Haleigh Fitzsimmons
Mrs. Jank
February 29th, 2018

Hey Siri, can you fix this problem?

Investigating the advancement of technology and time, interest in reading and writing among a teen and children education has decreased rapidly. Reading, engaging in writing, and literature is detrimental to a child’s brain and cognitive development and will leave lasting impacts into their teen lives. With limited book availability, lack of literary/writing encouragement, and the increasing popularity of tablets, a need for reform is present. These elements of negative use of technology in the home, education, and recreational have ruined a generation.

When given the choice between a book or a tablet, the child would most often choose the tablet. As time advances, so does science and technology. Meaning as children grow up in a society built on the an internet and Apple products, it’s no surprise the interest in reading and writing has severely declined. Anywhere from young children throwing obnoxious tantrums when the tablets are a stripped away or teens refusing to read given material for their education, literature has become a burden rather than a blessing and a privilege.

In 1984 eight percent of thirteen year olds and nine percent of seventeen year olds said they “never” or “hardly ever” read for pleasure. In 2014 that number almost tripled to twenty-two percent and twenty-seven percent. Of course, there is always more than one side to every story. Researches have brought a new thesis to light questioning whether the decline interest of reading is entirely the child’s fault. During the year 1999 children ages two to seven read were read to by their parents for an average of forty-five minutes a day, but in 2013 that number dropped all the way to only thirty minutes per day. Perhaps these children never had a chance to enjoy literature. Maybe their perceptions of reading were ruined the moment parents stuck an iPhone in their hands in the hopes they would stop crying. One question remains. Have these acts ruined a generation?

Reading at home with parents has proven to raise the child’s chances of being school level reading ready and improve cognitive critical thinking skills. John S. Hutton, a student at the University of Cincinnati, wrote his own thesis paper on parent to child reading and storytelling as part of his “requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Clinical and Translational Research”, titled, Home Reading Environment and Brain Activation in Preschool Children Listening to Stories. His conclusions suggests that “children from more stimulating home reading environments show more robust activity in brain regions supporting mental imagery and narrative processing, key for emergent literacy skills (the skills, knowledge, and attitudes supporting reading and writing, which accrue from infancy.” (Hutton, 1). He also found this method of child reading will “guide further research into the foundation of reading readiness.” The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends shared reading beginning at birth leaves lasting positive effects for the developing brain. They also state that “Reading regularly with young children stimulates optimal patterns of brain development and strengthens parent-child relationships at a critical time in child development, which, in turn, builds language, literacy, and social-emotional skills that last a lifetime.” (Literacy Promotion: 1). Hutton continues this advocacy,”Children’s books are catalysts for parents-child engagement during sensitive development stages when brain growth and plasticity are maximal. They provide broader, more grammatically correct vocabulary and range of subject matter than everyday conversation, especially in low-socioeconomic status (SES) households.” (Hutton, 1). Putting this thought process into more perspective: “During this critical pre-kindergarten period, children are highly vulnerable to disparities in cognitive stimulation, especially spoken language, as well as toys and books promoting constructive parent-child engagement.” (Hutton, 7). As time advances parent to child reading in the home has significantly decreased as I mentioned in the paragraph above. With recent statistics only seventy-five percent of white children are read to everyday, sixty-six percent of black children, and fifty percent of Hispanic children. In 2013 forty-six percent of white fourth graders were reading proficiently in school, but only eighteen percent of black students and twenty percent of Hispanic students were reading at the same level as the forty-six percent white students. These trends stayed relatively the same through their eighth grade year. Parent child reading is highly advocated in promoting cognitive development and Pediatric doctors recommend this even before birth of the child and on throughout their developing years.

