1 5 Assignment #2: Informative Essay Catrina Holifield ENG 115 - English Composition Professor Crane November 18, 2018 Monitoring Toddlers and Technology The role of technology is increasing in various spheres of life and children have not been left behind as it plays a critical role in their lives. As globalization takes place, many early childhood education systems are developing a curriculum geared towards imparting tech skills for improved communication using digital devices to enhance their thinking. Besides, it is crucial to explore the relationship between technologies, emotions and resultant behaviors of toddlers since the amount of time they spent online has increased significantly. However, the digital environment exposes the children to vices such as cyberbullying that threatens to ruin the good reputation that the internet is offering to kids. Monitoring toddlers and technology is a significant process because it ensures that children gain new skills, improve their internet cognition, and are protected from cyberbullying. Accordingly, technology plays a critical role in the development of new skills for children in their early years of development. In the article, “The Right Technology for Kids at Every Age,” Tahnk asserts that each baby development milestone is presently accompanied by technological aspects such as smartphones which helps to recognize the ways in which digital tools can be embedded in the minds of toddlers that helps to form ideas on literacy useful in the later stages of life (1). She declares that “if you a parent, you will be anxious to document a baby’s first steps, smiles, and as the toddlers start or go on with schooling, they already have an extensive understanding of comprehending meaningful interpretations of digital tools” (Tahnk, 1). Equally, Radesky in his article, “Mobile and Interactive Media Use by Young Children: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown,” reports that most toddlers aged three to five years have access to a technological device in their homes and understand how to access information online (2). He found out that “most of the households that have toddlers have access to tablets which exposes the children to technology allowing them to learn new skills daily” (Radesky, 2). Thus, access to technology is allowing toddlers to learn new skills in a monitored environment in the home and school setting. Besides, moderated technology access by toddlers allows them to gain enhanced internet cognition. AAP Council on Communications and Media on their article “Media and Young Minds” observe that over the years, the ability of toddlers to access the internet has grown exponentially due to the availability of internet in homes and technological devices that create exciting learning opportunities for children (3). They imply that “it has ended up increasing the digital literacy of most of the toddlers marked by an increase in the use of the internet by kids” (AAP Council on Communications.

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Assignment #2: Informative Essay
Catrina Holifield
ENG 115 - English Composition
Professor Crane
November 18, 2018
Monitoring Toddlers and Technology
The role of technology is increasing in various spheres of life
and children have not been left behind as it plays a critical role
in their lives. As globalization takes place, many early
childhood education systems are developing a curriculum
geared towards imparting tech skills for improved
communication using digital devices to enhance their thinking.
Besides, it is crucial to explore the relationship between
technologies, emotions and resultant behaviors of toddlers since
the amount of time they spent online has increased
significantly. However, the digital environment exposes the
children to vices such as cyberbullying that threatens to ruin the
good reputation that the internet is offering to kids. Monitoring
toddlers and technology is a significant process because it

2. ensures that children gain new skills, improve their internet
cognition, and are protected from cyberbullying.
Accordingly, technology plays a critical role in the development
of new skills for children in their early years of development. In
the article, “The Right Technology for Kids at Every Age,”
Tahnk asserts that each baby development milestone is presently
accompanied by technological aspects such as smartphones
which helps to recognize the ways in which digital tools can be
embedded in the minds of toddlers that helps to form ideas on
literacy useful in the later stages of life (1). She declares that
“if you a parent, you will be anxious to document a baby’s first
steps, smiles, and as the toddlers start or go on with schooling,
they already have an extensive understanding of comprehending
meaningful interpretations of digital tools” (Tahnk, 1). Equally,
Radesky in his article, “Mobile and Interactive Media Use by
Young Children: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown,” reports
that most toddlers aged three to five years have access to a
technological device in their homes and understand how to
access information online (2). He found out that “most of the
households that have toddlers have access to tablets which
exposes the children to technology allowing them to learn new
skills daily” (Radesky, 2). Thus, access to technology is
allowing toddlers to learn new skills in a monitored
environment in the home and school setting.
Besides, moderated technology access by toddlers allows them
to gain enhanced internet cognition. AAP Council on
Communications and Media on their article “Media and Young
Minds” observe that over the years, the ability of toddlers to
access the internet has grown exponentially due to the
availability of internet in homes and technological devices that
create exciting learning opportunities for children (3). They
imply that “it has ended up increasing the digital literacy of
most of the toddlers marked by an increase in the use of the
internet by kids” (AAP Council on Communications and Media,
3). Likewise, Common Sense Media in the article “Zero to
Eight: Children’s Media Use In America” reveal that young

3. children are using mobile phones that connect them to online
activities such as apps, videos, games, and communication with
friends (4). They found that “it has translated to a situation
whereby kids are not only accessing online platforms but also
ended up being linked with the digital world as parents and the
society posts images about them in their social networks”
(Common Sense Media, 4). Hence, monitored use of technology
is enabling kids to improve cognitive skills facilitated by the
internet to find out answers to questions based on the expansive
knowledge available online.
Nevertheless, the benefits of monitored access to technology
also come with ramifications and one of them is the possibility
of cyberbullying. Common Sense Media in the article “Zero to
Eight: Children’s Media Use In America” maintain that cases of
violent conduct meted on children are being reported at
alarming rates while others go unreported due to the stigma the
toddler's harbor (4). They contend that “it is a subject that
concerns scholars because of its repercussions such as
emotional suffering, maladaptive functioning, and poor health
in extreme cases” (Common Sense Media, 4). Similarly,
Radesky in his article, “Mobile and Interactive Media Use by
Young Children: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown,” claims
that it is worsened because toddlers are unable to defend
themselves as their cognitive abilities are not yet fully
developed. He declares that “as globalization takes effect
coupled with internet growth, cases of cyberbullying will
continue to increase with severe consequences” (Radesky, 2).
Therefore, monitored access to technological devices is critical
in finding a lasting solution to this predicament by parents,
guardians and concerned parties as it will work towards
ensuring that signs of cyberbullying are discovered.
Overall, technological advances that are growing on a daily
basis are bringing in new challenges not only for adults but also
for toddlers. It has led to enhanced internet cognition and
learning of new skills but there is a need to monitor their
activities to ensure that children are able to safely use

4. technology without any resultant side effects such as
cyberbullying. Moreover, the potential benefits that are derived
from the educational use of technology are questionable and
research on the same is scantly available online which remains
an area that should be further explored. It will work towards
ensuring that toddlers are encouraged to explore technological
advances that are being implemented by governments in the pre-
schooling stages with freedom. Thus, strict guidelines are
needed to facilitate the interactive sessions toddlers are
engaging in using technological devices for games, educational
pursuit, and videos to ensure that the adverse effects do not
outweigh the benefits in the future.
Sources
1. Jeana Lee Tahnk. No date. The Right Technology for Kids at
Every Age. http://www.parenting.com/article/technology-for-
kids
2. Jenny S. Radesky. 2015. Mobile and Interactive Media Use
by Young Children: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/135/1/1.
full.pdf
3. American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on
Communications and Media. 2016. Media and Young Minds.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/138/5/e2
0162591.full.pdf
4. Common Sense Media. October 28, 2013. Zero to Eight:
Children’s Media Use In America 2013.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/zero-to-eight-
childrens-media-use-in-america-2013