Natalja Moński. The influence of digital technologies on the development ofpreschool-aged children

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62204/2336-498X-2023-1-11

THE INFLUENCE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES ON THE

DEVELOPMENT OF PRESCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN

Natalja Moński,

Mgr. in Psychology, Bc. in Humanities,

School psychologist at the Krnov Primary School,

Founder and Psychologist of the Development and Correction Centre

„FOR Kids“, Opava, Czech Republic

natalja@monski.cz; ORCID: 0009-0009-4568-7209

Annotation. This research examines the influence of technology on the development of preschool children, influenced by the rapid technological progression of recent decades. Incorporating insights from experts and parents, we explore child-raising in the digital age and discuss potential tech-use limitations. The objective is to devise strategies to lessen the adverse impacts of digital technologies on children.

Keywords: preschool age, gadgets, impact, development, limiting, parenting, education.

The preschool period refers to the age from 3 to 6 years, culminating in the start of formal schooling. In this period, the child learns new habits, skills, and social abilities. If we compare a child at the end of the toddler period and at the end of the preschool period, we see the tremendous progress the child has made in all areas of development. Physically the child has become very strong and grown up, he is fast, agile, can ride a bike, maybe even ski, can swim, likes to participate in sports games and competitions. His intellect and thinking have also increased: he speaks in long sentences, he “philosophises”, he is observant and absorbs new information like a sponge, he has a sense of humour. However, their thinking is still pre-logical and egocentric, tied to a subjective impression and the current context. Overcoming these barriers is crucial for school entry. Gradually, he learns to control his emotions, he knows them much better, he begins to respect social rules, the negativity that until recently drove his parents to strength disappears. Play is his favourite activity, he no longer needs his parents so much, he rather seeks out peers with whom he cooperates, invents game scenarios, tries out different roles. Such crucial prosocial traits like cooperation and compassion are developer. When the child plays alone, the partners become toys with whom and for whom the child speaks and is thus immersed in the world of his imagination. Piaget [1] characterizes the thinking of preschool children as intuitive, featuring egocentrism, phenomenism, and magic.

Looking retrospectively at the development of a preschool-aged child, it may seem that this process can be easily undertaken without any digital aids. Indeed, until recently, that was true. However, modern times have introduced many technological innovations into our lives, which appear in children’s lives at a very early age, often during toddlerhood.

Parents are divided into two categories regarding children’s use of digital devices. One group sees nothing wrong with it, encouraging technological literacy. The lifestyle of these parents, who often spend their free time with a tablet or computer, sets an example for the child to imitate. In most of these families, early mastery of technology is seen as a success and a sign of intelligence. The other group of parents strictly prohibits or significantly limits the use of digital devices, at least until school age.

Nicolas Kardaras in his book “Glow Kids”, [2] shows the fakt that the risks of digital addiction are primarily recognized by technical designers, engineers, and programmers themselves. He cites Steve Jobs as an example, who limits using gadgets by his children. Silicon Valley residents predominantly choose Waldorf schools for their children, which do not use modern technology in their education system.

Let’s analyse at what areas of child development excessive use of digital devices can influence.

Impact on Vision. Experts agree that in recent years there has been a general increase in vision problems among people, the explanation is an overall increase in eye strain as we constantly look at our digital devices, whether at work or in leisure time. The most common eye disease in children and adults according to statistics is myopia, which manifests as poor distance vision. Dochekal [4] states, that a few years ago, the Australian Ministry of Health stated that screens are causing an epidemic of myopia and children under two years should not be exposed to electronics at all, and older children a maximum of one hour a day. In the modern world, every fourth person suffers from it. And the situation is worsening every year. Experts speak of the number “two billion” – that’s how many myopic people there were on earth in 2010. Projections are pessimistic, by 2020 an increase of half a billion people is expected and by 2050 about five billion people will be myopic.

In addition to genetic factors, the causes of myopia include spending too much time at the computer, tablet. Because a parent cannot directly observe a deterioration in vision, like a cough or a runny nose, they should know at least the alarming signs: stumbling or bumping into furniture, more frequently reluctance to read, avoiding other children, increasing problems at dusk and in darkness, squinting when looking into the distance, watches TV shows by sitting very close, looks at a book with almost their nose on the pages, blinking too frequently, change in color and shape of the pupil, clouding of the eyeball, different pupil sizes.

