Technology is used by children from a very early age in recent times. The primary reasons are shifts in education patterns along with easy accessibility and availability, which could lead to negative impact on physical and mental health of child. So, I Believe it is a highly negative development.
Educational institutions are constantly shifting from traditional teaching to online mode, which cause a child to spend more time doing assignments and learning. Also, since every household are now adapting technology, the child could easily utilize it.
First and foremost, the primary reason is the negative impact on the development of a child. Excessive usage of technology from an early age could lead to laziness, instead of doing work on their own they would rely on technology to complete, which would reduce the growth of necessary skills like creativity and analytical thinking. Also, it could lead to distractions, a child may use inappropriate websites and apps which are useless which could potentially make a child more addictive. For instance, instead of doing assignments and project by their own knowledge, children are relying more on AI tools like ChatGPT.
Additionally, it could lead to mental health issues, over-usage of technology could lead to isolation and lack of social interactions. A child may experience difficulties in making new friends and interacting with others. They might not share their feelings and emotions with other naturally which could negatively impact on child’s mind which could lead to stress and loneliness. For example, children are preferring to play online games rather than playing outside.
In conclusion, change in education patterns and wide range of different technologies available causes a child to engage more from an early age, which could lead to isolation and lack of social interaction along with laziness. So, I believe it is a negative development.