The Impact of Technology on Cognitive Development in Early Childhood

Research Article
Open access

The Impact of Technology on Cognitive Development in Early Childhood

Yichao Ren 1*
  • 1 The University of Arizona    
  • *corresponding author chrisren@arizona.edu
Published on 20 November 2023 | https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7048/23/20230496
LNEP Vol.23
ISSN (Print): 2753-7056
ISSN (Online): 2753-7048
ISBN (Print): 978-1-83558-125-4
ISBN (Online): 978-1-83558-126-1

Abstract

Technology integration into everyday life is deeper than ever in this age of fast technological innovation. This is particularly true for young children exposed to numerous digital instruments from an early age. Such integration has sparked concerns about how technology may affect young children’s cognitive growth, a crucial time when mental capacities like thinking, reasoning, and understanding are still developing. Recognizing the significance of this conversation, the background for this study is the growing anxiety among parents, teachers, and lawmakers over the influence of technology on children’s brains. This study uses a literature review methodology to examine previously published academic studies to understand the complex connection between technology and cognitive development. It aims to grasp both the rewarding possibilities and the dangers it offers. The conclusion summarizes the results and highlights methods for maximizing technology’s positive effects while minimizing its possible drawbacks, providing a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

Keywords:

early childhood, cognitive development, technology, education, children

Ren,Y. (2023). The Impact of Technology on Cognitive Development in Early Childhood. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,23,293-300.
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References

[1]. Seaba V. Revolutionizing Education-Exploring the Potential of AI-Enabled Brain-Based Learning for Enhanced Cognitive Development.

[2]. Alam, Ashraf. “Educational robotics and computer programming in early childhood education: a conceptual framework for assessing elementary school students’ computational thinking for designing powerful educational scenarios.” In 2022 International Conference on Smart Technologies and Systems for Next Generation Computing (ICSTSN), pp. 1-7. IEEE, 2022.

[3]. Chaparro J, Sojourner A, Wiswall MJ. Early childhood care and cognitive development. National Bureau of Economic Research; 2020 Mar 2.

[4]. Piaget, J. (2000). Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Childhood cognitive development: The essential readings, 2, 33-47.

[5]. Fish, A. M., Li, X., McCarrick, K., Butler, S. T., Stanton, B., Brumitt, G. A., ... & Partridge, T. (2008). Early childhood computer experience and cognitive development among urban low-income pre-schoolers. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 38(1), 97-113.

[6]. Gottschalk F. Impacts of technology use on children: Exploring literature on the brain, cognition, and well-being.

[7]. Kim, J. (2020). Learning and teaching online during Covid-19: Experiences of student teachers in an early childhood education practicum. International Journal of Early Childhood, 52(2), 145-158.

[8]. Xu, T., & Zhang, B. (2021). Improving thinking skills in early childhood using effective teaching strategies. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 101704.

[9]. Donohue, C. (2003). Technology in early childhood education. Child Care Information Exchange, 154, 17-22.

[10]. Vedechkina, M., & Borgonovi, F. (2021). A review of evidence on digital technology’s role in shaping children’s attention and cognitive control. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 611155.

[11]. Keengwe, J., & Onchwari, G. (2009). Technology and early childhood education: A technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 37, 209-218.

[12]. Blackwell, C. K., Lauricella, A. R., & Wartella, E. (2014). Factors influencing digital technology use in early childhood education. Computers & Education, 77, 82-90.

[13]. Blut, M., & Wang, C. (2020). Technology readiness: a meta-analysis of conceptualizations of the construct and its impact on technology usage. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48, 649-669.

[14]. Nir-Gal, O., & Klein, P. S. (2004). Computers for cognitive development in early childhood—the teacher’s role in the computer learning environment. Information technology in childhood education annual, 2004(1), 97-119.

[15]. Ogegbo, A. A., & Aina, A. (2020). Early childhood development teachers’ perceptions on the use of technology in teaching young children. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 10(1), 1-10.

[16]. Kim, S., Connerton, T. P., & Park, C. (2021). Exploring the impact of technological disruptions in the automotive retail: A future studies and systems thinking approach based on causal layered analysis and causal loop diagram. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 172, 121024.

[17]. Romero, E., López-Romero, L., Domínguez-Álvarez, B., Villar, P., & Gómez-Fraguela, J. A. (2020). Testing the effects of COVID-19 confinement in Spanish children: The role of parents’ distress, emotional problems, and specific parenting. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(19), 6975.

[18]. Mahmood, T., & Mubarik, M. S. (2020). Balancing innovation and exploitation in the fourth industrial revolution: Role of intellectual capital and technology absorptive capacity. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 160, 120248.

