Internet Use and Child Development

Rapid changes in technology nowadays is painting a message of cyber advantage for all ages of the human beings be it in the business, work, home and even in school. When the basics of communications has proliferated in 1970s with the initial introduction of television, the people did not opt to have this technology of entertainment, rather it was a huge market for all ages as programs being air suits several audiences in the populace. Many programs were catered for entertainment like movies, news and even children programs such as cartoons and educational episodes. Throughout the time that television has been in the ages since it was in the users, the development of enhanced communications as well developed over time. This communication development caters the voice and video signals that can be aired via networks of communications structures established and for the purpose repeating signals in order to reach farthest its customers. Among the development of this data signal will be utilized in the world wide web called internet. In this internet, it was necessary that interface between person and machine interaction is catered through computer. The computer now has its historical roots that it was like, the trend when television was first introduced, that it was almost necessary for each household to have computers. Computers then become one of the most important gadgets in the lives of the family as it can be useful in several ways like news locally and internationally, communications in the social media where barriers like distant boundaries is no longer a hindrance, and interactive programs that help education as learning tool through interactive design websites in the internet. Internet is defined according to this research will focus on the advantage of internet bombarded with educational and informative materials and most are interactive that supports child development in terms of their social development, cognitive enhancement and improve mathematics and improved commuication skills. Concepts and study research results published in the internet will be utilized to provided evidences on the advantage of internet for child development.

Internet interactive programs that supports social development of the children

Interactive programs are those sites that provides educational information that would need the reaction from the persons like clicking a choice or if the media screen is a touch screen. Accordingly, interactive in the internet sites mean “clicking a link and accessing text,” (Sessoms, 2008, p.90). In this research article, Sessoms (2008) provided a comparison for the differences between traditional and new technology enhanced instruction. Accordingly, the traditional is called Web 1.0 which are teacher-centered instruction, single-sense stimulation, single-path progression, single-media, isolated work, information delivery, passive learning, reactive response and isolated, artificial context. On the other hand, the New called Web 2.0 are student-centered instruction/learning, multisensory stimulutation, multipath, multimedia, collaborative work, informative exchange, active/exploratory/inquiry-based learning, proactive/planned response and authentic, real-world context (Sessoms, 2008, p.90).

The interactive portion of the learning process, it was the position of the National Association for the Education of Young Children in 1999 stating that “used appropriately, technology can enhance children’s cognitive and social abilities” and that “developmentally appropriate software offers opportunities for collaborative play, learning and creation,” (Children Now, 2007, p.5). Further, the Children Now (2007) included in its claim that the National Parents Teacher’s Association (PTA) also has the position stated in 1983, “…computer technology increasingly is a prerequisite to effective participation in an information-oriented society…as computer technology will be an integral part of their lieves as well as of their careers, (p.6).