Assess the impact of television and video technology on children's Research Paper

Assess the impact of television and video technology on children's attention spans - Research Paper Example In the modern world there are many temptations for our children. With the development of technology, they received an access to different technological achievements everyone has at home. If in 1980s only radio usually entertained young people, nowadays they have an unlimited access to TVs and computers. Playing computer games is now a favorite occupation for our children. They also like to watch TV very much and many children start their day by switching the TV set on. Computers and television can help develop children’s intellect but the question arises how this habit affects children’s health. Certainly, it is a well-known fact that excessive TV watching is a very bad habit, but it is necessary to define what exactly it affects negatively. Bad eyesight and sedentary life are not all the negative consequences as now scientists have already paid attention to children’s attention span. If a child is developing in normal conditions, its attention span is constantly improving. However, some factors can influence the process of development negatively. These factors are now actively studied by experts. The first factor is anemia that is usually caused by iron deficiency. Anemia is â€Å"a condition in which a lack of iron results in a diminished amount of blood cells that carry oxygen through the blood† (Bruce, 2013). Anemia is frequently met state and if it has a light form, it is not considered as dangerous and can be easily cured. Serious forms of anemia can affect cognitive functions of children and their attention span. The second state that negatively influences the attention span of children is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).... This factor deserves special attention as it was proved that if a little child watch TV or play games very often, it may have problems with attention span in future. The objects move in the screen fast and do not allow a child to concentrate, thus it may lose such ability. The investigation held by Peter Jensen came to the conclusion that: "Extensive exposure to television and video games may promote development of brain systems that scan and shift attention at the expense of those that focus attention" (cited in DeGaetano, 2012) Now when the development of the technology is very fast some parents make a strange decision to send their child to school where the process of study is not connected with the technology. They are afraid that technological achievements can influence their child’s brain negatively (Kessler, 2012). This testifies that many parents do believe that visual media prevents children from normal concentration. According to Dr Jane Healy, "A 'good' brain for le arning develops strong and widespread neural highways that can quickly and efficiently assign different aspects of a task to the most efficient system...Such efficiency is developed only by active practice in thinking and learning which, in turn, builds increasingly stronger connections. A growing suspicion among brain researchers is that excessive television viewing may affect the development of these kinds of connections. It may also induce habits of using the wrong systems for various types of learning" (Healy, 1991). As teachers and parents can trace every day, modern children are really less attentive; they become more hyperactive, impulsive with less ability to concentrate. Such a change in children’s