To prevent the aforementioned problems in children, experts recommend the following steps: limit screen time for preschool and younger school-aged children to a maximum of 15 minutes at a stretch, max an hour per day, every 15 minutes of looking at a monitor, focus on a distant object for 10 seconds, children should not read books or look at a phone, tablet while in moving vehicles. It is not recommended to look at the screen in bright sunlight or conversely in the dark. Do not work with a phone/book while lying on your back, it is best always to sit with the device placed opposite the eyes. Reduce monitor brightness so much that it doesn’t appear as a light source when compared with the background. Spend time outdoors regularly, as walks result in better blood circulation in the eyes. Prefer larger screens over smaller displays. It ensures a longer distance from the eyes and perception of larger pixels, which results in less strain on the eye muscles. Always sit directly opposite the center of the screen, not from the side.

The Impact on Hearing. Czech otolaryngologist Aleš Hahn [3] explains the dangers associated with using headphones, which are popular not only among adults, but also children. Headphone manufacturers constantly outdo each other in inventing new designs and shapes. First came the large headphones, then smaller ones, followed by so-called earbuds, micro headphones into the ear, with the most modern ones being wireless. The author explains the difference in their functioning: acoustic energy is compressed, which can lead to damage to the hair cells in the inner ear. According to him, large headphones are more suitable.

The Impact on Sleep. Blue light, short, high-energy wavelengths of sunlight (380–500 nm), which colors the sky blue, is not only present in nature. Powered screens also emit it. If we watch TV (tablet, phone) right before sleep or if popular LED bulbs are lit in the room, we will have trouble falling asleep. Only 90 minutes after the blue light source is turned off does the body start to release melatonin, a sleep hormone, which is mainly produced at night and responds to biological rhythms, guarantees quality sleep and the regeneration of all cells in the organism. In young children, the connection between excessive exposure to artificial blue light and disturbed circadian rhythms has been long-term scientifically monitored. Slussareff [4] confirms that daily touchscreen use in children is associated with shorter, less quality sleep and later onset of sleep. According to the authors, the following four phenomena most likely play a role:

Electronic media can directly reduce the time children have for sleep. This leads to later sleep onset and shortening of nighttime sleep duration.
The content of the media consumed can psychologically and physically excite the child, generally leading to a poorer ability to fall asleep.
The blue light that screens emit may suppress the production of melatonin, which affects the quality of sleep.
Certain genetic traits may also be important, such as emotional lability or hyperactivity, highly related to the family environment.

Influence on Body Posture and Obesity. The basis of a child’s healthy development from birth is movement. However, in recent decades, due to primarily scientific-technological development and changes in lifestyle, the amount of movement has significantly decreased, even though the genetic endowment of the individual, and therefore their need for movement, remains the same. When we assess the influence of digital technologies on children, we cannot overlook the fact that sitting at a computer or in front of a TV is time spent without movement. In addition, a child with a phone or tablet often sits with a bowed head, leading to strain on the spine. Experts have found that the larger the angle of the head tilt, the stronger the strain on the spine. If the head is not tilted, it exerts a constant force on the spine, thus not straining it. At a forward tilt of 15 degrees, the strain on the spine is about 12 kg, 30 degrees – up to 18 kg, 45 degrees – up to 22 kg, and at a forward tilt of 60 degrees, we strain the spine with a weight of up to 27 kg. Most people look into their mobiles with a 60 degree forward head tilt. In children with poor posture, a higher incidence of headaches, cervical and lumbar spine pain, and overall long-term health problems are recorded. The solution is regular special physiotherapeutic exercises. Prevention involves regular, varied movement, and limiting the time spent in front of the TV or with a smartphone in hand.

The second problem resulting from excessive screen time is childhood obesity, which in 80 % of cases occurs already in preschool age, as stated by the Czech project Caterpillar [5], which deals with monitoring overweight children. Part of the child population compensates for increased mental demands with increased food intake, especially in the evening hours. Absolute or relative overeating has become a reality. The result is a positive energy balance, for which we have no prepared metabolic mechanisms capable of adaptation.

The prevalence of childhood obesity in the Czech Republic has dramatically increased over the last 30 years, with a twofold increase in overweight generally and a quadrupling in the child population. Currently, every 4th child is overweight, every 7th is obese, and 4 out of 100 children suffer from morbid obesity. According to research from the Caterpillar project from 2009–2013, 13.91 % of preschool-aged children were overweight, and 7.86 % were obese.

