Media Use
Do different forms of technology play a role in cognitive growth and/or decline?
How does the use of media of peers around children affect cognition?
Educational vs. Non-educational
There have been many conversations regarding the ideas of educational media versus media used for the sole purpose of entertainment. In the most recent years this topic has become especially appealing to pediatric clinicians and parents. Everyone wants to know whether or not there is a difference in viewing media labeled to be “educational” or entertainment media. However, a few studies have shown that instead of focusing on educational versus entertainment we need to be more focused on active use versus passive use.
Active vs. Passive Use
Active users will spend most of their time on interactive apps, whereas passive users engage in such activities like watching tv. According to Hirsh-Pasek et al. (2015) humans learn best when they are actively involved, engaged and undistracted, have meaningful experiences, and socially interact with others. All while being done within a context that provides a clear learning goal. As we look into if children are passively or actively using technology we also have to consider the development of principles for the app being used. Designers of child-focused apps are influenced by current trends in technology and design, their own interactions with technology, and their experiences and intuitive sense of how learning happens or what children will find enjoyable (Hirsh Pasek et al., 2015). This may seem like the best approach to develop child-focused apps, but this approach is often tainted by misconceptions about learning and education (Hirsh Pasek et al., 2015). Therefore, we must find better ways for children to become interactive while learning, as opposed to just allowing them to sit and watch “educational” videos.
Background Television
When the television is switched on in the background while the child is participating in other actvities
When a very young child is in front of or in the immediate vicinity of an adult program on screen
(Guellai, Somogyi, Esseily, and Chopin 2022)
Dual Interaction Media
Able to be viewed by and interacted with by multiple parties (example: media can be veiwed and interacted with my both parents and children for optimal learning)
Media Use Around Children
In one section of this page we have discussed the difference between educational and non-educational media use among children and how it can affect cognition. However, we also must include the factor of unintentional exposure to media use and the effects that this can have on children’s cognitive abilities. There has been discussion around the affects that can occur on children's cognitive abilities when parents/caregivers use media around them. As stated on the cognition page, The American Academy of Pediatrics (2016) states that children under 2 years old need hands-on exploration and social interactions to develop their cognitive abilities. This means that to evoke growth there needs to be constant interaction with children, even while they are using technology, if you choose to introduce that to them. Having parents who participate and comment on television program content has a positive effect on the child’s attention (Guellai, Somogyi, Esseily and Chopin 2022). Parents are more likely to interact with children when they are viewing dual interaction (both parent and child interaction) content, whereas parents speak less to their infant during co-viewing of infant-directed television programs (Guellai, Somogyi, Esseily and Chopin 2022). Both the American Academy of Pediatrics (2016) and Guellai, Somagyi, Esseily and Chopin (2022) state that media use around children has an impact on children’s cognition. Many people wouldn’t think to include television in the background as something that would affect a child’s cognition. It’s just sounds in the background, which may seem harmless to many. However, children are still able to pick up on and be distracted by the background noises around them. As said by the American Academy of Pediatrics (2016), parents' background television use distracts from parent-child interaction and child play. More specifically, the consequences of early exposure to television in the background are that the quantity and quality of parent-child interactions are affected, and that children are distracted from their ongoing activities (Guellai, Somogyi, Esseily and Chopin 2022). Overall, even the slightest bit of exposure to technology has to be considered in the development of children's cognitive abilities. Children may be able to pick up on even the slightest forms of media, even unintentionally. Both television and interactive media can reduce the quantity of parent-child interactions, which at a young age is very crucial for the development of cognitive skills (like language and executive functioning)(Guellai, Somogyi, Esseily and Chopin 2022).