There is a noteworthy new term used in many articles, that of the “Digital Native”. This term describes the phenomenon when a person used digital devices from a very young age. A significant amount of time is nowadays spent by children in from of screens, especially their smartphones.
A lack of parental involvement (mainly due to high working hours) and the ever increasing dominance of the technology – internet culture among the youth are the main reasons why the aforementioned situation is observed. Such a significant difference in the way children and adolescents spend their forming years and reach adulthood undoubtetly has effects on the child’s development.
It goes without saying that being a digital native can significantly increase the familiarity with technology. A person who is already technologically literate could easily adapt their skills to be employed in the IT sector, which is a sector with a high demand. Nevertheless, regardless of the career choices, being comfortable with using technological devices is surely something that many people strive to achieve in the digital world.
On the other hand, such a use of technology does not come without risks. Spending too much time on a smartphone can lead to health problems, both physical (damaged eyesight, not enough time for exercise) and mental (mainly due to inadequate socialisation). These risks, combined with the fact that many online media are designed to be addictive and mindlessly consumed, could also reduce the intellectual capabilities and make other daily activities seem blunt and lacking of interest.
To sum up, it is clear that in a world with an ever increasing prevalence of digital and technological devices, spending time in front of screens is unavoidable and could in many cases provide us with useful benefits. Of course, the parents should always monitor both the amount of time spent and the type of of content consumed by their children on their smartphones, to avoid the risks and promote a responsible use of technological devices.