Influence on Body Posture and Obesity. The basis of a child’s healthy development from birth is movement. However, in recent decades, due to primarily scientific-technological development and changes in lifestyle, the amount of movement has significantly decreased, even though the genetic endowment of the individual, and therefore their need for movement, remains the same. When we assess the influence of digital technologies on children, we cannot overlook the fact that sitting at a computer or in front of a TV is time spent without movement. In addition, a child with a phone or tablet often sits with a bowed head, leading to strain on the spine. Experts have found that the larger the angle of the head tilt, the stronger the strain on the spine. If the head is not tilted, it exerts a constant force on the spine, thus not straining it. At a forward tilt of 15 degrees, the strain on the spine is about 12 kg, 30 degrees – up to 18 kg, 45 degrees – up to 22 kg, and at a forward tilt of 60 degrees, we strain the spine with a weight of up to 27 kg. Most people look into their mobiles with a 60 degree forward head tilt. In children with poor posture, a higher incidence of headaches, cervical and lumbar spine pain, and overall long-term health problems are recorded. The solution is regular special physiotherapeutic exercises. Prevention involves regular, varied movement, and limiting the time spent in front of the TV or with a smartphone in hand.

Influence on Psychological Development.

Gadgets and the Child’s Brain. With the help of magnetic resonance imaging, neurologists have found that the circuits of the frontal lobes, which control attention, grow fastest between the child’s 3rd and 6th years of life, with a second rapid increase occurring between 11-12 years. That’s why many experts consider this developmental period to be very important. In other words – the cells that are involved in the most frequent activities remain active in the brain, the less used ones disappear. Activity that a child often engages in transforms their brain in a certain way; the positive influence of music, sports, and reading on a child’s intellectual development has already been demonstrated. How a child’s brain changes under the influence of digital technologies is still a matter of study and research. Some experts associate excessive use of technologies with a rising number of occurrences of ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy, while others observe positive effects and praise the educational function of media. Individual studies that would clearly show us the ways and extent of transformation of the child’s brain under the influence of digital technologies do not yet exist. But according to Stránský [6], there is already a reliable study proving the negative impact of the use of digital technologies on the development of adolescent brains: in this Facebook generation, a sharp decrease in connections between the left and right hemispheres has been observed long-term, up to their complete disappearance, “tertiary brain centers, which integrate and process information, are used less and less”. As a result, a sharp deterioration in the oral expression of modern adolescents is recorded, they use short sentences in speech, with which they are used to chatting. These young individuals know how to find information well, but they are not able to operate with it. And so there is a “devolution of the human brain, the loss of previously acquired abilities”. Therefore, most experts rather lean towards limiting the time spent by the child at screens in favor of sports, playing, reading, and creating.

In 2018 at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, Hutton [8] described the results of his experiment, in which he set out to explore the impact of various story formats (audio, illustrated, animated) on the engagement of brain networks supporting language, visual perception, and learning in preschool-aged children, and to evaluate the most suitable way of perceiving fairy tales for this age category.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, he observed the processes occurring in a child’s brain during: • listening to an audio recording of a fairy tale • watching an animated fairy tale on a screen • listening to audio while looking at an illustrated book He monitored the centers of speech, visual perception, imagination, and secondary (passive) state of consciousness, a calm state of mind, when, colloquially speaking, “things in the head settle down”.

While children perceived the fairy tale, the device monitored the activity of these brain centers and also their connectivity, connections. It was found that while listening to the audio recording, speech centers were most activated, but connectivity was low, indicating that the child barely understood the overall meaning of the fairy tale.

During the viewing of the animated fairy tale, high activity of auditory and visual centers was monitored, but low connectivity and a decrease in activity in the speech center. Hutton explains that the animated format is the most complex for children’s perception; all the energy of the brain goes into processing the continuous audiovisual content.

While listening to a book with the support of an illustration, the activity of speech centers was slightly lower than when listening to an audiobook. In this case, the child focuses not only on words but also uses pictures as guides for better understanding of the story. Importantly, when the child looked at a picture book, the devices recorded an increased level of connection in all areas of the brain studied in this experiment. According to Hutton, an illustrated book is “Just Right”. Studies conducted show that the illustrated format provides visual support to the speech center, stimulates imagination, and develops self-reflection in young children. Hutton explains that during looking at pictures, the child’s brain works at full speed, busy connecting verbal and visual stimuli and enlivening it in their imagination.

