The estimated reading time for this post is 1 minutes
Technology has radically changed our everyday lives. No matter whether you’re a technophile or a technophobe, you probably can’t avoid using tech in your daily life. In fact, if you’re reading this article (and I’m thinking you are), you’re using tech.
While we may contemplate how tech has changed our daily lives, we should also consider the impact of technology on kids. The next generation hasn’t known life without the Internet, cell phones or computers.
How are kids using tech in their daily lives? This infographic displays how kids are using tech, for the good and the bad. While some sites have restrictions against children under 13 joining, those restrictions don’t seem to be effective in banning tweens from joining.
Infographic by FashionPlaytes
Your Thoughts
Will the next generation be the most tech-savvy, taking society to a higher level? Or will the next generation be addicted to tech and unprepared for the real world?
“I think the impact of technology on children right now and different aspects of our lives is sometimes fabulous and sometimes terrible,” Larry Ellison, Founder of Oracle Corporation.
Will children’s use of social media lead to a greater understanding and acceptance of differences between people? Or will their use of social media make them unable to form and maintain real world relationships?
• See, Articles of the Heart’s article discussing the pros and cons of children using social media: Children and Media Technology.
Are parents providing their children with tech to prepare them for the world or are they using it as a substitute babysitter to entertain the kids?
• See, education.com’s Technology and Kids: 7 Ways to Unplug for ideas to pull your kids away from the lure of technology.
Let us know your thoughts on how kids are using technology in the Comments section below.
______________________
* Girl and iPad image courtesy of Mike Licht (edited)
Hi Carolyn,
Lovely inforgraphic that surely said it all 🙂
I know how much our kids are using tech and the amount of time they are on the social media sites!! I think the older they get, the tougher it gets to keep track and that’s where we pray that the values and lessons we instilled into them come into shape.
I surely am glad that we have a little time restriction in our house when the WiFi is switched on for them to surf on their smartphones as they use those instead of the computer or laptop, and they are tuned to doing what they want in those 1-2 hours in the evening, after which its close time for them, and back to their studies or reading or music and whatever they want. I guess a little bit of parental intervention is alright as long as they’re with us. Surprising to note that most teens are on YouTube, though our end its mostly on Facebook 🙂
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
Hi Harleena, Yes, it will be interesting to learn how others’ experiences differ from what is shown on this infographic. You have a very effective way of restricting your children’s use of social media, by turning off Wi-Fi. A lot of my kids’ homework is on the Internet so that isn’t an option for us.
You’re right, the older they get the more difficult it is to keep track of what kids are doing online. But at some point they will be out of the house completely. You’re right, instilling our values early as parents is our best hope for our children behaving well online as they grow older.
Hi Carolyn,
I think kids have role models and behavioural trends are passed down from older children to younger children. So it probably starts with the parents. I think television still has enormous influence on young people. The students I talk to don’t watch TV very much and it seems to be reflected in their behaviour. I think the narcissistic tendencies are a big problem on social media. They even seem to copy each others poses when taking their selfies. I did photograph myself the other day. I used a suction mount to attach my camera to a wall and then used a remote control to trigger the focus and shutter. It worked quite well, but afterwards the camera picked up stray infra red and took a few photos it wasn’t supposed to! I’m trying to figure out how to mount one of the cameras in the car to take video while I drive. I have done it, but with the camera upside down!
Both my art and photography post this week involve interesting editing.
Hi Mike, Good point, parents set the example for their kids as they always have. With technology and social media the parents may set the tone for how these tools are used. I’ve seen both adults and kids whose Facebook posts are nothing but “selfies” (self-portraits). But I also know plenty of kids whose parents don’t use social media so these children aren’t necessarily following their parents’ example.
Yes, kids don’t seem to be watching TV as much as in previous generations but there are those who say that’s better because much tech requires more active brain activity than watching TV does.
Your camera experiments sound fun, Mike! I’ll be over to your site soon to check out this week’s lesson. 🙂
I have a 19 year old daughter and 22 yr old son and they each have differing views. My son uses Facebook pretty exclusively to communicate with his friends. He probably doesn’t check it every day. My daughter however uses FB often each day along with Twitter. I found her to be using Twitter to make a quick contact to her friends asking what where when etc. She also uses her phone texting to contact friends too. Twitter is slowly dying off in favor of texting. My students in the middle school are mostly FB and Instagram users and texters as well. These kids want information FAST.
I disagree with the small percentage of users who access from their smartphone. I know the PEW report is dependable, but the stats are a bit old. Today you would find most teens with a smartphone doing this, watching movies and tv along with reading books! I totally agree with YouTube as the most frequently used site. When my own children were young teens they didn’t watch tv, they watched silly stuff on YouTube. That was their form of entertainment! Great infographic. I’ll print it for my classroom!
