Stroope 1

Devin Stroope

Mr.Smith

Junior ELA

6 November 2023

Digital Boundaries In Early Childhood

The digital age has brought with it a new type of childhood, one with side effects in children that

are yet to be fully understood. The influence of technology in today’s world is at an all-time high, but

when children are exposed to screens at a young age, it can lead to profound future health issues.

Although it may be tempting for parents or caregivers to not set limits and use devices to prevent

challenging behaviors, the health issues that can stem from it highlight the importance of established

boundaries to ensure that children can grow up without negative developmental impacts.

The first few years of life undoubtedly serve as the foundational building blocks for a child's

future. However, young children who have constant access to technology may face long-term effects that

could jeopardize their brains development. For kids under the age of five, engaging in two or more hours

of daily screen time; has made them “more likely to experience behavioral problems and have poorer

vocabulary acquisition” (Muppalla) These prolonged digital interactions often replace essential social

interactions that are crucial for the development of their social skills. A deficit in social interaction can

lead to difficulties in making friends and effective communication, potentially contributing to the

emergence of mental health issues. Mental disorders often manifest early in life, and the excessive use of

social media can be a contributing factor. Because “mental health trends […] in youth worsened during

the same period of time that teen smartphone and social media use increased” (The Jed Foundation), it

can be argued that social media is one of the root causes of poor mental health. While it is normal for us

to compare ourselves to other people, social comparisons on platforms like Instagram and TikTok have

led to feelings of inadequacy in children as young as middle schoolers. Social media often portrays

unrealistic versions of people and their lives, creating social standards that young people strive toward.

Constant exposure to people that may look more attractive, be thinner, more successful, or have
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higher-income than others can cause people, especially young ones, to feel that they don’t measure up to

expectations and standards set by others. While earlier generations dealt with comparable problems, the

ever-present and instantly accessible nature of social media has only worsened the issue and forced these

comparisons directly into the lives of youth in ways that past generations did not encounter. This

underscores the importance of prioritizing young children's well-being by guiding them toward balanced

childhoods that are not influenced by the media.

The impact of technology on different generations is becoming increasingly evident. For instance,

today's teenagers exhibit shorter attention spans, whose decline is primarily attributed to the influence of

screens in our daily lives, offering countless distractions that can foster addictive behavior, especially

among young people. While “50 percent of individuals aged 18–29 report that they are online almost

constantly, only 8 percent of those aged 65 and older report this level of use.” (Cotten) Compared to

previous ones, younger generations are experiencing a change since they have grown up immersed in

screen-based experiences rather than real-world ones. This new upbringing has formed a reliance on

technology that other generations do not experience. Instant reward, never-ending entertainment, and an

endless supply of information are all accessible through the internet, which provides the escape, feeding

the addiction that so many people experience. Screen addiction in turn also affects how much sleep people

get, because of how hard they are to put down. Sleep is a critical factor for brain development and overall

health, but the increased use of devices before bedtime disrupts natural rhythms. A human’s circadian

rhythm is like an internal clock which is kept in check by the sun's cycle. Our bodies have evolved to

know that when the sun goes down to produce melatonin in order to slow down internal processes,

allowing you to sleep and store your experiences into memory. In 2006 45% of kids reported not sleeping

a full eight hours a night, 17 years later in 2023, “77% of adolescents reported having sleep

problems”(Hale) Blue light emitted from devices is the cause for this. Being on your phone before going

to sleep limits the amount of melatonin produced in your body, which in turn affects how quickly and how

long you will fall asleep for. Sleep deprivation limits the brain's ability to process and develop

information, as well as repair and build muscles, bones, tissues, and the release of the growth hormone. It
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is important to set healthy sleep and screen habits during childhood to set them up for successful and

healthy lifestyles.

Some may believe that when you limit your child’s screen time that they will never learn self

control. For children, “technology is a huge source of learning, entertainment, and distraction at the same

time”(Singh), the effects of which depend solely on how you use it. Learning to set boundaries is a crucial

lifestyle and children need guidance and opportunities to practice it. Kids lack the same levels of

self-regulation and time management skills as adults, adding the addictive allure of screens on top of that

makes it a challenge for kids to disengage. Without external limits set by parents or caregivers, children

are likely to neglect other aspects of their lives. Creating an unhealthy balance of the digital world and the

physical one. In addition to restraining from setting boundaries, many parents use devices to reduce

children's negative behaviors. Although it is rewarding for both the child and the caregiver, "This […] can

motivate them both to maintain this cycle.” (Mostafovi) Using devices to distract kids and manage

difficult behavior creates a habit which strengthens over time as children and their parents get less

practice using other coping strategies. Oftentimes parenting is draining for adults who need to compensate

their children’s needs with their own, and many crave a break from it. Despite devices offering an easy

solution, it is important that children learn to cope without the aid of screens both to learn more about

themselves and their feelings. By gradually giving children more responsibility and allowing them to

make their own decisions about screen time and other aspects of their lives, they can learn to develop the

skills they need to set boundaries as they grow.

