The impact of technology on the health and education of preschool children

Abstract

Tehnološki napredak proteklih desetljeća imao je dubok utjecaj na sve aspekte ljudskog života, uključujući i odgoj i obrazovanje djece. Kao odgojitelj iznimno mi je važno obratiti pozornost na to kako predškolska djeca, koja se nalaze u jednoj od faza fizičkog, emocionalnog i kognitivnog razvoja, reagiraju na tehnologiju i stalan porast prisutnosti iste u njihovom okruženju. U vremenu kada su pametni telefoni, tableti, računala i drugi digitalni uređaji postali prioritetni alati u svakodnevnom životu, čak i bebe imaju pristup virtualnom svijetu, prije nego steknu osnovne motoričke i socijalne vještine. Ako se koristi na pravilan način, tehnologija može pružiti obrazovne i razvojne koristi, uključujući pristup edukativnim materijalima koji mogu promovirati ranu pismenost, kreativnost i kritičko razmišljanje. Međutim, prekomjerna ili nepropisno usmjerena uporaba tehnologije može dovesti do niza štetnih učinaka na zdravlje i razvoj djeteta, od problema s vidom i smanjene fizičke aktivnosti do otežanog predviđanja i korištenja socijalnih vještina te emocionalne labilnosti. Ovaj rad istražuje kako tehnologija utječe na odgoj predškolskog djeteta. Cilj je prikazati kako tehnologija utječe na razne aspekte razvoja predškolske djece i ulogu odgajatelja, ali i roditelja, u usmjeravanju i umjeravanju uporabe tehnologije u ranom djetinjstvu. Podržana je suvremenim istraživanjima o dječjem razvoju, zdravlju i obrazovanju, a na kraju se nude preporuke kako optimizirati uporabu tehnologije.The technological progress of the past decades has had a profound impact on all aspects of human life, including the upbringing and education of children. As an educator, it is extremely important for me to pay attention to how preschool children, who are in one of the stages of physical, emotional and cognitive development, react to technology and the constant increase in its presence in their environment. At a time when smartphones, tablets, computers and other digital devices have become priority tools in everyday life, even babies have access to the virtual world, before they acquire basic motor and social skills. If used properly, technology can provide educational and developmental benefits, including access to educational materials that can promote early literacy, creativity, and critical thinking. However, excessive or improperly directed use of technology can lead to a number of adverse effects on a child's health and development, from vision problems and reduced physical activity to difficulty predicting and using social skills and emotional lability. This paper investigates how technology affects the health and upbringing of a preschool child. The goal is to show how technology affects various aspects of preschool children's development and the role of parents and educators in guiding and moderating the use of technology in early childhood. It is supported by modern research on child development, health and education, and at the end recommendations are offered on how to optimize the use of technology