In conclusion, Hutton recommends all parents start reading to their children as early as possible, from birth if possible, and devote regular time to this activity, especially emphasizing it in the pre-school age, while also limiting the time the child spends at screens.

The concept of computer or internet addiction is often presented in the media and has already made its way into everyday language. Internet addiction as such is not yet listed as an official mental disorder. For diagnostic purposes, the designation R 63.8 – Other compulsive and impulsive disorders is used. Other types of persistent maladaptive behavior that are not secondary to a recognized psychiatric syndrome, and where it seems that the person repeatedly fails in attempts to resist the urge to behave in this way. There is a prodromal period of tension with a sense of relief at the time of the act. The causes of emerging addictions in children in disrupted family relationships and lifestyle issues. If a child tends to escape into the virtual world, something in the family is not functioning well, whether it is unclear boundaries, unenforced rules, lack of a close relationship within the family, or a lack of quality alternatives for spending free time.

The most common symptoms of internet addiction in children are associated with behaviors where the child: demands fairy tales, computer games right after waking up, loses interest in other activities, immediately seeks out a computer or other device in their free time, tries to offer a computer activity when meeting with friends, responds briefly to questions, avoiding lengthy discussions, begins to cheat in an effort to get to the computer at all costs, reacts stormily, hysterically to prohibitions and limits on computer time, tries to move to the computer or TV during meals.

Renowned Czech psychologists Pavel Říčan and Draha Pithartová [7] point out in their article another danger in the form of violent content in fairy tales and children’s shows. The authors maintain that the most violence is found in shows for the youngest viewers! The violence here just has a slightly ‘softer’ form: fights, spankings, chases, insults, threats, etc. However, when we consider the age of the viewers, this does not mean it is less harmful. Watching violence is particularly dangerous for children primarily because it tempts them to imitate, weakens their ability for compassion, and can provoke destructive and cruel behavior, or conversely, fear and anxiety.

Research Results. In 2021, as part of my work on my diploma thesis, I conducted a research study aimed at determining the circumstances under which Czech children of preschool age watch cartoons and the level of parents’ awareness about potential negative influences. The research aimed to highlight the specific knowledge gaps parents may have in ensuring prevention or correction of the consequences of the negative impact of animated fairy tales and digital technologies in general.

The research aimed to answer the following questions:

At what age do children start watching animated fairy tales and how much time do they spend on them during preschool age?
What are the child’s preferences when choosing cartoons?
What are the parents’ preferences when choosing suitable cartoons?
How well informed are parents about the basic rules of safe screen time (screen size, time limits, pedagogical approaches) and whether they deal with this problem at all.
Do parents realize that watching fairy tales can affect the psychological development of children? Do they observe any signs of this influence on their children?

Thanks to the responses from the participants, we got the following results:

Czech children start watching animated fairy tales relatively early:

47.14 % of respondents reported the age of 2 years. 42.86 % of parents indicated the age of 0-1.5 years. 10 % stated the age of 3-4 years. The data indicates that

73.2 % watch fairy tales daily, 15.5% watch 2-3 times per week, 5.6% once a week, and only 4.2% a few times a month.

Approximately half of the children are able to turn on a cartoon by hemselves.