Even if technology offers convenient answers to common issues, such as a toddler's tantrums, it's

crucial to keep in mind that young children use these behaviors to express their feelings. The internet

poses many risks to young minds' health, so rather than dismissing problems with distractions, caregivers

should adopt the practice of communicating about behaviors and emotions. Since the newest generations

have been born into a technologically advanced and connected world unlike those who came before them,

it is crucial to protect young children early on to ensure proper growth and development, before it is too

late.
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Works Cited

Cotten, Shelia R. “Is Technology Use Leading to the Demise of Our Mental Health and Well-Being?”

American Sociological Association, 28 Nov. 2022,

www.asanet.org/footnotes-article/technology-use-leading-demise-our-mental-health-and-well-bei

ng/.

Hale, Lauren, and Stanford Guan. “Screen Time and Sleep among School-Aged Children and

Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review.” Sleep Medicine Reviews, W.B. Saunders, 12 Aug.

2014, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079214000811?via%3Dihub.

Mostafovi , Beata. “Frequently Using Digital Devices to Soothe Young Children May Backfire.” [Home],

www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/frequently-using-digital-devices-soothe-young-children-m

ay-backfire. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.

Muppalla, Sudheer Kumar, et al. “Effects of Excessive Screen Time on Child Development:

An Updated Review and Strategies for Management.” Cureus, U.S. National Library of

Medicine, 18 June 2023,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10353947/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that

%20increased,a%20young%20age%20%5B13%5D.

Singh, Ruby. “How Is Technology Affecting the Younger Generation in 2023.” Tech Baji, 10 July 2023,

techbaji.com/technology/technology-affecting-the-younger-generation/.

“Understanding Social Comparison on Social Media: Jed.” The Jed Foundation, 11 May 2023,

jedfoundation.org/resource/understanding-social-comparison-on-social-media/#:~:text=The%20te

ndency%20to%20compare%20ourselves,mental%20and%20emotional%20health%20impact.
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H Argument Essay Rubric

Skill Not Yet Foundational Proficient Advanced

Identifies a basic claim Appears in first Thesis establishes a

Thesis paragraph complex claim

Thesis establishes a Establishes

topic and a claim counter-argument in

claim

Topic sentences contain Topic sentences have Topic sentences have

Claims/Reasons basic claims clear and distinct clear and distinct

claims that relate to the claims that relate to the

thesis thesis and make

nuanced points that

consider alternate

perspectives or

counterarguments

Uses some brief Uses multiple pieces of Uses a variety of

Evidence examples, or one evidence (personal evidence (see previous

example, to support experience, anecdotes, column) that supports

each claim; may all be survey, research etc.) to each claim; different

personal experience support each claim types of evidence in

each body paragraph

Use of reliable outside

sources

Brief explanation of Explains how evidence Provides strong

Analysis how evidence supports supports topic explanations of how

topic sentence of sentence/claim of evidence supports topic

individual paragraphs individual paragraphs sentence and the thesis

and the thesis while also considering

counterarguments

Includes at least 2

concessions in body Seamlessly mentions

paragraphs concession, and offers

response/rebuttal

Counter- Makes some mention of Structure Well-structured and

Argument opposing argument counter-argument effective

which: counter-argument

Mentions the opposing which:

argument, some Establishes an aspect of

mention of how the opposing argument,

opposing argument may clearly and logically

be disproven disproves the argument

Some elements missing Heading is correctly No errors in MLA format

MLA Format or some errors in MLA formatted

format
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Pages are numbered

In-text citations are

correctly formatted (if

sources are used)

Works Cited format:

hanging indent,

double-spaced,

alphabetized, starts on a

new page (if sources are

used)

Works Cited: each source

entry is in correct MLA

format (if sources are

used)

Shows evidence of basic Quotes are correctly Quotes are correctly

Conventions proofreading integrated most of the integrated

time (if sources are

used) Shows evidence of

careful proofreading

Follows essay

organization (claims in Includes fluid transitions

topic sentence; evidence; between ideas

analysis; concluding

sentences) Eliminates wordiness

Shows evidence of

proofreading

Utilizes mostly simple Some varied sentence Consistently varied

Fluency sentence structures structures sentence structures

Some use of advanced Advanced use of

vocabulary vocabulary; including

use of active verbs