How is technology changing childhood in the digital age? The media has claimed
that digital technology is making children lonelier, fatter, more aggressive
and less capable of deep thought, but research suggests that it could offer
opportunities for children to be happier, better educated, and more connected to
others. As a new parent I worry that technology is changing so fast it might
not strip my ability to support my son's learning over the coming years. How can I
ensure he benefits from the advantages of technology but shield him from the
dangers? What games should I let him play? How should he communicate with friends? How much
screen time is too much and why? Decades of research in child psychology and
childhood studies has helped define what shapes modern childhood. We'll draw on
this research to try and make sense of the competing claims made by the media,
technology companies, and new research in is exciting but controversial area. We'll
explore how technology is changing the way that 3 to 14 year olds socialise,
think and learn. Are children's lives today significantly different from our
own, or is technology simply solving old problems in new ways? If you're a parent,
a teacher or simply interested in this fast-moving debate then get involved in
the discussion as we explore the real impact of technology on children in the
digital age. How is digital technology changing childhood and how can adults
keep up? The entertainment and interactivity of tablets and smartphones
has made them attractive to children. Touch-screen interfaces mean that
digital technologies are now accessible for children as young as three. But do
children find digital technologies exciting for reasons beyond simple
entertainment? The amount of digital technology
available to my young son is massively different to that in my own childhood. As
both a parent and a psychologist I found it difficult to make sense of media reports
and research findings in this controversial area. Is technology
beneficial or detrimental to child development? Does screen time lead to
increase distractibility, obesity, and loneliness or does it offer opportunities
for autonomy and experimentation beyond anything imagined when I was growing up?
As a generation gap widens between adults and children's understanding of
new technologies how will we protect them from the risks while allowing them to
benefit from the opportunities that new technologies offer? Join in the
discussion as we explore the different sides of this heated debate. How is
digital technology changing children's relationships and shaping their online
identities? With children's growing interest in social media we consider the
quality of children's online friendships and how they differ from more
traditional face-to-face relationships. Every week my son and I Skype his
grandparents in Australia. Digital technology is very important for keeping
our family connected. As he gets older my son will have more opportunities to
connect with family and friends but also strangers online. Does having access to
an online community mean that he'll have more friends and a larger support
network, or does it open him up to predators and risks he doesn't yet
appreciate? Children's social networking is now moved into exciting virtual worlds
where children as young as three can chat, play games and create their own
avatars. Psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists understand the
traditional play in imaginary worlds allow children to practice the roles
that they will take on as adults, learn social skills and experiment with
different identities while working out who they are. Can play in virtual worlds
offer the same experience and what's the right balance between real and virtual
play? We'll explore how research into digital technologies is
leading us to rethink what we understand about how children play, socialise and
forge their own identities. Young children learn about the world in a
number of different ways. Sometimes they think through a problem
and work it out. Sometimes they try out different solutions until they find
something that works. And sometimes they learn best from watching and talking to
the people around them. How will technology affect these different but overlapping
forms of learning? When children memorise facts, reason and solve problems they're
involved in cognitive learning. They are deliberately thinking about the task and
learning from that reflection. In the digital age children are often carrying
out several tasks at once, such as texting, listening to music and surfing
the net. There are some concerns that this routine multitasking so early in life
will compromise children's ability to focus deeply on any one task in the
future. Does using digital technology to rewire children's brains for better
or for worse? Often children learn simply by trying things out and seeing what
works and what doesn't. Many computer games rely on this type of
trial-and-error learning. Regular rewards and reinforcements are built in which
encouraged the player to work out how to progress. Some critics consider computer
games a time-consuming distraction, but might they actually nurture skills that
are useful in the real world such as fine motor control and hand-eye
coordination? Children learn a huge amount from the people around them
through observation, interacting and exchanging ideas. A new way of writing
and speaking has evolved through digital communication technologies such as
social networks and text messaging. Is this new 'text slang' damaging children's
literacy skills or is it a sign of a creative new genesis of language? Get
involved in the discussion as we explore some of these key topics and investigate
what new research tells us about technology's influence on children's
learning in the digital age. Does education need rethinking with the
advances in digital tools? Most classrooms today look much the same as
when I was a child. There are textbooks, desks, paper and the teacher at the front.
How will digital technologies change what the classroom of the future looks like?
Teachers often struggle to support the needs of children in classes that are
growing in number. Innovators have demonstrated how technology can help
address this problem by tailoring learning to individual children's
interests and needs. In this educational revolution, technology can make learning
more entertaining and engaging, allowing each child's progress to be closely
monitored and offering regular rewards to maintain their attention. Traditional
skills taught at schools such as reading and writing also need to be refreshed to
prepare children for working and thinking digitally. The new UK national
curriculum includes computer coding lessons for children as young as 5. It's
hoped that this will prepare them to create their own digital content rather
than just consume it. iPads and digital apps are now offering powerful resources
for teaching even basic numeracy and literacy skills. As we examine these new
teaching and learning innovations we also explore the role of teachers and
adults. How will classroom teachers adapt to make room for digital technology in
education, and what about my role as a parent? How will I support my son as
technology advances beyond my own level of understanding?