Health literacy is defined as “the degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” In 2003 National Adult Assessment of Literacy estimated that fourteen percent of US adults had below basic literacy and twenty-two percent more had only basic literacy, which results in more than ninety million adults in the United States who may lack the literacy needed to effectively negotiate the health care system. The AAP recognizes “School readiness includes not only the early academic skills of children but also their physical health, language skills, social, and emotional development, motivation to learn, creativity, and general knowledge.” (Part of their policy statement). Part of their policy statement also includes a critical role in introducing a education filled center for the child. The AAP goes on to say “Families and communities play a critical role in ensuring children’s growth in all of these areas and thus their readiness for school.” In fact, Researchers studying early brain development have found a significant emphasis of effects of experiences, relationships, and emotions. Which have potential to create and reinforcing neutral connections that are a basis for their learning. They stress the significance of school systems entering the year prepared to teach all children in impactful ways regardless of their reading readiness. Taking into consideration every child entering school comes from different backgrounds and home environments; concluding the hypothesis for positive connections to literature in the home. The AAP also sheds light on their role in guiding families and their children’s overall health and the child’s education. Pediatricians can encourage parents to take more of an interest in their child’s education, both early and secondary. The AAP recommends parents take these steps to have more of an active involvement: “visit the child’s school and meet with the teacher before school entry, have regular communication with the teacher, and advocate for appropriate school services, especially for child re with developmental concerns.” (AAP). Their policy statement again states, “[pediatricians] can promote and monitor the social-emotional development of children by providing anticipatory guidance on development and behavior, by encouraging positive parenting practices, by modeling reciprocal and respectful communications with adults and children, by identifying and addressing psychosocial risk factors, and by providing community-based resources and referrals when warranted.” (policy statement). Pediatricians can promote early language development through their practice. Encouraging parents to read with their children and participate in cognitive active activities. For parents with low reading skills, pediatricians will also help to model storytelling for their children. Pediatricians believe language and cognitive skills are implanted directly through early identification of developmental problems and good services. Including: early intervention, special education services, guidance-regarding safe and stimulating early education, child care programs; and promotion of early literacy by encouraging language-rich activities such as reading together, telling stories (Hogan), and playing games. Pediatricians work with families in home visits to promote stimulating environments and even taking an advocacy role in child’s early education. Early-education advocacies have found a core connection of communities with a responsibility to provide high-quality prenatal care, stimulating early education along with experiences, healthy nutrition (and housing), appropriate protective services, and early interventions for children who are at risk of developmental delays. Pediatricians make it a high priority to ensure their physical, emotional-social health, and positive brain development in a families and child’s life. The AAP says “Physicians should foster the five “Rs” of early childhood education: “reading” together daily; “rhyming,” talking, playing together; establishing “routines” around meals, play, and sleep; “rewarding” everyday successes; and supporting nurturing reciprocal “relationships.” According to the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) suggests children’s readiness in school consists of these elements: physical health and motor development, social and emotional development, approaches to learning, language development, and cognition and general knowledge. The NEGP also strongly advocates a broader concept of school readiness that goes beyond the simple child’s readiness for the school year, but also the school’s readiness themselves. The AAP believes “Consideration of culture also differences must always be part of this process.” Even the families community support and programs for school success. The NEGP concludes “the responsibility for school readiness of the child lies not only with the child but also with the families, communities, and schools that shape his or her developments.” Also, “Families need to provide a safe, stable, and nurturing environment in which trust and confidence allow children to take advantage of learning experiences.” Not only that, but the NEGP strongly confirms the need for parents to read out loud daily to their kids and expand the child’s language by making sure there is strong responsive verbal interactions. Engaging the child in active and stimulating play. Brain development and social readiness. Why technology inhibits that…pediatrics.aappublications.org

Furthermore, early learning is integrated with critical periods of “pruning” neuronal synapses in the brain. Neural connections are created by the child’s social and environmental interactions and repetition which help to strengthen the neural pathways in the first place. The AAP quotes “Leaning is influenced not only by individual learning styles but by emotions and specific settings and situations.” Stressful, chaotic, and other harmful environments hold every potential to be toxic to the development of vital brain structures. Including: hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. The AAP suggests children should be in a encouraging, mentor based, celebrate development advances, rehearse and extend new skills, protect from inappropriate disapproval and punishment, and provide a rich and responsible language environment. One of the ways they suggest parents should include literature and other stimulating activities. However. The more children are exposed to television and other forms of media the more limitations and restrictions on media use need to be set in place. Charlotte Alter, author of “Study: The Number of teens Reading for Fun Keeps Declining” wrote a compelling argument for technological advancement resulting in less time reading. Alter explains how children would rather text than pick up a book. The same patterns outlined by the AAP and NEGP correlate with their behavior patterns leaning towards the internet, not paperbacks. In 2010, sixty-six percent of nine to seventeen year olds stated they were loyal to paper books over e-books. However, in 2012 that number dropped to only fifty-eight percent. However, the AAP and NEGP overlook one question of vital research. Why are teens less interested in reading. Generation researchers have discovered abrupt behavioral shifts in 2012. Many of the millennial characteristics began to dissipate around that time. Independence which was once an alluring factor in ones life suddenly became less important with the current generation. A survey in 2017 showed more than 5,000 American teens (three out of four) owned an iPhone. In addition to that survey eighty-two percent of teens claim their next smartphone will be another iPhone. Repeating in the expensive cycle for high quality technology. Piper Jaffray gathered this information in October, only five months ago. Jaffray brings up one factor that may be attributed to higher interest in iPhones, the phone lineup for that year. With new technology constantly being released, everyone wants the latest addition. Jaffray’s survey covered over six thousand and one hundred teens across forty-four states in the U.S. With the averaging age fifteen to sixteen years.

With the constant update of how technology itself is changing one must remember to consider how technology changes the users even more. Nicholas Carr, author of “The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains,” wrote, “The net is designed to be an interruption system, a machine geared to dividing attention.” Technology has an incentive to keep the world hooked. However, there are debates who strongly encourage technology integration within early education. On May 23, 2017 Capella University gave “5 Reasons to Incorporate Technology into Your Classroom” in one of their blogs located on capella.edu. The authors believe “students are already interested and engaged in technology, teachers can harness that attention for educational purposes.” They suggest including elements such as: internet, laptops, tablets, and smartphones within the curriculum have numerous benefits for both the students and the teachers. For computers, tablets, and other devices, the authors claim this technology will encourage self-directed learning and create an active participant in the student’s learning process. “Interactive lesson plans can help turn “boring” conceptual subjects like math and science into fun, engaging, and educational activities for students.”

