Does modern techmology hinder children's communication abilities?

Answer 1

I believe it does, especially with students with special needs. Technology, can address other issues but it does not address communication. Students can not have a conversation with the computer, they need the person to person contact.

Students can get fixate on computers were that is all they want to. They do not want to play with other students, or go outside. I have a student who has Autism, she will disappears the second she has at recess to another classroom to play on the computer. She does not care if the classroom is empty or not. All she cares about is getting on the computer.

Answer 2

I am going to disagree with previous posts and say that technology does not have to hinder children's communication.

To begin addressing the issue of special education children, there is a ton of augmentative and alternative communication devices out there, they are technology. They're letting nonverbal children (and adults) have a voice in many different ways. If you don't think this is a big deal look at a lot of leading Speech Pathology programs. Most of them specialize in AAC use. Children with disabilities are also able to things like spell check (think about this with a student with dyslexia), word prediction (students with physical limitations like CP), etc.

Secondly, children are having access to more information and more people because of technology in schools. Computers are changing the way students work and learn. Children as young as 2 and 3 know how to use computers. Teenagers all have pen pals and friends who have moved away that they can instantly access on the web. Just ask a college student how they keep in touch with their parents and siblings when they're away at school.

Video conferencing is also changing the way students learn. There are schools that are connected via video conferencing to each other and even to universities. So if one school offers a speciality and another one doesn't the students at the second school are not disadvantaged.

As far as IMing and text messaging go. It's actually a sign of higher intelligence and better communication skills when students can switch back and forth between languages and dialects. And in way text message language is a dialect of the English language. That's why not everyone can just pick it up and understand the vernacular.

Persons who are blind or deaf are also able to increase their abilities to access information and to communicate. Just think of the potential with a webcam for a student who communicates via American Sign Language. Now they can "call" other persons up and have a conversation.

As for video games and the like, there are good ones which help the children achieve things. Even the popular systems have educational games. Children can also chat (if parental permission is given) with people around the world. VIdeo games are like anything. For example, a car has good aspects to it, but it kills millions of people in a year. Does this mean we stop using it and ignore the potential good of it? No.

Answer 3

It depends on the type of technology that you are discussing. Certainly computer games and Nintendo type technologies tend to keep kids from going outside to play with other kids, thus interfering with learning social skills. Still, there are other places that kids interact such as school and sports teams.

Certain technologies actually promote communication, like cell phones and text messaging.

Where I have noticed a decrease in student abilities due to technology is not in communication, but in attention. Because of the high rate of action in video games, some children seem to have a problem with attending to academic lectures and consider school boring.

Answer 4

No, I have a child with language difficulties. DVDs from Leappad and such have helped greatly. Leapads are great too... they will repeat and repeat til the batteries run out. Twist and Shouts are great too.. repetition... Vsmile is wonderful... education and entertainment together!!! Yes, I'm all for technology.

Answer 5

It may alter them but I do not think it will necessarily hinder them. It depends on what is being used and how. There are many great devices out there that encourage communication. Maybe face to face communication is dwindling but I do not think it is alarming.

Answer 6

Yes, it does.