Technology: The Thief of Childhood
Nearly one-third of kids ages 7-9 now use social media. Art: Kaliyah King and Faizah El-Gamasy
By ELANA ULITSKAYA
“Ready or not, here I come!” For many of us, this was the typical sound of the playground as we ducked behind bushes and trees, hoping that the seeker wouldn’t find our hiding spots. But for younger generations, that noise has been replaced with the clicking of screens and the “bloops” of notifications.
Children are now getting technology younger than ever, some even as young as preschool. Before they can spell their own names, three-year-olds are now scrolling on iPads and cell phones.
What’s more, a 2021 poll from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan found that nearly half of 10- to 12-year olds and nearly one-third of kids aged 7-9 use social media. A poll by Healio found similar numbers.
“It seems unnecessary for a child to receive a phone at such a young age,” said Amy Diaz ‘25. “When children are on social media, it can later affect their mental and social health. They feel they need to act mature, ruining the early years of their childhood.”
Socialization is becoming increasingly difficult for many kids because technology has made it easier than ever to be entertained without having to interact with anyone.
Social anxiety rates have increased significantly among children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that “9.4% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 5.8 million) had diagnosed anxiety in 2016-2019.” The rate isn’t too surprising considering that socialization is a skill that requires practice, which many children are no longer getting.
“If they get [a phone] before middle school, they should have screen time [limits] because a lot of people get addicted to their phones and don’t socialize,” said freshman Tatyana Kuneeva. “I see a lot of kids now who are always on their phones and don’t enjoy life in the moment.”
Young children are now spending nearly five hours on technology daily. Photo: Viktoriia Alimpiiev
Some technology can be beneficial to children by helping their speech, language, and brain development, as long as it is kept to a minimum. However, children ages 8 to 12 are spending 4 hours and 44 minutes on phones daily, according to ABC News. This is too much. Kids start to see their phones as essential to their survival, especially when they’ve been a part of their lives since toddlerhood.
“The disadvantage of a two-year-old having a phone is that it always has to be in their hands, which significantly affects their attention span,” said science teacher Mr. Eric Lee. “They begin to feel attached to the phone because it gives them a sense of security. It’s like the necklace I’ve worn since I was a baby – without it, I feel naked.”
Kids are also losing the ability to think critically because their technology is constantly feeding them too much new information for their brains to process. They are naive by nature, and more susceptible to believe what they hear without questioning it.
“Giving a child a phone at a young age might make them both more vulnerable to the internet and more reliant on it,” said junior Andy Montes. “It causes them to be unable to think critically in the real world.”
An overconsumption of media will inevitably lead children to see things they aren’t developmentally ready for. “Having information at your fingertips can be informative and teach you a lot,” said junior Taras Pustovit. “But at the same time, an overflow of information can also lead to young children learning information that they don't need to know at their age.”
Sure, elementary and middle schoolers can use social media to connect with friends and family while learning about their topics of interest. However, it can also be incredibly dangerous because child predators are always on the lookout for children on apps like TikTok and Instagram. Researchers at Screen and Reveal found that children between the ages of 12 and 15 are the group most often targeted by online predators. Many of these kids have no idea they’re being groomed and are highly unlikely to tell an adult.
Furthermore, bullying and harassment have become inescapable now that people have the power to say anything, anytime and anywhere. According to Education Week, suicide rates among children ages 5 to 11 rose on average 15 percent a year from 2013 to 2020. This increasing rate correlates with the increased amount of screen time and social media kids are receiving and the negative interactions they often have on it.
“The internet can be a dangerous place that exposes people to cyberbullying and the overwhelming expectations to look or act a certain way, which could lead to mental health issues,” said Areeba Panni ‘24. “As a result, children should receive a phone when they are more responsible, self confident, and mature.”
“I think the right time is around 13-14, since it’s when they are finally developing their own ideas,” said Lizabeth Cabrera ‘24.
Kids also don’t realize that what they post on the internet will be there forever. Their prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain that controls decision making) is not yet fully developed, so they can’t completely grasp the impact their actions on the internet can have.
Eventually, today’s children are going to grow into adults, with all the responsibilities that entails. How will they find jobs without critical thinking and creativity? How challenging will it be to succeed with embarrassing pictures floating around the internet that can be found with a simple Google search of their name?
We need to slam on the brakes when it comes to putting this technology in the hands of young children. It’s robbing them of the unique experience of being a kid, when you can live free from any worries. Free, that is, except for the fear of getting found behind your tree in a game of hide and seek.