How Technology Affects Families

, PhD, MS, CAP, CAPP, Director of Operations - Sutton Place Behavioral Health. Powerpoint Presentation. Florida Statewide Prevention Conference 2007). Since the 1950s, thousands of studies have been done on the effects of violence in television and movies. The majority of these studies conclude that: children who watch significant amounts of television and movie violence are more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior, attitudes and values (Illinois Center for Violence Prevention. Media and The Changing World Report. May 2005. Page 12). Per the Congressional Public Health Summit, 2000, young children 1.) are more easily impressionable 2.) have a harder time distinguishing between fantasy and reality 3.) cannot easily discern motives for violence and 4.) learn by observing and imitating. Finally there are plenty of studies going on right now researching how violent video games can cause people to have more aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; and decrease empathetic, helpful behaviors with peers. With the over stimulation of the brain, it requires children to go above and beyond the last experience in order to feel the same endorphins. With the need to out do the next guy and with the motto “if it bleeds, it leads”, then what do we expect for the next generation of youth to be faced with?

Families around the United States are becoming more cultivated into their own interests which is making them forget to live in the moment with their loved ones around them. Individuals in each family are starting to disregard each other due to busy things going on in their lives. However, these little steps of no communication or interaction are simply the main reasons why families today are not as healthy as they used to be. New interests that has stirred up this 21st century such as technology, entertainment, employment outlook, and family rules makes it clear that they are the mains reasons why families are not healthy today.

Overexposing children to violence through television and gaming content have contributed to their aggressive behaviors. “Playing bloody computer games causes many problems for children”. “According to researchers at these problems include increasing juvenile delinquency, rewiring children’s brains towards violence, breaking rules, and isolating children from the outside world.” (Al-Warafy,

Other studies have shown that using technology devices, both during and after school, not only decreased student’s productivity and made it harder for them to learn; but it also negatively affected their social life and health. Vandewater and colleagues (2007) found that technology can adversely affect children’s development because students have a harder time socially, academically, and physically (Vandewater, Rideout, Wartella, Huang, Lee, & Shim, 2007). Their study showed that young children are more inclined to stay indoors and watch television than to go play outside, allowing the possibility of long term negative effects. For example, children can also develop sleeping disorders if the parents use the television to put them to bed or

October 13, 2015 my group class and I went to Galleria to observe the people. After watching several families I came to the conclusion that technology is affecting families, during the observation families were more on their cell phones stead of having a conversation with their families. The family look as if they were stranger. They look with a very serious look. They did not take the time to have a conversation. One of the kid was in his phone most of the time when he was with his family. I was surprise because the parents did not said anything not even the parents took time to ask or said anything. The table was in silent they just were looking around.

In present day society, the realm of intense and violent video games along with their media counterparts is ever changing, and this transformation is leading to the most expressive and realistic viciousness a child can be exposed to without actually harming another human being. Furthermore, due to this tremendous level of ‘realisticness,’ the inquiry of whether or not the violence portrayed in these video games and television shows leads to an amplified level of aggression and other types of violent behavior in their participants and viewers has become a forerunner among both psychological and parenting authorities. The purpose of this paper is to give an honest assessment of the various studies performed on this topic, as well as to

The popularity of video-games, especially violent video games, has reached phenomenal proportions. The theoretical line of reasoning that hypothesizes a causal relationship between violent video-game play and aggression draws on the very large literature on media violence effects. Additionally, there are theoretical reasons to believe that video game effects should be stronger than a movie or television violence effects. This paper outlines what is known about the relationship between violent video-game playing and aggression. Also, to determine other factors apart from video games that contribute to anti-social behavior in young people and children, and to identify countermeasures that can be put in place so that video games cannot affect young people negatively. Many teenagers in America who use violent video games have exhibited anti-social behaviors in all aspects of life in the community.

