quickknowledgepodacast

Hey guys, and welcome back to the vlog of the day. Wait, wait, wait. What number are you? Three? You're three? Do you have a granola bar? I do. Oh my gosh. Do you want one? Can I please? But we can't have food in here. We can't? Read the sign. Oh my god. I know. Oh, we're recording. Wait, let's just have... We can edit. Just to put our big girl pants on. Put the headphones on. Hey guys. I think it's still going. That's okay. Girl. I get bored. Hi guys, welcome back to our channel. Okay, ready? Are we ready? Did you put the thing? The pink one. Hi everyone and welcome back. Girl. Why would you talk? We're starting. Because I couldn't hear you. What number are you? Is that better? Is that better for you? No, it cuts off. Okay, guys. All of that for what? Okay. Okay, yeah. Introduce themselves so we can make it longer. Yeah, yeah. Hi everyone. And welcome back to Quick Knowledge. My name is Josie. And today here I have with me... Ruth. Jasmine. Christy. And unfortunately Alexa could not make it today due to the fact that she is in the ER. But we're going to go ahead and go on without her. Okay. Hi everyone. And welcome back to Quick Knowledge. And unfortunately Alexa could not make it today due to the fact that she is in the ER. But we're going to go ahead and go on without her. So a little about our special guest. Ruth, let's go ahead and talk about what major you're in. Okay, I'm Ruth. My major is in Kinesiology. And yeah. Okay. And next we have Jasmine. And next Christy. I'm Christy and I'm a Business Administration major. Okay. Okay, so now for our class, Read 290, we're doing a podcast about how the effects of children with smart devices at a young age will or will not compromise them. So today, arguing our pro side is Christy. Christy, you want to start us off? Hello, I'm Christy and I believe that children should not be exposed to smart devices at an early age because being exposed to these devices so young can cause many current and future problems. And children see the world in fragments because they're not fully focused because they're just thinking about what's on the smart devices. This also leads to addiction which can cause behavior problems as well. And according to the University of California study, it takes over 23 minutes for children to fully focus. So if your teen can go over 5 minutes without checking their device instead, they're not engaging in anything fully. Adding on, these children are more prone to peer pressure, low self-esteem and mental and physical health. Several studies have found associations between increased social media use and depression, anxiety, sleep problems, eating disorders and suicide risk. And that's Patel 2022. Do you want to continue to share about this topic? I do. I will also be arguing the pro side with Christy. She made some really good points. I also agree that children should not be exposed to smart devices at a young age. I believe that children should explore the world and go out and play and interact with other children rather than sitting inside on the screen. Adding on to Christy's thinking, I also found an article by Dr. Anda Rodia. She's a school counselor at a university and she states that internet addiction can be very dangerous to a child as they can become dependent on internet usage and isolate themselves, affecting their relationships with their friends and family. Smart devices contain direct access to the internet, which is a ginormous resource and you can look up just about almost anything without any type of restriction. Though it can be used for educational purposes and to find useful information, it's mostly a place where people get their news, entertainment, and mindlessly scroll, which I know from experience. Giving a child a smart device with access to applications like Google, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc., it may not be very safe for them. As we all know, children are very curious and like to ask a lot of questions and figure out information. A smart device such as an iPad or iPhone can be very detrimental to a child since they are able to look up almost anything and everything they can think of. In fact, in the article by Dr. Anna Royal, she also states that the more children are exposed to vulgar and explicit contact, whether that's within video games, TV shows, movies, whatever they're watching, it can make them more desensitized to valid behaviors and it can help them see this as their normal. This can be very scary because as more and more generations appear, they tend to become more dependent on their technology and their devices, which allows for a lot of exposure towards inappropriate contact for a child. Wow. That was a great first half. Go ahead and give it up for them. Okay, that's enough. Anyway, so now that we have discussed the pro side, we are now going to see the con side. So Ruth, do you want to go ahead and lead us off in that? All right. Our bestie Alexa made some good points on this argument, but obviously she couldn't be here today, so I'm going to fill in for her, let you guys know what her topics were, what her stance is, but basically we firmly agree that children should be allowed to interact with smart devices at an early age. In a study done by Dondon Woos, his research underscores his immense potential of digital devices in children's education. He highlights how these devices give children access to information and learning opportunities, whether through educational apps or online resources, children can explore diverse topics and engage in learning experiences, enhancing their literacy skills in their process. That's fascinating, Ruth. How do you see the digital devices contributing to children's social development, as mentioned in the study by Woos? Absolutely. Woos points at the digital devices enable children to connect with others and participate in online communities. Fostering social interactions, platforms such as social