Media & Technology
Description
A summary of the scientific literature on the impact of media and technology, including digital games and artificial intelligence (AI), on child development.
Components
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How This Impacts Children's Development
Description
Though the use of interactive media has been well-studied among young children and adolescents, very little research has been conducted on the effects of digital media on children ages 6-12 years old. Caregivers and teachers need research-based guidelines to understand how to support learning and cognitive development in middle childhood.
Talking Points from the SRCD Briefs
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Policy Considerations in the Briefs
- Federal agencies could fund technology, app, and game development aimed at fostering students’ academic skills, together with research on effects on child development.
- Federal agencies could develop research-based guidance or regulation for app stores on what constitutes an educational app.
- Policymakers should prioritize integrating AI literacy into early education, ensuring that children, parents, and educators understand how AI works, its limitations, and its effects on trust, relationships, and decision-making.
- AI systems designed for children should remain task-focused rather than fostering open-ended, human-like relationships, and should redirect youth to trusted adults when social or emotional needs arise.
- Policymakers should promote safer, privacy-protective AI environments for youth, such as monitored school-based platforms, while also investing in research to better understand AI’s long-term developmental impacts.