INFLUENCE OF DIGITAL MEDIA ASSIGNMENT SAMPLE 2024
TOPIC- INFLUENCE OF DIGITAL MEDIA ON 3-5 YEARS CHILDREN’S MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Critical analysis based on effects of media use in child development and moral development
Digital media and modern technology have become one of the critical parts of our lives in recent times. Along with work, education and child development is highly influenced by the use of digital media nowadays. By applying different approaches such as qualitative approach theoretical frameworks and others I have research on the effects of digital media use on moral development of children. It has been identified that there are negative, and positive effects of using advanced technology in child development. The positive and negative impacts are critically analysed below:
Positive effects
Digital media and technology can help in education and learning at a great level. Educating the children is one of the most important factors that influence their moral development. It has been previously mentioned that the use of interactive digital media such as educational technology and videos can enhance the learning experience of the children and have a positive impact on their moral development (Zhang et al. 2023). Parents should be highly concerned about the appropriate use of digital media in children’s development. The type of content the children consume and the screen time are the two critical factors that ensure positive effects on moral development of children. I identified that there are certain games websites and applications that provide interactive experiences to children which leads to the enhancement of knowledge regarding different aspects.
Providing digital literacy through schools and educational institutes can also have a positive impact on children’s development and their moral development (Tohara, 2021). Improving the knowledge of the children and making these children responsible regarding the content they watch through digital media improves their moral values. In addition to that, effective use of digital media can enhance problem solving and creativity skills among children. Different open-ended challenges, simulations, puzzle games and others through digital media enhance critical thinking ability of children (Boti et al. 2023). Educational institutes also can use this kind of digital media for providing better learning experiences to children. Thereafter, children can learn any subject from anywhere based on their interest by using digital media which is one of the most positive effects of technology on children development. This not only enhances their knowledge but also moral values through the consumed positive and appropriate videos or contents. In short, appropriate use of digital media and technology can enhance knowledge and understanding along with the moral development of children.
Negative effects
Excessive screen time or use of digital media reduces the attention of children on certain things such as education. Inappropriate use of digital media limits cognitive development of children. Reduction of critical thinking skills and focus negatively affects education of children as well as their moral development. I identified that excessive use of digital media reduces social interactions and limits emotional intelligence among children. Spending a lot of time on screens limits communication with people and that negatively affects healthy relationships (Puzio et al. 2022). It impacts the communication skills of the children negatively as well as limits social and emotional development. Apart from that excessive use of digital media leads to sleep disruptionand eating disorders as well. Lack of emotional regulation and physical growth also has a negative impact on the moral development of children.
Lack of digital literacy and consuming negative contents can build wrong moral values among children. Considering this, digital literacy among parents and children is significantly important in this digital era. In addition, sleep disruption due to excessive use of digital media can have a negative impact on the mental health of children (Lund et al. 2021). I identified that children of 3 to 5 years old generally do not have higher digital literacy rate which limits their knowledge about right and wrong contents. It has been previously mentioned that the type of content children consume is a critical factor to ensure their moral development.
To sum up, it can be stated that use of digital media has both positive and negative impacts on child development. Digital literacy and consuming appropriate contents are the major aspects that enhance the positive impacts of digital media on moral development of children. I think parents, teachers and family members should be concerned about the contents their children consume every day. Promoting educational videos and games among children might have an effective and positive impact on the moral development of children. Along with the type of contents, parents should be concerned about the screen timing of children because higher screen time can lead to sleeping and eating disorders. Thus, in my opinion digital media mostly has a negative impact on children’s development.
2.2 Implications for policy/practice/further research of child development
I have got an insight regarding the aspects of child development from this research. This study has identified that the first two stages of cognitive development take place in between 3-5 years of age. Additionally, technological devices such as television, smart phones have a negative impact on the moral development of children. It is because technological devices restrict social interaction substantially and stimulates cognitive development negatively. As per this context, implication of policies that restrict usage of technology is effective for accelerating the cognitive development of children. “National Health Services (NHS)” has declared a specific guideline for screen time or usage of technological devices. For instance, the NHS has declared that screen time should not be more than two hours a day (Nhs, 2024). Guidelines from the NHS in my opinion are effective for making parents aware of factors that hinder children’s cognitive and moral development. Besides, it also mentioned that playing TV in the background reduce the ability of concentration for children along with it increasing the risk of obesity. In my opinion, considering “Vygotsky’s social development theory”, children are required to spend more time outside for social interaction that is effective for accelerating cognitive and moral development. As per the views of Xin et al. (2023), physical activities among children increase social interaction and it helps in the moral development of children. Physical activity is not only beneficial for physical health but it also boosts cognitive development significantly. Cognitive development is the fundamental aspect of moral development of a child. Lack of cognitive development hinders moral development due to lack of sense to identify differences between right and wrong. Thus, in my opinion, a policy or practice is required to be implemented by the government to mandate physical activity and restrict screen time for children.
