Questions have arisen on whether communication and social skills have been limited due to virtual games and online friends, stripping away the romanticised image of true childhood.
Natalia B, a 16-year-old student explained that “the younger generation recently has become addicted. They are referred to as the ‘iPad kids’, and that phrase is literally representative of what they are like, communicating solely online.”
In an age where smartphones dominant daily life, where children spend hours scrolling through social media, playing games, watching videos and movies; a dependence on technology has been created.
Yet is this issue due to their reliance on technology, or rather due to the absence of support to control their obsession?
Both Natalia and her parents believe that “In schools, they have brought in the internet too much, introducing a focus on technology, resulting in a reliance on search engines for information.”
The COVID-19 pandemic meant that schools had to introduce online teaching methods via Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom and One Note.
This plethora of increased screen usage heightened their dependence on technology and meant that laptops, tablets and chrome books had to be introduced to primary school children.
Despite this there are positives which come with phone usage; “I am definitely more aware of things happening across the world and with trends on social media. I feel more connected to friends and can keep up to date with them”, Larissa M, a Sixth Form student states.
There is no issue regarding a teenager or adult being exposed to technology, as Larissa stated, it helps them to “learn and adapt to the changing world around them.” However, the key issue is the usage of technology and smartphones from ages as young as 8 where their minds and social skills are still developing.
There needs to be greater control of screens with younger children to ensure the safety of this generation and the primary gatekeepers for this are their parents but schools also have a responsibility to reduce the overuse of technology in Primary schools.