Capella University’s blog also connects individual learning and growth to technology in the classroom. They explain how “No one learns in the same way or at the same bace, but technology can level-set the classroom.” They even provide an example by stating “technology can provide accommodation for struggling or disabled students, and virtual lesson plans provide individualized instruction for all.” Capella takes it a step further by explaining an opportunity for a broad range of resources to conduct research that comes with internet access. Capella’s blog continues their argument with a research project performed by the U.S. Department of Education. They discovered educators found technology encouraged more peer collaboration. There was more room for mentoring and collaboration for peer tutoring with those who were not as skilled with technology.
The Blog finishes their blog by pointing out the connection between technology preparing students for the real world and creates more engaged and successful teachers. By using internet resources and developing a new curriculum for students. While also ensuring all students are prepared for tests and further educational advancements.
Technology is beneficial within an educated and controlled environment when used properly. In another case, “Edudemic: connecting education and Technology” wrote an article in attempts to debunk the hype of ‘total beneficial’ technology in the classroom. Edudemic recognizes the clear positive sides of technology. Such as: diversity of lessons, increasing student interaction, and providing new perspectives and knowledge. Edudemic believes in order for parent’s and teachers to utilize technology in a positive way they must also understand the negative side effects of technology and the serious long term consequences.

Technology has the ability to re-wire the brain, change the way a child thinks or acts. More than a third of children under the age of two are engaging in mobile media (add definition here), and that number only increases as they grow older. Leaving startling statistics of ninety-five percent of teens ages twelve to seventeen spending time online. While certain video games may increase attention spans and the ability of performing multiple stimuli, those same video games also hold the ability to lead distraction and decrease memory within the brain. In addition, Edudemic writes “children who use too much technology may not have enough opportunities to use their imagination or to read and think deeply about the material.” The National Commission on Writing wrote an article titled “Writing, Technology and Teens.” They introduce their thesis statement by saying, “Teens write a lot, but they do not think of their emails, instant and text messages as writing. This disconnect matters because teens believe good writing is an essential skill for success and that more writing instruction at school would help them.” Surprisingly, ninety-three percent of teens say they write for their own enjoyment. The Pew Internet and American Life Project and National Commission on Writing conducted a national telephone survey, focusing on groups in order to see what teens and their parent’s/guardians have to say about the impact of technological writing on both in-school and out-of-school writing. They found a paradox at the core of digital age. Many teens spend numerous amounts of hours composing and writing texts, but do not consider the material they create electronically to be real writing. To teens living in the digital age, texts, emails, and instant messaging are seen just as similar to phone calls or greetings in the hallways. However, at the same time teens see writing as a critical skill – and their parents agree. Eighty-three percent of teens and parents say there is a greater need to write well today than there may have been twenty years ago. Teens understand the importance of writing skills, yet grumble and complain with grammar, conventions, workshops, and styles. The National Commission on Writing also found that “Teens who communicate frequently with friends, and teens who own more technology tools such as computers or cell phones do not write more for school or for themselves than less communicative and less gadget-rich teens.” The enjoyment teens may feel writing outside of school for personal enjoyment may not transfer into their school assignments and activities. Teens who do enjoy their school work and engaging in writing academically are more likely to engage in creative writing, rather than students who report little to no enjoyment. The study also discovered teens recognize a need for reforming within their school’s writing programs and curriculum.

In the end, there is a significant drop in literature and writing interests among teens which correlate with the way they are raised as children, and the technology introduced to them. Reading at home and stimulating activities will help improve these numbers and ensure children and teens are school ready within their reading and critical thinking skills. Technology is inhibiting a growing interest of paperbacks as more technological methods of teaching and learning are introduced. Schools, parents, and students must recognize the risks of technology in order to use a 1:1 school system effectively. Without a strong advocation for reading and writing a child’s mind will find themselves unprepared and not fully developed in there frontal cortex of the brain. Carrying over their negative (lack of) habits into teenage and adulthood.

Works Cited
Alter, Charlotte . “Study: The Number of Teens Reading for Fun Keeps Declining.” Common Sense Media, Time.com, 12 May 2014, time.com/94794/common-sense-media-reading-report-never-read/. Council On Early Childhood , Pediatrics: Official Journal Of The American Academy Of Pediatrics . “Literacy Promotion: An Essential Component of Primary Care Pediatric Practice.” Feb. 2018.

Dotterweich, Jutta. “Positive Youth Development Resource Manual.”

Hamilton, John. “Multitasking Teens May Be Muddling Their Brains.” 9 Oct. 2008.

Hutton, John S. “Home Reading Environment and Brain Activity in Preschool ChildrenListening to Stories.”
Lenhart, Amanda, et al. “Writing, Technology and Teens.” 24 Apr. 2008, pp. 1–89., files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED524313.pdf.

Twenge , Jean M. “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” The Atlantic , Theatlantic.com, Sept. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/