The increasing use of technology in Australian homes is putting young children at risk of harmful ‘modelling behaviours’ that can prevent them from achieving key developmental milestones and has a negative impact upon family life, say experts.
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Daily internet use of 18-54 year olds has increased from 57 per cent to 71 per cent in four years.
“More and more adults are plugged into a screen. While technology offers many wonderful opportunities, the danger is that childhood is at risk of being lost as ‘techno creep’ advances into family life, ” says Ms Jocelyn Brewer, educational psychologist.
Ms Brewer says that parents, grandparents and older siblings are key influencers on younger children, setting pathways in place for role-modelling important behaviours.
“When there are three generations seated for dinner on smartphones, consideration needs to be given as to how this may affect a young child. Just like passive smoking, passive technology influences young children,” she says.
Ms Brewer points out that the risk is that children will model the behaviour themselves through increasing their own use of screen time and feeling disconnected from family life.
Research shows that an overuse of technology can have a negative effect on child health, causing poor concentration skills, interpersonal skills and disturbed sleep, yet screen time is increasing with statistics showing that Australian 6-9 year olds spend an average of 3.9 hours per week online, 0.4 hours above the global average.
Ms Brewer points to current recommendations which advise that children aged 5-18 accumulate no more than two hours of screen time per day and children under the age of two do not spend any time viewing TV or other electronic media.
She says research shows that young children particularly, benefit from unstructured activities such as creative play, story writing and craft.
“There is significant evidence that shows that unstructured play and enjoying more traditional childhood pursuits can enhance children’s development of key attributes such as goal-setting, independent thinking and the use of imagination,” she says.
Ms Brewer advises parents put technology free times in place to encourage communication and allow younger children time to enjoy more traditional creative activities.
“Using technology can be considered a reward and not a right. Something that can be earned, not expected. Boundaries with technology start with parents setting and observing their own rules and walking the ‘techno talk’,” she says.
“By all family members taking a balanced approach to screen time, parents and older siblings can find time to enjoy the art of conversation and quality family time, as well as the wonderful world of technology,” she says.
Ms Brewer is an ambassador for the Pilot Pen Creative Writing Scholarship, a national program which encourages children to step away from the keyboard and write a creative story by hand.
“Technology has its place, but there is something wonderfully tactile about holding a pen and putting your thoughts on paper. Not only does this help to develop fine motor skills, research suggests that handwriting actively engages the imaginative part of the brain, which is so important in a young child's development,” she says.
The Pilot Pen Creative Writing Scholarship is currently open to primary school children in Years 5 and 6.
Entries are to be received by 22 August 2014. For more information visit: www.pilotpen.com.au