Negative Impacts Associated with use of electronic devices (Essay Sample)

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Research paper on negative impacts associated with use of electronic devices in schools
1. Introduction
Technology revolution has sparked debate on how much parent need to allow children use electronic devices. This question overrides parenting conundrums in the modern social and digital era. In the current world, children as young as two years old are playing with electronic gadgets everywhere. Devices such as iPhones, computers, laptops, tablet computers, television, and PSP games have taken over children. It has been noted that children have become active consumers of many electronic gadgets. In this case, the fact about high level of digital consumption among children is an eye opening. The 2010 research by Kaiser Foundation found out that many youths in the United States spend seven to eight hours in electronic devices.
The use of modern technology has also been embraced in schools. Teachers are using electronic devices in their classrooms to facilitate easier teaching. An interesting thing about use of electronic devices in school is that it is a double-edged tool. It has positive impacts as an educational tool since it allows teachers to assist students in their learning. The National School Board Association indicates that exposure of students to high volume of technology allows them to perform well in their standardized tests. On the other hand, use of electronic gadgets in school can have negative impacts if used inappropriately. Learning environment is highly affected leading to poor quality of education. The research in this paper provides the negative impacts of using electronic devices in schools. It reinforces the warning from parents, teachers, and administrators that, the use of electronic devices in schools may have a negative effect on a student’s educator.
2. Negative effect of using electronic devices in schools
Poor physical fitness
Excessive use of electronic devices in schools leads to poor physical fitness among children. Many students are always glued at electronic devices decreasing their time to engage in field activities. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has noted that obesity and lack of physical fitness among children is associated with lack of exercises. Spending many hours on a screen of any electronic device contribute to a great decrease on the amount of physical activities required by children each day. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, children need at least one hour of physical activity every day in order to maintain level of fitness and healthy weight (Loop 1). In this case, use of electronic devices in school poses high danger of obesity and poor body fitness. Many students will spend time meant for physical activities in school inappropriately.
According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, many students have become dormant since they do not engage in physical activities in schools. Availability of electronic devices such as laptops, iPhones, Computers, and PSP games has taken the attention of students thus preventing them from engaging in other field activities. More tech-time engaged by students prevents them from getting the appropriate daily dose of physical activities (Loop 1). This contributes to negative health effects among the students. In the modern society, many students are obese since they spend most of their time indoors at home and school. This raises great concern since they stand at a greater risk of getting diseases that are related to overweight.
Students forgetting to spell long words
The learning ability of students has been affected by excessive use of electronic devices in school. Most of the writing activities are done in laptops, tablets, and other gadgets. In this case, the ability of students to memorize words has been compromised. Studies shows that students who have used electronic devices in their education forget o spell some long words whenever they are asked to write on the paper (Strauss 1). When students use Words or Pages in their electronic devices, they do not care about spelling and grammar. Most of these applications have spelling check and grammar check that correct the students whenever they make errors. In this case, students do not take time to master key spellings. This is a major disaster among the students since their brains are also conditioned not to care about the spellings even if they are writing on the paper.
Neuroscientists argue that use of application such as Words and Pages in school lead to inactivity of the brain. In this case, brain is unable to process information in a proper manner. This explains why most students who are highly used to these applications are unable to comprehend and spell some long works. This indicates that the quality of education has been negatively affected by the excessive usage of electronic devices in schools. Research conducted by Kaiser Foundation indicates that, approximately 65 percent of students in schools where electronic devices are used have difficulties in spelling some words (Strauss 1). In addition, applications such as calculators have negative effects on children. Many students are engaged in using calculators from their electronic devices thus not involving their brains in the calculations.
Addiction to electronic devices
In the modern world, it has been detailed how gaming and internet has ruined students’ lives just like alcohol and other drugs. In most digitized nations, it is estimated that 40 percent of students are addicted to electronic devices (Yeomans 1). These students use electronic devices for more than eight hours a day. Games have become interesting part of electronic devices among students. Despite great supervision in school, many of them will use electronic devices for wrong reasons due to their addiction nature. According to Children’s Technology Review, many students play games and use internet compared to any other generation. In this case, many games have been created in order to take the attention of young generation. The 2011 research by Children’s Technology Review shows that there are more than 40,000 games available in the iTunes (Yeomans 1). There are also thousands of these games in Google play. All these games force many students to use massive of their time playing them. Continuous playing of these games has created addiction.
Addiction of games and internet application of electronic devices have also negatively affected the behaviours of students. When electronic devices are used at school, an array of media image is inundated in their mind. This leads to glorification of negative behaviours such as risky sexual interactions, use of drugs and underage alcohol drinking (Yeomans 1). In addition, addiction to violent games among students leads to the development of aggressive and risky behaviours.
Take away of learning time
In today’s classrooms, teachers are compelled to ensure every minute counts to the success of their students. In this case, if electronic devices are not used appropriately in classrooms, it leads to wastage of their valuable time. Since internet and tablet PCs have become paramount in the world, it will be difficult for teachers to control whatever students do with their electronic devices (Klaus 1). Therefore, trying to use electronic devices in school will cause students to divert their attention to other staffs such as internet surfing and games. Students focusing on other activities that are not related to education have led to ineffectiveness of education system.
Data collected by Kaiser Foundation indicates that electronic usage is taking precedence over school time. According to their information, in most schools where electronic devices are used, students spend 900 hours in classroom and approximately 1500 hours using their electronic devices (Raedle 1). This indicates that classroom hours have been overtaken by technology. In this case, education system is taking a huge blow from electronic devices. This is evidenced by poor performance of students who are heavy users of electronic devices. Kaiser Foundation indicates that 23 percent of students who use electronic devices for more than three hours a day earn poor grades in their school.
Lack of time for personal interactions in the real world
According to ( Cardwell and Flanagan 24), the usage of e-communication is not very common among young children, there has been a notable overuse of technology in this bracket of population. In essence, children are overusing technology, which means that during much of their free time, they are performing a particular task with these electronic devices. From a broad perspective, this technology overuse has deprived the young people time for play with their fellow age mates or parents. Compared to the days when technology was not very common, a modern child does not have much time to interact with his/her peers and siblings. It is worthy to note that these children are adapting a lifestyle that is similar to their elder brothers and sisters (the teenagers). This lifestyle embraces pure electronic communication. In a typical modern world, a teenager prefers to connect to their friends and peers via social media instead of a face-to-face channel. In this case, it is a common phenomenon to find most teenagers busy sending as well as receiving messages on the glass screens of their various electronic devices.
One of synonymous features that make this kind of life to be more solitary is the fact that behind these screens, children cannot see anyone else, apart from themselves being reflected back. This implies that on the modern electronic age, children are deprived a sense of context in their communication. Since much of their communication relies on their pa...