How does Digital Technology Impact Early Childhood Development

Childhood is a tender age bracket and there is no doubt that digital technology has made a prominent place in our day-to-day lives. When a child is developing, it is important for the parents and teachers that their learning should not be tedious. Using digital media appropriately can be helpful for the full development of children, including their social and emotional development. How digital platforms can be helpful and what are the limitations of these platforms for child development are discussed in this blog.

Positive Impacts of Digital Technology on Early Childhood Development

Education is easily accessible through digital platforms. E-learning has become today’s norm, and many educational institutions are using it. The positive impact includes that children get to know about digital platforms at an earlier age. It saves time, one can access it from anywhere and they are interactive too. By taking assessments and exercises, children can develop their problem-solving skills. By involving light games as a part of the exercises, learning also becomes fun for children.

Educational Apps and Programs

Many educational apps are available today and learning has become easy by accessing them.  As digital media has become a part of our lives, educational apps and programs are helpful for students to make the learning process easier. These apps have graphics that make learning fun. With the help of parents, students can access these apps and there are short exercises in the form of games that can make learning easier. What needs to be kept in mind is that these apps should be used under parents’ supervision because kids are in their early childhood development stage.

Skill Development through Digital Platforms

With so many organisations offering courses online, it helps the learner to access this material from anywhere. Skill enhancement can be possible as there is a wide array of learning materials available. Digital technology has helped people enhance their skills as students can access lectures in the form of recordings. Children can attempt exercises that can improve their problem-solving techniques. Maths is one such subject, where children can attempt exercises in the form of games and somewhere it would help in improving mathematical skills.

Access to Diverse Learning Resources

Learning resources are immense when they are accessed online. There are digital libraries, podcasts, recorded lectures, websites, and infographics. All these are forms of digital medium, which learners can access from anywhere. There are interactive assessments that can test any student’s ability. Even if a student misses a lecture, there are recorded lectures that can help the students access these lectures at their convenience. Students can book their exams and ask queries online from their teachers.

(Also Read, “SOME AMAZING BENEFITS OF TECHNOLOGY FOR PRESCHOOLS” )

Challenges and Concerns Related to Digital Technology in Early Childhood

Preschoolers are too young, so the design of the courses should be such that a kid can easily understand them. For emotional development in early childhood, somewhere face-to-face interaction is necessary. However, digital technology hinders face-to-face interaction. Physical activities are important but with digital technology, one of the major challenges is that children need to sit for long durations, which can affect their physical health. Further, screen time should be limited, and it should not be exceeded.

Screen Time and Health Implications

During the time of COVID-19, it became necessary for students to attend classes online. There are health problems such as obesity, sleep disorders, and anxiety if a digital platform is used excessively. On the one hand, digital platforms save time but on the other hand, overuse can put a strain on the eyes. The social and emotional development of the child will only be there if there is face-to-face interaction. Physical activities are essential at this age. 

Content Appropriateness and Parental Control

The digital medium has its pros and cons. It becomes essential for parents to have control over how their children are accessing online material. With so much information available online, kids can become vulnerable to accessing content that is not meant for them. The ease of digital technology can become a curse if it is not used appropriately. The content should be appropriate for the child’s age. Early childhood development requires proper attention from the parents and teachers. Parents should see whether their child is not exceeding screen time and they shouldn’t overlook how their children are accessing online material.

Social and Emotional Development

There are moral values that parents should inculcate in their children. Children will only attain interpersonal skills if they are guided in the right manner. They should be empathetic towards everyone and have emotional understanding. If children are using digital platforms excessively, then it can affect their social skills and emotional development too. Access to digital media should be within limit and parents must indulge their children in other activities too.

Recommendations for Healthy Digital Engagement

Under the supervision of parents, children can access the digital medium appropriately. There are certain ways where digital engagement becomes healthier, such as: limiting the screen time of children, making them access the content that is appropriate for them, and use of easy-to-understand infographics. The content should be appropriate for their age because it can affect their emotional development in early childhood stage. Also, the use of colours in an e-learning program will help them gain interest in the respective subject. However, screen time should not exceed the limit so that learning through digital mediums goes in sync with offline learning modes. 

Conclusion

Digital media provides children with an opportunity to access resources online. What parents need to be cautious about is that when children access online content, it should be appropriate for them. Parents must supervise their children when they access resources through online mode. The benefits of digital technology are that it saves time and makes access to resources easier. The drawbacks of digital technology are that it can affect the emotional development and problem-solving skills of children and the screen time can put a strain on their eyes.