Photo by Stahlkocher CC BY-SA 3.0
A reading by Susan Pitman, in the ETEC511: Foundations of Educational Technology course, discusses the use of technologies and their impact on child development and well-being. In that article, The Impact of Media Technologies on Child Development and Wellbeing, Susan Pitman mentions both the positive and the negative impacts that electronic media can have on child development and welfare. One key point which stood out for me was that the most vulnerable children are the most likely to succumb to the detrimental effects of technology use. For me this re-enforces the idea that technology use by children should be mediated by adults (teachers, parents, guardians, etc) who are aware of the scope of potential impacts in order to capitalize on the benefits. Continue reading