Last month, I discussed some of the parenting issues that have changed the way that children interact with society. This month, my attention turns toward electronic media use by young children.  As the number of computer-based instructional programs in preschool and elementary programs grows, so does the number of orthopedic, ophthalmologic, psychological and psychiatric diagnoses among young children. Cases of childhood obesity, as well as instances of postural problems in children are increasing. Ergonomics appropriate for the smaller stature of young children are rarely seen in the design of computer work-stations. Diagnoses of carpal tunnel syndrome are increasing, within the pediatric population. "Nintendo thumb" or "Nintendinitis" has occurred frequently enough to have coined these new terms to describe the orthopedic problems resulting from over-use of video games. "Text message injury" is one of the most recent disorders seen by physicians, and is caused by over-use of cell phones, Blackberries and similar small electronic devices. Visual fatigue and similar vision problems are diagnosed with increased frequency by ophthalmologists treating children who spend large amounts of time in front of display screens each week.
     One can find a vast assortment of "interactive" electronic devices and computer software programs heralded to teach each and every academic skill. Interactive electronics, at best, can be programmed to monitor responses, adjust the pace of instruction accordingly and reinforce correct answers; at best, these devices are poor substitutes for dynamic teacher-student interaction. Because electronic devices are unable to perceive, they are limited in their effectiveness. They cannot, for example, interpret a child's facial expressions and body language. They are unable to reward children with affection. They are not able to detect shifts in attention, nor re-direct attention before it drifts further. They cannot acknowledge "partial correctness" in a child's responses, by allowing the child to explain his reasoning process; therefore, electronic devices reward only correct responses, rather than good thinking.
     In higher elementary grades and in middle schools and high schools, there is increasing evidence that computer functions such as cut-and-paste encourage students spew facts without assimilating them, to plagiarize, and to view ideas as separate entities that have no relation to other ideas. Children often indicate that they have no understanding of the things they have themselves "written." Researchers have revealed a preponderance of evidence that computer use in elementary grades can actually deprive children of age-appropriate educational experiences. The most important charge in elementary education is to teach children how to reason, think, and research: Once equipped with these valuable lifetime skills, they will have no problem learning computer skills later, nor will they have any difficulty learning other more complex skills and specialties.
        Despite a conspicuous lack of evidence showing that electronic devices improve student achievement, billions of dollars have been spent by schools over the past ten to fifteen years on such products. It has been noted that most achievement indicators remain flat, despite these expenditures. Any first-year business major would want to see improvements, based upon expenditures, in order to continue funding an initiative. Might there be a better use in education for those billions of dollars? Investments in tutoring, teacher training, and teacher-retention efforts are likely to offer pay-offs that far exceed those brought by investing in classroom computers.  Education has traditionally sought to produce well-rounded students. Our goals for our children have included learning to tolerate differences in people and changes in routines, ability to acclimate to various social climates, experience of compassion, use of tact and proficient communication skills, and ability to display perseverance, patience and civility, even in adversity. Education has also sought to expose children to the arts and to develop an appreciation for the arts and for nature-In recent years, many if not all of these things have been sacrificed, due to the "back-to-basics" approach advocated by No Child Left Behind and to the singly-focused use of electronic media. Might we consider that children could be better served by our retention and refinement of arts instruction in school curricula, providing an eclectic, rather than an electric, education to our students? A consensus of researchers would reply to these questions with an enthusiastic "yes." Yet, the research is being ignored. Why? Clearly there are corporate and political forces behind the electronic media surge in educational settings. Next month, we'll explore the corporate greed that is behind so much of the push for electronics use by younger and younger children.

      My book, the ABC's of Childhood-Active Play, Best Educational Practices and Consistent Discipline," researches and discusses electronic media use by children in depth.

For those interested in obtaining a copy of my book, please search by title at http://amazon.com or use the following direct link:
http://www.amazon.com/ABCs-Childhood-Educational-Consistent-Discipline/dp/143828411X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246285093&sr=1-2