In my opinion, this research has helped to get an insight about the factors that help in cognitive and moral development of children. Additionally, part 1 of this study has also shed light on the “Ecological systems theory” that highlights the way moral development takes place among employees. Part 1 of this study identified from ecological systems theory that interaction with different ecosystems or different social environments is beneficial for developing a sense of right and wrong among children. In my opinion, it is important to provide a child the opportunity to interact with different ecosystems and environments. For instance, engaging children with different learning sessions such as swimming, dancing and others have a positive impact on moral development among children. As per the views of Turiel et al. (2021), punishment and obedience orientation are effective for moral development among children. Considering this, it is important to offer relevant punishments to children for developing the sense of morality among them. I think developing a policy in the educational sector that is associated with enhancing obedience among children is advantageous for accelerating moral development substantially. In my opinion, the findings from part 1 highlights the importance of implicating policies to restrict screen time, foster scope of physical activities and make a child more obedience oriented. Thus, I think part one of this study has implied the requirements for further improvement in policies and its strictness to boost moral development among children.
2.3 Ethical awareness regarding different elements of child development research
Ethical awareness is an important aspect to consider while conducting research, especially in child development. As per the analysis of Samuel and Richie (2023), procedural ethics is important in case it considers humans and animals. For instance, integration of consent form in research that consists of children is important and In my opinion, parents are required to acknowledge the type of research and its purpose before signing a consent form for research that involves child participants. On the other hand, communication with children is an important factor of ethical consideration while involving them in research procedures (Vears and Gillam, 2022). I think communication helps to make children comfortable in answering questions during surveys and interviews conducted by researchers. Communication with children during the research process according to their age and level of cognitive development helps to describe procedural and potential risks of it (Quayyum et al. 2021). Considering this, it is highlighting the importance of communication with children and asking consent form from parents is substantial ethical awareness regarding child development research.
I think ethical awareness is very important for conducting research on child development as it is a sensitive group. As per the views of Hancock et al. (2021), researchers are required to be very careful while conducting research on children as it has an impact on further study. However, wrong findings from child research have negative consequences on children’s health and cognitive development. It is an unwanted aspect that can be eliminated only through ethical consideration in research. As per the observation of Bodén et al. (2021), inclusion and fairness are important ethical factors that are required to be considered while a research involves child participants. However, inclusion and fairness required to be considered for all human participants in a research but it even intensified more while a study is undertaken on children. Considering inclusiveness and awareness helps to enhance the quality of data significantly. As opined by Braun and Clarke (2023), high quality data is effective for developing a coherent and appropriate conclusion. It is imp[ortnat for researchers to be ethically aware in terms of accumulating high quality data. In my opinion, accumulation of data ethically and interpreting those data supported in high quality research findings. As stated by Johnson et al. (2020), high quality research findings support future researchers to accumulate correct information. However, lack of correct information leads to false claims about child research that have a vulnerable impact on this group. I think part one of this research has accumulated data ethically for developing high quality conclusions. High quality findings help to implement correct measures for the well-being of children. Thus, I think ethical awareness among researchers in child development helps to consider relevant practices and policies for boosting moral development substantially in future.
References
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Hancock, D.R., Algozzine, B. and Lim, J.H., (2021). Doing case study research: A practical guide for beginning researchers.
Johnson, J.L., Adkins, D. and Chauvin, S., (2020). A review of the quality indicators of rigor in qualitative research. American journal of pharmaceutical education, 84(1), p.7120.
Lund, L., Sølvhøj, I.N., Danielsen, D. and Andersen, S., (2021). Electronic media use and sleep in children and adolescents in western countries: a systematic review. BMC public health, 21, pp.1-14.
Nhs (2024) Communication Help and Awareness Team. Available at: https://nhsforthvalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Time.pdf [Accessed on: 11th April, 2024]
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Zhang, H., Lee, I., Ali, S., DiPaola, D., Cheng, Y. and Breazeal, C., (2023). Integrating ethics and career futures with technical learning to promote AI literacy for middle school students: An exploratory study. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 33(2), pp.290-324.
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