included throwing themselves on the floor, screaming, swearing, hitting out at anyone who came near, and general irritation and frustration. And this was a child who was otherwise calm, friendly, agreeable, and capable.

You may have heard a little about the vagus nerves—I’ve spoken about them on social media, and there are plenty of articles that reference them. These are a group of nerves that travel from the brainstem to all the major organs and are thought to be an important communication channel. I aim to write a blog post about these special transmitters soon, but it is important to note that disruption of the vagus nerves can contribute to all sorts of nervous system disorders, particularly anxiety and depression, and can be linked to ADHD. One of the ways our bodies and brains naturally reset and calm these nerves is by moving our eyes from side to side in a scanning motion. I imagine that when our eyes are focused on a small space for large parts of the day—as is the case with excessive use of hand-held devices—our brains and our eyes are not behaving the way nature intended. This could be another reason why devices are contributing to an inability to self-regulate.

Thankfully, all is not lost! We have to accept that technology is here to stay and continues to gather speed. We will always be somewhat on the back foot regarding health, safety, and wellbeing when so many new concepts are consistently brought to the forefront of society. Rather than fight against them, we need to prepare. So, what can parents and carers do?

1. Introduce personal devices with limitations and provisos. It is recommended that children under 3 years of age do not have hand-held devices due to their impact on brain development (Brushe et al., 2023). For children up to age 4, limit access to no more than 20 minutes at a time, with a timer set so they know when time is up. Limit access to only one app at a time so they are not jumping from one thing to another. If they decide they don’t want to use the app that has been chosen, remind them that they get a reset for the next session. Screen time can be increased to 30 minutes for children up to 9 years old, and 40 minutes up to age 11, but be careful not to become complacent about what they are engaging with. Once something has become commonplace, it’s easy to neglect details like content and multitasking between apps—but it becomes increasingly important as learning and social settings grow more complex.

2. Where possible, sit with your children and engage with them on some level so that this becomes the norm as they grow older—don’t let screen time be something they do in isolation, hidden away from people. Continue this even into their teen years. Show them that you are paying attention.

3. Have set chores or tasks that must be done prior to earning screen time to ensure that your children remain connected to household activities and responsibilities, and continue to learn the importance of family participation alongside device use.

4. Model healthy technology use for your children. When you are spending time with them, put away your own device as well, showing them that they have your full attention and demonstrating the importance of valuing the people in front of you.

5. Ensure that there are engaging replacement activities, particularly outdoors or focused indoor activities such as games, building, and creative tasks.

6. When screen time is allowed, remind them why they are accessing whatever it is they are doing, and make both the positive and negative aspects of technology a topic of conversation from time to time.

If you suspect that your child is already overusing technology, it is better to introduce changes gradually. Begin by setting broader restrictions and then reduce them over time, rather than making sudden changes that may lead to opposition and defiance—which can so easily lead to capitulation on our part as parents.

If you feel that you don’t know enough about what your children are doing on their screens, you are not alone. The eSafety Commissioner website has a wealth of tools and information to support parents in this changing world. Once you understand the dangers and the benefits—and how you can support your children—you will be able to help guide them through their formative years with confidence.

REFERENCES

Muppalla, S. K., Vuppalapati, S., Reddy Pulliahgaru, A., & Sreenivasulu, H. (2023). Effects of Excessive Screen Time on Child Development: An Updated Review and Strategies for Management. Cureus, 15(6), e40608. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.40608

Brushe, M. E., Lynch, J. W., Melhuish, E., Reilly, S., Mittinty, M. N., & Brinkman, S. A. (2023). Objectively measured infant and toddler screen time: Findings from a prospective study. SSM - population health, 22, 101395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101395