[19]. Janisse, H. C., Li, X., Bhavnagri, N. P., Esposito, C., & Stanton, B. (2018). A longitudinal study of the effect of computers on the cognitive development of low-income African American preschool children. Early Education and Development, 29(2), 229-244.

[20]. Koç, K. (2014). The use of technology in early childhood classrooms: An investigation of teachers’ attitudes. Gaziantep University Journal of Social Sciences, 13(3), 807-819.


Cite this article

Ren,Y. (2023). The Impact of Technology on Cognitive Development in Early Childhood. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,23,293-300.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

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About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the International Conference on Global Politics and Socio-Humanities

ISBN:978-1-83558-125-4(Print) / 978-1-83558-126-1(Online)
Editor:Javier Cifuentes-Faura, Enrique Mallen
Conference website: https://www.icgpsh.org/
Conference date: 13 October 2023
Series: Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media
Volume number: Vol.23
ISSN:2753-7048(Print) / 2753-7056(Online)

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References

[1]. Seaba V. Revolutionizing Education-Exploring the Potential of AI-Enabled Brain-Based Learning for Enhanced Cognitive Development.

[2]. Alam, Ashraf. “Educational robotics and computer programming in early childhood education: a conceptual framework for assessing elementary school students’ computational thinking for designing powerful educational scenarios.” In 2022 International Conference on Smart Technologies and Systems for Next Generation Computing (ICSTSN), pp. 1-7. IEEE, 2022.

[3]. Chaparro J, Sojourner A, Wiswall MJ. Early childhood care and cognitive development. National Bureau of Economic Research; 2020 Mar 2.

[4]. Piaget, J. (2000). Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Childhood cognitive development: The essential readings, 2, 33-47.

[5]. Fish, A. M., Li, X., McCarrick, K., Butler, S. T., Stanton, B., Brumitt, G. A., ... & Partridge, T. (2008). Early childhood computer experience and cognitive development among urban low-income pre-schoolers. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 38(1), 97-113.

[6]. Gottschalk F. Impacts of technology use on children: Exploring literature on the brain, cognition, and well-being.

[7]. Kim, J. (2020). Learning and teaching online during Covid-19: Experiences of student teachers in an early childhood education practicum. International Journal of Early Childhood, 52(2), 145-158.

[8]. Xu, T., & Zhang, B. (2021). Improving thinking skills in early childhood using effective teaching strategies. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 101704.

[9]. Donohue, C. (2003). Technology in early childhood education. Child Care Information Exchange, 154, 17-22.

[10]. Vedechkina, M., & Borgonovi, F. (2021). A review of evidence on digital technology’s role in shaping children’s attention and cognitive control. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 611155.

[11]. Keengwe, J., & Onchwari, G. (2009). Technology and early childhood education: A technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 37, 209-218.

[12]. Blackwell, C. K., Lauricella, A. R., & Wartella, E. (2014). Factors influencing digital technology use in early childhood education. Computers & Education, 77, 82-90.

[13]. Blut, M., & Wang, C. (2020). Technology readiness: a meta-analysis of conceptualizations of the construct and its impact on technology usage. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48, 649-669.

[14]. Nir-Gal, O., & Klein, P. S. (2004). Computers for cognitive development in early childhood—the teacher’s role in the computer learning environment. Information technology in childhood education annual, 2004(1), 97-119.

[15]. Ogegbo, A. A., & Aina, A. (2020). Early childhood development teachers’ perceptions on the use of technology in teaching young children. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 10(1), 1-10.

[16]. Kim, S., Connerton, T. P., & Park, C. (2021). Exploring the impact of technological disruptions in the automotive retail: A future studies and systems thinking approach based on causal layered analysis and causal loop diagram. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 172, 121024.

[17]. Romero, E., López-Romero, L., Domínguez-Álvarez, B., Villar, P., & Gómez-Fraguela, J. A. (2020). Testing the effects of COVID-19 confinement in Spanish children: The role of parents’ distress, emotional problems, and specific parenting. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(19), 6975.

[18]. Mahmood, T., & Mubarik, M. S. (2020). Balancing innovation and exploitation in the fourth industrial revolution: Role of intellectual capital and technology absorptive capacity. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 160, 120248.

[19]. Janisse, H. C., Li, X., Bhavnagri, N. P., Esposito, C., & Stanton, B. (2018). A longitudinal study of the effect of computers on the cognitive development of low-income African American preschool children. Early Education and Development, 29(2), 229-244.

[20]. Koç, K. (2014). The use of technology in early childhood classrooms: An investigation of teachers’ attitudes. Gaziantep University Journal of Social Sciences, 13(3), 807-819.