Excessive Screen Time (and A.I.) Will Lead to Illiteracy

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     When thinking about the coming generations, it is difficult not to be concerned about their brain development. As technology continues to advance, less and less books are printed out while less and less parenting takes place. This is due to the rise of whats called the iPad Baby. The iPad Baby is a small child that has difficulty putting their technological screens down- they have difficulty with boredom and with unlimited access to technology, they will always reach for a screen for stimulation. The iPad Baby occurs due to the belief that if a child is stimulated through electronics, they will likely be more easily occupied and thus able to entertain themself. Considering that some parents install educational tools onto portable screens, this is an attractive option for parents. So why is it damaging?

      Researchers have found that, “Screens can improve education and learning; however, too much time spent in front of a screen and multitasking with other media has been related to worse executive functioning and academic performance." (Muppalla). While there can be educational benefits, there are also detriments to learning as well. A concern that researchers have expressed is literacy. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence, there should be more concern to the fact that a lot of high school and college students are using A.I. to assist them with their assignments - in some cases, they will have A.I. do the assignment for them. With the prevalence of screens, children are reading less and opting for more stimulation games, which some can be educational but not all of them are. As this generation graduates, the coming generations will rely more on A.I. because, honestly, it is easier to do so rather than to think critically.

    So how can we fix this? Well, if the CDC were to put out a statement cautioning parents of the risk of excessive screen time, parents may be more receptive to putting stronger limitations for children in the developmental ages. That is one option. A nuclear option would be banning A.I. all together as well, considering it is also damaging the environment (see other blog posts on this account). By advocating for these measures to be taken, we may be able to preserve literacy for the incoming generations.


See more infomation:
Muppalla, Effects of excessive screen time on child development National Library of Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10353947/

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