When it comes to children’s preferences, almost every child had a different favorite animated fairy tale, and the answers were almost never repeated. However, the fairy tales mentioned more frequently were Paw Patrol, Masha and the Bear, Pat and Mat, The Smurfs, Frozen, Cars, and Winnie the Pooh, Lego Ninjago, Harry Potter, Angry Birds.
To the list of fairy tales from which parents were to choose, I intentionally added both suitable and unsuitable fairy tales for preschool age. I was pleased that Krteček (the Little Mole) came first among parents, with 91.7 % of parents choosing it for their child. In second place, along with Pat and Mat and Bugs, was Peppa Pig. Most parents would have no problem letting their children watch Masha and the Bear, Finding Nemo, Mickey Mouse, The Lion King, and Tom and Jerry. Fortunately, Winx, Pokémon, and The Simpsons ended up in the last places.
30.6 % of parents admitted that they haven’t seen all the fairy tales their child watches, so they are not familiar with the content.
42.86 % of parents did not know about any unsuitable fairy tales or did not deal with this issue.
As for the impact of fairy tales on children, it cannot be said that fairy tales only serve for amusement and do not influence children’s behavior. 70.8 % of parents reported that they have observed their child imitating the behavior and speech of favorite fairy tale characters. A fairly large number of parents confirmed that the child occasionally reacts negatively to turning off the fairy tale (with aggression, tantrums, crying). This behavior could be a symptom of a developing addiction to digital technologies, just like demanding a fairy tale immediately after waking up.
I asked parents to express their opinion on what dangers, in their view, could be inherent in daily 2hour TV viewing. It turned out that most parents are aware of the threat of addiction (72.86 % of respondents), followed by the impact on children’s behavior (68.57 % of respondents). To a lesser extent, parents consider the impact on the development of cognitive functions (34.29 %) and the effect on children’s sleep (40 %). Only a small number of parents, let’s say below 10 %, think that there is a danger of eye damage and overweight. Interestingly, 12.86 % of respondents even believe that there is no threat at all.

I assess the parents’ awareness of the basic rules for safe viewing of animated tales as superficial. From their answers, I infer that most parents are aware that watching fairy tales for too long is not good for the child, and when there is explicit blood and foul language in the fairy tale, they will not allow such a fairy tale for their children. However, there is a lack of deeper understanding of the child’s process of perceiving the fairy tale and its subsequent influence. Nevertheless, about half of the parents intuitively do the right thing when they rather turn on the big television for the child than give them a mobile phone, when they discuss the fairy tale with the child afterwards.

Based on all these recommendations from experts in various fields and my own professional experiences working with children, I have summarized the basic rules for using digital technologies by preschool children:

If a child is already spending time on the internet, it’s better to use a television or computer, essentially the largest screen possible. The image on a small phone screen is much more harmful to the eyes.
A computer game should contain levels of difficulty, and progression to the next level should not be allowed without first completing the prior one. The game should have an end; endless games are a direct path to digital addiction.
If it is possible to play the game without sound, turn off the sound. Monotonous music in games contributes to lulling conscious attention and responses.
It is best to avoid using digital technologies with preschool children if: The child has a diagnosis of mental retardation or developmental delay. The child has a verbal and nonverbal communication disorder. The child has ADHD. The child stutters. The child has enuresis. The child does not speak in sentences and cannot express their needs verbally. The child does not understand spoken language. The child is unable to listen to a book being read, appropriate for their age. The child is unable to play a story and cannot bring the game to a logical conclusion.
Turn off digital devices no later than 60 minutes before going to bed. External artificial blue light can negatively affect a child’s sleep.
Limit background TV listening (it interferes with children’s spontaneous play and affects attention).
When you use headphones, choose classic big ones, not earbuds.
If you can’t be actively involved with your child, you shouldn’t try to entertain him at all costs, for example with cartoon, the child should try to entertain himself, in this way he learns to work with his own emotions and will.
A child should not relate watching a screen to eating or sitting on the potty.

References:

Piaget J., a Inhelderova B. (2010). Child Psychology. Prague: Portal. [in Czech].
Kardaras N. (2016). Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction Is Hijacking Our Kids – and How to Break the Trance. New York: St. Martin’s Press. [in English].
Docekal D., Muller J., Harris A, Heger L. (2019). The child online: a guide for parents and teachers who want to understand the digital world of the young generation. Prague: Mlada fronta. [in Czech].
Screens in Childhood: effects on sleep, learning and attention. Principles for healthy uses. Paediatrics for practice. 20(1), 19-23. URL: https://www.pediatriepropraxi.cz/pdfs/ped/2019/01/04.pdf
Caterpillar. Caterpillar aims to find overweight children. URL: http://caterpillar.sdetmiprotiobezite.cz/?page_id=358
The impact of technology and social networks negatively affects the brain. URL: https://narodni.cz/publikovane-texty/o-mozku/vliv-technologii-a-socialnich-siti-negativne-ovlivnuje-mozek/
Taming the screen. URL: file:///C:/Users/Admin/Downloads/83-06-krotime-obrazovku-pdf.pdf
Associations Between Screen-Based Media Use and Brain White Matter Integrity in Preschool-Aged Children. JAMA Pediatrics. 174(1). URL: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2754101