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Annotated Bibliography

Effects of Technology on the Developing Mind

Ruhi Patel
Professor Malcolm Campbell
UWRIT 1103
19 October 2016

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Bavelier, Daphne, C. Shawn Green, and Matthew W. G. Dye. Children, Wired- for Better and
for Worse. Neuron. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 09 Sept. 2010. Web. Accessed
15 Oct. 2016.
This source is a scholarly journal article published by the National Library of Medicine.
It is written by three doctors who are specialists in cognitive and developmental
psychology. This journal talks about the different types of media and the effects it can
have on a childs mind in great depth. The journal starts with an analysis of how there are
temporary and permanent effects of technology use. Also, different types of media have
different effects, sometimes these effects are contrary to popular belief. For example,
some media that was developed specifically for enhancing cognitive abilities may lead to
no effects or unanticipated negative effects, such as delayed language development. On
the other hand, media that may seem mindless can result in an improvement of attention,
problem-solving, short-term memory, motor, and visual skills. For media to be beneficial
to development, it must have child-directed speech and require a response from the child.
This interaction with the information allows the child to artificially manufacture real-life
learning situations. Such active participation has proved to enhance school readiness and
academic achievement. At the same time, prolonged exposure or exposure to unhelpful
media can result in negative consequences, such as distraction, violence, and addiction.
While these consequences may also be a result of other factors such as the home
environment and parenting styles, there has been a strong association with certain types
of media. As is seen in the other sources, anything can be good when used with
discretion. This source allowed for a more detailed look at the results, both positive and
negative, from numerous studies conducted over decades all over the country. It gave me

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a better idea of the issue and how effects of technology are all relative to the individual
and are subject to many outside factors. This paper is intended for other doctors or
professionals in the physiological and psychological development of children. This
source was very helpful and it directed me to other scholarly papers that cover similar
topics and could serve as additional avenues for information.
Children And Media- Tips For Parents. American Academy of Pediatricians, 2015. Web.
Accessed 18 Oct. 2016.
This source is an article published by the AAP providing tips for parents on healthy
media usage and minimizing the detrimental effects of technology on children. There is
no specific author, leading me to conclude that it was created by a group of doctors under
the AAP to come together and create these guidelines. Even though the author is
unknown, it is posted on a website that is very credible. Most of the tips are pretty selfexplanatory, including setting limits and encouraging playtime without electronics. The
AAP also places a strong emphasis on parents interacting with children during playtime,
including when a child is using technology. Interactive media that is advertised as
educational may not always be educational and parents play an important role in the
learning process. It is advised that such interactive media be used with parental
supervision, which encourages learning and allows for more social interaction. Face-toface communication should be encouraged whenever possible and technology should not
be used as an emotional pacifier. Children will never learn how to calm down by
themselves, manage their boredom, and channel emotions if they arent encouraged to
talk about their feeling and work through their frustration themselves. The source comes
from a medical background, so it places more emphasis on how to avoid the negative

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consequences of technology than the potential positive aspects. The purpose of this article
is to inform parents on how to protect their children from the harmful effects of media.
This source focuses strictly on how to avoid the problems associated with media, unlike
the other sources that talk more about the actual problems. This source provides a
solution, and I will use it for that purpose in my project.
Generation iPad: Could It Hurt Toddlers' Development? ABC News, ABC News Productions,
20 Nov. 2014. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
This source is a video produced by ABC News to cover the topic of kids and how
technology affects them by interviewing experts and everyday families to get their
opinions and record observations. Reporter Juju Chang interviews the Klause family to
see how technology affects their three girls. They were asked to go technology free for
one month and observed how the girls started using their creativity more and discovered
new hobbies. The ABC News team also went to Barnard Universitys Toddler Center to
observe the differences in distractibility when kids played with traditional toys versus an
iPad. They found that children were much less social and aware of their surroundings
when they played on the iPad. Tovah Klien, a pediatric social and emotional development
specialist, noted that the vocabulary of these children also significantly increased when
they played with traditional toys and used their imagination. At the same time, some tests
have proven that certain interactive media can be very educational when a parent is
involved. That being said, anything can be good if used in moderation. Kids need to
unplug and use their imagination and play with their friends, but using technology for
entertainment every now and then is perfectly acceptable. This source conveys no
apparent bias and provides evidence to support both sides of the argument. The analysis

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of the observational studies conducted was provided by a credible source, but there arent
any other credible people mentioned throughout the rest of the video to back up the other
statements made. This is a popular source and isnt endorsed by any medical associations.
The observations noted in this video would help provide evidence for my arguments. This
source was helpful because it provided visual evidence of the short-term effects
technology can have on children. This source has also further opened my eye to the
possible positive effects moderate amount of technology can have on children.
Hu, Elise. What You Need To Know About Babies, Toddlers And Screen Time. NPR. 28
Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
This source is an interview conducted by an NPR International Correspondent Elise Hu.
Hu talks about how babies and toddlers react to interactive technology and how it could
be affecting them negatively. She draws conclusions from her own experiences with her
daughter Eva, who is a 1-year-old, establishing her credibility as a mother of a child who
is growing up surrounded by technology. She also interviews other mothers she interacts
with, including Kim Trainor and her 16-month old daughter Lily. Hu mainly focuses on
how these girls cant even talk, and yet they know how to properly navigate an iPad. Hu
also talks to pediatrician Dr. Ari Brown, who is a member of the American Academy of
Pediatricians. She discourages passive screen time for babies under 2 and says that
studies show kids who watch a lot of media tend to have poor language skills and miss
out on developmentally necessary activities. However, it has been proven that Skype and
FaceTime can help children to learn better because of the social interactions it requires.
Hu also looks at the other side of the argument and brings up the topic of educational
apps, to which Dr. Brown says to remain wary and use in moderation, as you would with

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anything else. This source is a developed article and relies on evidence from wellinformed individuals and credible sources with the purpose of addressing the issue of
technology and its effects on a young and developing mind. Considering that most people
who listen to NPR are part of the older demographic, this interview was presented on the
radio with parents and grandparents as the intended audience. This source proves to be
very useful because it addresses both aspects of the argument as well as provides a few
tips to avoid developing harmful, negative effects that may occur as a result of too much
exposure to media on young children. It has opened my eyes to consider some of the
possible positive effects in addition to the negative consequences I have already grown to
expect. This source will most likely appear in my project because of its ability to address
the issue as a whole rather than just one part of the discussion.