media and multiplayer games offer ways for children to engage with peers from a different background, share experiences, and also develop crucial interpersonal skills. In today's digital age, these social interactions play a vital role in shaping children's social development and helping them navigate diverse social environments. According to the research, how does digital devices foster creativity and self-expression in children, Ruth? Basically, Woos emphasizes their digital devices. He emphasizes that digital devices offer many tools and platforms for creative expression, whether through digital art, digital media, or digital technology. Digital devices offer creative expression. Whether through digital art programs, music compositions, software, or storytelling apps, children can unleash their imagination and develop their creative abilities in previously unimaginable ways. This aspect of digital experience creates self-expression, innovation, and critical thinking, contributing to children's overall development. It's evident that digital devices have a multi-faced impact on children's learning and development, as highlighted by the research by Mr. Wu. Thank you for sharing. Now, let's explore the additional insight that Rodriguez provided in their second source. According to his research, the digital technology facilitates learning and nurtures important life skills. Ruth, how do you think digital devices help children become independent learners, as Rodriguez suggests? Rodriguez's research aligns with the findings of Wu in emphasizing that digital devices help children in their learning journey. By providing access to vast amounts of information and resources, digital devices empower children to take charge on their own learning and pursue their interests independently. This self-directed learning approach not only encourages a sense of curiosity and exploration, but also prepares children to become lifelong learners in a digital world. Jasmine, how do you feel about this approach? I see how digital devices can help a child explore their interests at a young age. I still argue that it has more downsides than benefits. I do agree with Ruth's points, though, that social interactions through digital devices do play a very vital role in our life. But this is why I believe that it should be restricted, especially for younger children. Excessive screen time can lower their physical activity, which can potentially lead to health issues like obesity, and then it can cause more dependence on their devices and lead to social development and poor communication issues, as well as poor empathy skills. As well as these issues, constant exposure to a screen can affect their attention span, just like Christy said earlier, and it can make them have a really hard ability to focus on their tasks without a screen in front of their face. And just as I said earlier, unrestricted access to the Internet gives them access to inappropriate content and online risk, which can be really scary for a parent, as they need to have full supervision over their children and their devices. So Rodriguez mentions that the role of digital devices in strengthening children's relationships with families and friends. Ruth, how do you see this aspect of technology enhancing children's social connections, counter-arguing what Jasmine said? I think it highlights the importance of real-time interactions facilitated by digital devices, such as video chats, and enriching children's relationships with their loved ones. And in today's interconnected world, digital communication tools enable children to stay connected with family members, friends, and peers, regardless of distance. These meaningful interactions strengthen existing relationships and create empathy, communication skills, and cultural and social connections in both vital and real-world settings. Ruth, you've made a great argument, and on the behalf of Alexa as well. You've made a strong case for the benefits of digital devices in children's learning, but as they become more common, some people worry about the downsides and potentially issues that they could bring. Let's hear from Chrissy. Chrissy, what do you think about all this? Although I see your point, the research on why smart devices affect children negatively outweighs how it benefits them. Excessive reliance on digital communication tools for social interaction may lead to a diminished quality of relationships, as face-to-face connections are irreplaceable, and fostering deep emotional bonds and communication skills, especially with family and friends. Adding on, the use of digital devices can distract and detach these children from genuine in-person interactions, which obstructs the development of essential social skills, such as active listening, empathy, and nonverbal communication. It's extremely important to also acknowledge the potential challenges and disadvantages associated with the use of smart devices. Digital technology may obstruct children's ability to develop essential life skills, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and interpersonal communication, when not used in moderation. In the future, as we navigate evolving technology and education all over the world, it's crucial to approach the integration of digital devices thoughtfully and responsibly, ensuring that we prioritize the well-being and development of children above all else. Thank you. The use of digital technology has created a big impact on kids' learnings and interacting with others, along with their life skills, noted by Ruth and Alexa's research. And the benefits of devices at a young age were also covered by Jasmine and Chrissy. Whoops. Okay. We're going to recut that. We're going to redo that. Okay. So digital technology has a big impact on how kids learn, interact with others, and develop life skills, as noted by Ruth and Alexa. Thank you guys both for your insight. And this was quick knowledge. Thank you.