Hi Robin, Wow, it would be very interesting to learn what your middle school students think of this infographic. I agree with you, the percentage of kids using smartphones to access social media sounds low to me too. You could poll your students and compare the results of their answers with the infographic information.
Interesting that your daughter uses Twitter as a substitute for texting. I think of Twitter more as a billboard for the world as opposed to a means of personal communication with my friends. But most of my personal friends aren’t active on Twitter.
Yes, YouTube is certainly a fertile source of entertainment which my teens enjoy too. But my teens still enjoy TV too.
It will be interesting to learn what other readers’ reactions are! Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Robin.
Well all I can say is making a balance between it’s benefits and harm is very hard thing
Hi Sachin, You are exactly right. As a mom to three teens I can vouch for the difficulty in achieving a balance between the benefits and the detriments of tech and social media for kids.
Interesting. I think my tween is in the minority. He loves his iPad, but he does not have any social media accounts – yet. He recently asked for an email address, that’s it. But I suspect his time is coming. It will be interesting indeed where this younger generation goes with all the tech they have access too.
Hi Carol, Well so far your tween is in the majority. Technically, kids under 13 aren’t allowed to sign up for most social media accounts.
Email definitely is “out” for teens. My teens never check their email. They only seem to communicate with their friends via social media and texts. But maybe the tweens of today will bring the cool back to email when they become teens!
Hi Carolyn,
This is good information – thanks for sharing it! The impact technology is having on children will affect future generations so we have to be aware. It’s interesting how YouTube comes out ahead of Facebook and even Instagram considering 23% are using that.
What will come next? It’s hard to imagine!
Lori
Hi Lori, Yes, I found that interesting as well. My girls use YouTube not only for entertainment but as a source for information. When they want to learn how to do something, they will search for a YouTube video that explains it. Very useful!
Great question. Perhaps next year at this time a new website will be the most popular one. Facebook needs to avoid becoming another My Space, but they keep innovating to help to keep it current.
Hi Carolyn,
Love the infographic and hidden message lies within 🙂 Eventhough it’s claiming the achievements of Technology and positive change in our lifestyles, there’s another aspect to think about as you implied.
Well, I can vouch on saving money and investing on tech by looking at my siblings 😉 My little brother just wanted a smartphone and I didn’t even have a mobile phone at the age he got his smartphone. Even I’ve got him a PC, he’s yet mostly interested in smartphone and the app he can’t live without is Facebook 😀 I recall how crazy I was to spend time with my PC. Then a friend of mine was seeking a job, ’cause she needs a new iPhone. Time sure flies 😉
It’s really interesting how minds working in new generations. The thing I learnt is that we should get to know ’em better ’cause what we think the best is not the best for ’em. The problem is parents (adults) think they know their kids better than anyone. Been there, done that. Not as a parent 😀 lol… Now parents can embarrass a kid on social media rather than at home. I’m sure you are familiar with all my observations 🙂
Putting ourselves in their shoes is tough, but really worth it. Not to manipulate, but to keep ’em safe. Else it takes few seconds to ruin a life.
Due to a Facebook post, a teen hanged herself most recently here with a suicide note, Carolyn. It could have been stopped. I think, sometimes kids / tweens / teens embrace the technology without proper guidance and knowing the risks, and adults make it even worse due to lack of knowledge. I believe we need more tech-savvy parents in future and hope it will.
Enjoy the rest of your week there dear 🙂
Cheers…
Hi Mayura, Yes, cyberbullying is a very serious issue which shows that social media, like any tool, can be used for good and bad. You’re right, even parents can misuse social media to embarrass their kids. See, Poll: YouTube Rage Dad – Justified or Not? https://wonderoftech.com/poll-youtube-rage-dad-justified-or-not/
Even if our social media accounts are supposedly restricted to friends, anything we put on the Internet can be shared with the world. Exposing children to that public humiliation can be devastating to them. On the other hand, social media may help them stay connected with friends.
You’re right, parents should stay involved and monitor when possible to make sure that children aren’t being exposed to negative influences online. Life is very different for the next generation of children and parents are at a disadvantage because we didn’t have this tech and social media available when we were children. We can’t base our decisions on how we were raised because we weren’t raised with social media.
We can base our decisions on our values though and try to instill in our children the importance of kindness, honesty, respect, etc. that should be present in the real world and online.
Yes, you’re right that tech tends to be shifting to mobile devices, what some call the “Post-PC World.” Who knows what the next trend will be after mobile devices? Some are predicting it will be wearable tech.
All of this is changing so quickly that it’s good to stop and evaluate what is happening so we can understand the influence that tech is having on our lives.
Thanks for sharing your valuable insights with us, Mayura!
I agree with you, the next generation will be the most tech-savvy but I don’t like the way they are wasting their life on social media.
Hi Rajesh, Yes, some, if not most, time on social media may be a waste. But social media does have many redeeming qualities. The important thing is for people not to overuse and over-share on social media.
