Whether we like it or not, technology is entering children’s lives at an increasingly early age. Unlike most people who, without much reflection, say “this leads nowhere,” or parents who shrug, feeling powerless, the educators working in the preschool institution “Trešnjober” find ways to use it in the best way — for the children. We talked about this, and other important issues that cannot be ignored because they concern child upbringing, with Milijana Lazarević, pedagogue at this institution.
Digital Technologies in Contact with Children
- Children come into contact with tablets, phones, laptops, and similar devices at an increasingly early age. How can we turn these devices into "helpers" in raising children and prevent them from becoming "devices that steal their attention"?
Digital technologies have become our reality and daily routine, but they also develop much faster than we as individuals can keep up with. Today’s children grow up in a digital era that is inevitably different from the time when we and our parents grew up. For parents, it is a real challenge to set boundaries and limits on children’s access to digital devices — and to stick to those limits.
In daily communication with parents, I notice that there are hardly any who do not have a certain firm stance on this issue. These attitudes usually range between extremes you yourself have noticed: from parents who completely deny the benefits of digital technologies and insist on total “abstinence,” to those who resignedly admit they have given in to children’s wishes and allowed them to freely “consume” digital content. Rarely have I encountered parents who think about this topic in the context of inevitable development of modern society and the benefits educational technologies can bring to their child’s development.
The fact is that various types of technologies are all around us and form a significant part of our reality, which is hard to escape. Even more important is the fact that when used wisely, technologies can support children’s development and learning.
- Is it true that children’s brains develop differently today than previous generations?
New findings in neuroscience indicate that today children’s brains develop differently compared to how brains of children before the digital era developed. More precisely, we are born with similar predispositions, anatomical and physiological characteristics, but the digital environment in which we grow up (combined with all changes in modern family functioning) significantly shapes us. Although this field is still insufficiently researched because changes happen rapidly, some knowledge indicates that technology use contributes to creating new neural connections and gradually weakening some older ones in the brain. Regarding child development, these changes can be both positive and negative, and which prevail depends mostly on how modern technologies are used.
- Like everything else, technology brings both benefits and risks to children. What pitfalls should be avoided (e.g., less talking, less physical movement) and, more importantly — how?
Certainly, overindulgence in anything brings negative consequences, but inappropriate technology use in preschool age shows negative effects very quickly and can significantly affect child development. Therefore, it is necessary to define what is recommended and what can be expected if those recommendations are widely ignored.
First, it is important to highlight that what can contribute to child development are interactive media, which consist of content designed to encourage children to act, think, communicate, and collaborate (e.g., some children’s TV programs, certain educational apps, interactive e-books, etc.). Research shows that using interactive media in early childhood contributes to shaping certain cognitive skills such as faster responses to visual stimuli, improved attention, and use of peripheral vision skills.
Opposite to interactive media are passive media that do not encourage action but place the consumer in the role of a passive observer (e.g., some TV shows, video materials). Experts advise that these should be used very cautiously and in limited amounts during preschool years.
Regarding the duration of digital content consumption, there is no consensus, and parents often face conflicting opinions, causing additional confusion. The World Health Organization recommends that children under two years old have minimal contact with any kind of electronic media, and after that, its use should be controlled and time-limited (usually advised to be less than one hour daily for children aged 2 to 5 years).
Another important recommendation concerns content selection based on several criteria. First and foremost, content must be age-appropriate and correspond to the child’s experience and abilities. Additionally, one should consider the quality of the content — the intention behind its creation and the message it sends to children. Lastly, we must always keep in mind that these contents should serve the child’s development by being connected and integrated into educational programs, not just selectively used.
- Do visual changes in textbooks reflect changes brought by modern technology?
The influence of the digital era on education is evident in the fact that textbooks used today look significantly different from those of the previous century. Analyzing them, we can notice that the pages of most elementary school textbooks increasingly resemble screens of so-called “smart” devices. Short texts arranged in boxes and bubbles, numerous illustrations, and the primacy of images over text indicate that authors and publishers have recognized the need to create textbooks that attract children’s attention in a way similar to smart devices.
- You mentioned that a key skill to teach children is critical thinking — to help them choose relevant information from the endless stream the internet offers. How do you teach this?
The next step in using digital technologies for educational purposes is educating children (and parents) for a critical approach to everything that technology use entails. Today, various smart devices mostly serve as tools to access the internet, which is our window to the world. Digital literacy includes skills to manage the amount of information and content this “window to the world” provides. The ability to distinguish important from unimportant, and to recognize valid and relevant evidence, primarily depends on the ability to think critically and reflect on a topic, which significantly contributes to developing children’s capacities. This is achieved not only through mastering digital technologies but also through the entire preschool program, through educators’ attitudes toward children and learning, and through every activity children participate in. In our daily work, we insist on this approach, not only with children but also with parents.
Milijana Lazarević,
Pedagogue, Preschool Institution Tresnjober