Human development can be defined as measurement of achievement by humans through advancement of knowledge, biological changes, habit formation or other criteria that displays changes over time. As a teacher, it is vital that I understand the aspects of human development in order to best meet the needs of my students, both collectively and individually. By understanding typical patterns of their development, I can better equip myself to make appropriate educational methods, choices and practices to employ while teaching. I ought to recognize students who do not follow typical patterns of development so that I can assist them with their needed educational support to improve and achieve success.
Education is a primary source of human development. Using modern technology in the educational system helps us to develop as individuals and as a society. Understanding human development is crucial in my application and activation of educational technology in my class for I should know which technology-driven strategies are best suited for my learners. Truly, technology can enhance teacher instruction and contribute to a student’s overall learning outcome. However, the incompatibility of applied education technology techniques and the level of human development level may result to failure in outcome.
As the society evolve, so are the young in today’s world. They are digital natives, adept in the application of technology in all that they do and in every aspect of their lives. Nevertheless, they need teachers to help them identify their strengths and improve them. For example, considering the multiple intelligences as aspect of human development which identified certain skills and aptitudes in every human person, there is a need to fully understand the kind of intelligence that every student has in order to apply an educational technology method that can help them best learn and perform while keeping up on their own pace. Like how the elephant should not be judged by its ability to climb a tree, I should not coerce my students to learn beyond their stride.
In the past years, technology has advanced at an astounding rate. Every area of human life has been completely altered by technology advancements like high-speed internet, cellphones, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and many more. Almost every aspect of modern life has been impacted by technology, including commerce, agriculture, communication, and education. To put it simply, our ability to advance human growth has increased and is now greater than ever. However, the internet and digital technology may have a bigger impact on our physical and mental development than initially assumed, especially among young ones. There are several areas where modern digital technology is certainly affecting the way we interact with the world and the way our children’s brains develop. These areas include:
Attention. Evidence suggests that our attention spans are getting shorter as a result of our dependency on the internet and mobile devices. According to a new study, our attention span has shrunk by 4 seconds, from 12 to 8, making it less than a goldfish’s. The vastly increased number of distraction alternatives could be one explanation for this decline. Technology like smartphones and computers makes us more forgetful, impairs our capacity for thought and memory, concentration, and emotion regulation. Further, according to ongoing study, there may be a connection between children’s attention deficit issues and technology use. Even though it has not been conclusively shown that screen time inherently shortens kids’ attention spans, there seems to be a substantial correlation between the two, especially in younger kids. Technology use regulation is really a must, not just to children, but to adults as well. Screen time break should be scheduled longer. And time for unwinding, meditation, relaxation, and recreational activities should be given priority.
Decision-Making
Information technology provides an immense amount of data to make any decision more informed and accurate. Advanced tools such as data analytics, data mining, etc. automatically process the data and make a computerized decision based on such data. This automation may seem acceptable but in the broader sense, it makes people rely on technology from the petty decisions to make up to the most important ones. Young ones become dependent on technology so much that they develop poor decision making skills. Also, as there is no perfect system that can replace human manual procession, decision making becomes poor and prone to bias and unreliable due to factors such as lack of information provided. Trusting information that is faulty leads to many wrong deductions and conclusions. If information is incomplete, even if the decision maker is aware of that fact, uncertainty is introduced, and any decision based on that partial information could prove to be misguided.
Relationship Building
Technology has a detrimental effect on developing relationships because it is a major source of distraction for both parties. People have started concentrating more on using their phones and checking social media instead of having real interactions. Distance and isolation increase as a result of the increased use of technology for communication. It may appear that one of technology’s most important uses is enabling unrestricted interconnection among people and fostering social interaction. But according to a well-known saying, technology distances us from those who are physically close to us while bringing us closer to others who are physically far away. Additionally, it has a significant impact on families by diminishing face-to-face interaction, socializing, and family time. The methods that families interact are changing as a result of technological improvements. Also, the irony that technology allows us to believe we have hundreds of friends that we do not even know is hard hitting. If we do not learn how to handle technology properly, there is high chance it will break our relationships than build it.
Memory
According to a recent study, our reliance on technology and the internet has reduced our capacity to recall information. This “pervasive access to information has not just affected what we remember; it has changed how we recall.” However, it seems that humans are getting better at remembering where and how to find information. For example, we are now more likely to recall the folder in which we placed information than the actual content itself. Similarly, when asked a factual inquiry, we are more likely to recall search phrases that have led us to solutions for previous inquiries of a similar nature than we are to recall the fact itself. The unfortunate truth is that technology weakens our memory and interferes with our ability to remember information in our brains. Technology is constantly identified by recent research as the primary factor contributing to memory decline at a younger and younger age. People who use technology frequently may have cognitive decline, including short-term memory problems. While excessive screen time is known to alter the gray matter and white matter volumes in the brain, raise the risk of mental disorders, and impair memory acquisition and learning, which are established risk factors for dementia, it is also known to increase the risk of mental disorders.
Sources:
- Walden University. (2017, April 27). How-is-modern-technology-affecting-human-development. Retrieved from https://www.waldenu.edu/online-masters-programs/ms-in-developmental-psychology/resource/how-is-modern-technology-affecting-human-development
- Pudwell, S. (2016, January 22). The four stages of education technology. Retrieved from https://www.itproportal.com/2016/01/22/the-four-stages-of-education-technology/
- Technology and Human Development.pdf
By: Jennifer R. Talaugon|Teacher III|City of Balanga National High School – SHS| Balanga City