I personally think we are giving a bit too much to our kids (we are basically denying them a good childhood playing outside, learning new things and so forth).
Let’s be realistic: how many of these kids are going to have good memories about their childhood? (I don’t think playing on tablet sounds like a good memory).
That being said, technology is great – it provides us different ways to learn new things for free – Youtube is one big example (although, we do have to be careful….there are lot of creeps out there, who wouldn’t hesitate to use these kids).
That’s the primary reason why I dislike social media sites (kids these days tend to reveal a lot of their information online!).
Okay, I am not that good either…with information online, but I do have a good reason, right? I am a blogger 😉
I also try not to reveal too much information about my private life (I have deleted a lot of the info I had on my profiles – sure, once it’s on the net, it’s never gone..but it’s better to take action, right? Prevent bad things from happening in the future!).
I think the best way to deal with this is parental information (although parents have to be careful – they have to make them feel that teens do have the choice – okay, let’s actually give them some choice….talk to them about the dangers online, it’s the best way to deal with this stuff).
Anyways, thank you for sharing this, Carolyn 🙂
Hi Jeevan, Excellent point, children should be developing memories and time on the tablet is not what they should be remembering from their childhood. You’re right, there are dangers online and parents need to be vigilant in monitoring their kids’ time online. Kids often don’t realize that what they reveal online can be shared with the world, even if their accounts are restricted to their friends.
The online world is like a large city, some neighborhoods are safer than others, but we should always be aware of our surroundings and on guard against those who may wish us harm.
Loved your analogy, Carolyn 🙂
Yeah, lot of parents don’t exactly get it right, when it comes to monitoring – some are too strict (resulting in kids being more rebellious) and some are too lenient.
Kids, especially Teenagers can be hard to manage. I don’t know why, but I used to feel angry when my parents monitored me.
Sure, I knew it was for my own good…but for some reason, the anger kept coming on – and it kind of felt good. No, not giving more trouble to my parents, but being angry – something to do with chemicals in the brain, I suppose.
It’s like I enjoy being angry!
Thank you, Jeevan. The analogy isn’t mine originally but I do think it’s an accurate one.
Yes, I have three teenagers and I can agree with you completely. A lot is changing for teenagers, they really are caught between childhood and adulthood. Changing hormones can also play a part, or so I’ve heard….
Just curious how old is the data used to make this infographic? I’m surprised that SnapChat, Vine, kik, and ask.fm aren’t mentioned. The teens I know do most of their communicating via SnapChat – one of the hardest for parents to monitor.
Really great book on this subject: The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age by Catherine Steiner-Adair. Highly recommend!
Hi Dawn, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Yes, the sources for the infographic are listed at the bottom. You’re right, there are many other social media sites teens frequent, including the ones you mention Pinterest and Tumblr. The infographic did mention SnapChat though didn’t provide data on its use by kids.
I have read Catherine Steiner-Adair’s book and recently saw her speak at my daughters’ school. She makes excellent points about children growing up in this digital age and offers valuable suggestions for parents. Thanks so much for recommending that book here, Dawn, and for your valuable comment.
Hi Carolyn, infographic is very well described.
Kids online security is very important these days as cyber threats are on rise. Parents must watch their kids online activities and limit their internet usage to prevent them against cyberbullying or other web scams.
Therefore, parents must educate their children about internet dangers. They can also use parental control tool to keep an eye on their child internet activities.
Hi Samaira, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! You’re exactly right, parents must be vigilant with their children’s safety on social media. What may seem like fun and enriching engagement can quickly turn bad if people aren’t careful.
This article is just like what we need . It is really irritating that kids are using social media site . One day I found a very disturbing image of my nephew’s profile which was tagged by one of his unknown friend . But it created misunderstanding .He is 12 years old and I don’t support to use social site at this age. It is not appropriate age for learning adult behavior .
Hi Adnan, Yes, you’re right, dangers definitely exist on the Internet. Parents have to be especially mindful of children who may feel safe on social media when they’re interacting with their friends. But things can turn bad quickly with a single post of photo.
The minimum age is supposed to be 13 for many sites but that rule is often not strictly enforced.
The infographic was very well-made. I totally agree with what it shows. However, we parents should be looking after our kids and teach them to responsibly use the technology to their advantage especially with them using the social media.
Great infographic and I’m not surprised by some of those numbers. I don’t think we can get around kids using tech more and more. I remember seeing some show on CNBC about tech and one of the cast was talking about how he was at a restaurant and saw a parent give their child a “real” magazine. This was just a toddler mind you. The kid was trying to sue the magazine like a tablet (pinching the screen, swiping, etc). He was amazed (as was I) that this is happening.
We just had our first son and I’m already pondering how I can properly balance him using tech as a tool instead of a crutch and us not using it as a babysitter.
Great post.
~ Johnny