Thinking. The ability to reflect, deduce and draw conclusions based on our experiences, knowledge and insights. This is the quality that distinguishes us from other living beings on earth. Thinking encompasses so many aspects of who our children are and what they do - from observing, learning, remembering, questioning, and judging to innovating, arguing, deciding, and acting. Undoubtedly, new technologies led by the internet are shaping the minds, personality and behavior of our kids. However it is crucial to examine the cost of these advancements in terms of technology and child development.

It is hard to point out whether the technology is benefitting your child or harming him in some way or the other. Their minds are still vulnerable and developing. The technology leaves a deep imprint on their brain’s wiring in a way that is very different from that of members of previous generations. What effects does technology have on your child’s personality depends on the type of technology that your child is using and the frequency at which he or she is using it. Earlier in their lives, it is easier for parents to control the method of usage and how technology affects child development.

How technology affects a child’s personality

Span of attention is one of the first things technology affects in a child’s personality. Several studies show that reading text without an interruption leads to better understanding, recall and learning instead of text accompanied by hyperlinks and ads. Similarly, technology conditions the mind to assimilate information in a very different way than people who don’t use technology.

Another research shows that students who were allowed to use internet in class were more likely not to recall the lecture and perform below average in quizzes and exams.

Exposure to technology isn’t all that bad. Video games and other screen media improve visual-spatial capabilities. It also increases children’s capability to identify details in clutter. Studies suggest that technology make kids more skilled at remembering where stuff is.