Effects Of Technology On Children: Parents Have Nothing To Fear, According To Child Psychologist

Many parents worry that the advancements in technology including social media, mobile apps and video games will transform their kids into emotionally unstable sociopaths. But according to a child psychologist, parents do not need to worry about the effects of technology on children and their emotional well-being.

"Our teens are not growing into brain-dead zombies or emotionally stunted sociopaths," child psychologist Yalda T. Uhls explained in her op-ed via Parenting.com. "In study after study of emotional and intelligence indicators, 21st-century children use media to connect with their friends and learn about the world, just like those of us who were children of the 20th century did."

According to Uhls, parents' fear about the effects of technology on children has happened many times before in past generations. Parents feared the effects of romantic novels on children's minds at the end of the 19th century, while parents got worried with radios affecting their kids during the 30's. In the 50's, parents also blamed their children's aggression on watching television.

"While research on the Internet and the developing brain is in the nascent stages, we can learn about our brain's ability to successfully adapt to new environments from past research," Uhls explains. She also pointed out that humans have shown an ability to adapt well to different changes in habitat and climate for thousands of years.

However, some experts believe that there are some negative effects of technology on children. Some of these negative effects include delay in reaching certain developmental milestones; limited stimulation of creativity and imagination; worsening attention span; sleep disorders; and an increase in physical, behavioral and mental disorders in children, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, anxiety, learning disabilities and depression, Huffington Post reports.