I found this article back in January, and misplaced it until now. It shows correlation between media and “ill effects” during childhood through numerous studies and the effects.
In studies, increased media exposure in youth is linked to an increase in the following: Childhood obesity, tobacco use, sexual behavior, drug use, alcohol use, low academic achievement, and ADHD.
Let me remind you, as they do in the article that “correlation does not equal causation.” And in fact, several studies found positive conclusions for children using the Internet. I also found this article on how some studies show that Internet-use is important for teen development including literacy and learning!
Internet-use is important for teen development
I think the important thing to take from this article is that children learn from their environment. So being aware is better than censoring.
You have to wonder if it will ever be possible to really nail down the internet's effects on children, positive or negative. However, it seems more likely that a varied assortment of cultural phenomena are effecting the lives and development of children and teens.
ReplyDeleteEverything from TV, to internet, to school systems, to dietary changes can play a role in the differences between teens today and teens 50 years ago, but I'm not so sure that the studies being done to name a cause can be very accurate with the number of variables involved.
It seems very likely that the internet does have positive and negative effects, but does that mean we address the internet as the problem or the other factors of a child's life?
I completely agree with Brittany's assessment that being aware is better than censoring.
ReplyDeleteParents who might think they are doing their kids a favor or protecting them by closely monitoring or pulling the plug on the Internet are not helping the situation.
Children must learn to discern for themselves. Brittany and Jesse both mention the Internet being capable having negative as well as positive effects.It is not good enough for a parent to screen or censor if children do not grasp why the "negative effects" are negative.