Playing violent video games increases the chances of a child becoming a more aggressive person. Violence in video games has been linked to aggression, this is presented when children try to imitate the violent acts from their fictional games in a non-fictional world. American Psychological Association (APA) task force, “research demonstrates a consistent relationship between violent video game use

In the United States, the average child watches about fourteen hours of television each week (Impact). Over Usage of television can result in negative effects on sleep and attention (Feiler). Restricting time limits the amount of negative intake a child may receive. Television watching should be restricted to no more than two hours per day (Impact). Cell phones also distract children greatly and have affected children's everyday life. Cutting back cell phone useage prevents negative effects. Children should not be allowed to use a cellular device while doing any homework or school activity (Feiler). Also, tech-free dining is an effective way to keep children off cell phones. No cellular device should be used when participating in family activities (Feiler). The best way to reduce time spent with technology is not allowing children to have a computer, television, or any type of gaming console in their room (Impact). Parents then can control time spent, monitor what their child is viewing, and protect their children from being negatively influenced by any new technology. Preventing children from having this kind of equipment in their room also keeps them safe from social media bullying

As many as ninety-seven percent of US kids age 12-17 play video games, contributing to the billion-dollar video game industry. The unprecedented technological advancements to this entertaining culture have caused many gamers to acknowledge it as the ultimate fantasy. According to many studies, video games can increase aggressive behavior, cause emotional outbursts and decrease inhibitions in many people. Social scientists have been studying and debating the effects of video game violence since the 1980s and such issue is especially relevant today, because the games we see today are more realistic and bloodier than ever. Studies claiming a causal link between video game violence and real life violence are flawed with many studies failing to control the factors that contribute to children becoming violent. For example, family history, family care, mental health, social skills, etc.… Most studies do not follow children over long periods of time, as a result, video game experiments often have children playing a game for as little as ten

Many studies have taken place to determine the effects of violent video games on children for example, “Irwin and Gross (1995) assessed physical aggression (e.g., hitting, shoving, pinching, pulling at clothes or hair, kicking) between boys who had just played either a violent or a nonviolent video game. Those who had played the violent video game were more physically aggressive toward peers” (Anderson, 2003). This study done by Irwin and Gross proves that children lose basic social skills after participating in playing violent games.

A ten-year-old boy stares at a television screen mashing buttons on a PlayStation controller as the sound of gunshots, bombs, and shouts fill his bedroom. While his parents say, “It’s keeping him out of trouble,” they don’t see the emotional problems violent video games are causing their son. In 2014, TIME Magazine reported that, “Approximately 90% of children in the U.S. play video games, and more than 90% of those games involve mature content that often includes violence” (Park). Even though many parents and caregivers don’t see the harm in the violence shown in video games, television, and the internet, the effects of this exposure on children today is undeniable. Because children are being exposed to the harmful effects of violent screen time, they are more aggressive, more likely to engage in violent behavior, and desensitized to violence in general.

Playing games and watching movies are both entertaining. However, many parents gift their children gaming consoles, but don’t think of the dangerous things that will be affected by them playing violent games. Violent games and movies give children ideas to do the unthinkable. According to a New York Times Article, teenagers who often attack public sites have one thing in common: they are all video games fanatic (Carey). As a result of playing games, they gain the influence to harm people through games. Social scientists are currently studying the increased violence in kids, and video games are being studied closely since they are increasingly becoming bloodier and more realistic. Violent movies are no different either; they teach teens how to deal with things the wrong way. Movies and games have ratings for a reason, children need to watch movies or play games that are appropriate for their age.

Majority of teenagers today spend countless hours of their free time on mass media either watching movies and T.V shows, scrolling through social media, or playing video games. A media source that is becoming more prevalent among the adolescents are video games, particularly those that encompass violence and weapons. With an expanding number of youths playing violent video games, people come to question the effects such games have on children. On one side of the argument, we have people that claim exposure to violence in games reaps negative behaviors among adolescents, such as increased aggression, desensitization, physiological arousal, and decreases in helping behavior. On the other side of the argument, we have individuals that assert video games have positive effects on spatial navigation, perception, and reasoning. Taking into consideration both sides of the argument and comparing the evidence of scholarly primary sources, one can conclude what the psychological effects of exposing a teenager to violent video games are, and what is the best course of action that parents need to take when allowing adolescents to play video games.

There are numerous amounts of technology in todays “high tech” world which are now no longer wants, but have become a need. There are so many new technologies that are having a great effect on family life, but cell phones, iPods, and computers are the three most used technologies that are affecting family time. The things that one can do on iPods, cellphones, and computers are not just limited to surfing on the internet, playing games and listening to music, but its diversity of other things as well as social media applications, emailing online, and online video chatting that are now debatably the greatest issue that is in on the way to effecting family relationships on a level that is visible. The use of these technologies has both helped and harmed family relationships; additional families are starting to purchase smartphones for their children, as teenage cell phone purchases increases teenagers that text will too. According to stats back in 2009 75% of all teenagers with cellphones were texters (Lenhart, Amanda).