Automobiles, the personal computer, generative AI: Each generation of technology redefines how we live, work, connect, and lead. Historically, humans have driven and controlled technology, but the push toward automated technological systems and the simultaneous crises children face due to heavy early exposure may change the power dynamics between humanity and technology. Unlike the past, where technology served as a tool to amplify human capability, modern technology is beginning to take on a life of its own. Decisions must be made to protect children and prevent future generations from unwillingly relinquishing their power over machines.  

In 1984, the personal computer¹ and cell phones² were novelty items. Just 40 years later, 71 percent of kids³ have a smartphone by age 12. Ten percent of infants⁴ have used a smart device by age one—before they exit the first stage of childhood cognitive development.⁵ This number jumps to nearly 40 percent⁶ in children ages two to four. 

The real social media influencers

Early exposure to technology is often not a direct product of a child’s desires. Of course my 18-month-old niece wants to watch Trolls and Baby Shark YouTube videos and scroll through puppy videos on TikTok all day. It’s not her job to set boundaries. It’s ours.  

Often, exposure hinges on parental fatigue and the ease of relying on digital devices to entertain children,⁷ making technology a default caretaker. Because it’s easier to hand over a tablet than to engage in yet another screen-time battle, parents’ reliance on technology negatively reinforces the shift from human-led learning to a potentially unhealthy human-technology relationship. Parents’ positive perceptions⁸ about technology, like its effects on future career opportunities, education, and creative self-expression for their children, have also contributed to the current child-technology dynamic. These perceptions make sense, as most of today’s new parents were the first generation to be groomed by technology,⁹ growing up at the start of the smartphone and instant communication era. 

Conceding to heavy early exposure may require less effort and help kids learn to utilize technology well enough to obtain employment in the future. However, it also puts them at a higher risk of neurodevelopmental issues and lowers their sense of self-efficacy,¹⁰ self-esteem,  and positive identity,¹¹ conditioning them to rely on technology to think and create.  

The imposition of early exposure continues in the classroom. Once an anchoring point for developing social skills and independent thought, the advent of AI tutors and personalized learning algorithms¹² pushes educators to take a back seat from their role as mentors leading the learning environment to become highly-educated sitters. Diminishing the role of teachers¹³ threatens to reduce the very essence of learning. Trial and error, debate, and the synthesis of diverse perspectives may be lost in a world where AI provides pre-packaged answers and less room for human discourse. How will children become influential leaders and stewards of technology in these conditions? 

The war on skills

Although many young people have been heavily exposed to technology since infancy, they have not obtained the skills to assess the credibility of online sources,¹⁴ identify disinformation, differentiate news stories from sponsored ads,¹⁵ and distinguish their own thoughts from those influenced by online content.  

In 2021, Stanford University published the largest study to assess high school students’ ability to vet news stories and other digital content.¹⁶ Unfortunately, the study found that the significant majority of high-school-aged students have a “woeful inability” to detect fake news. Joel Breakstone, the study’s lead author, said: 

“This study is not an indictment of the students—they did what they’ve been taught to do—but the study should be troubling to anyone who cares about the future of democracy.”

It may seem unconscionable to consider a future where the next generation finds it challenging to differentiate their voices from those made by algorithms and digital trends. But it is very possible, and more dangerously, very likely.  

The threat is not just in the loss of personal autonomy but in the potential for a society where critical thinking, creativity, and human leadership are undervalued, leaving young people ill-equipped to challenge or change the systems that increasingly govern their lives. 

Early technology exposure may precipitate an exchange of convenience and autonomy for basic human functioning with the potential to alter the course of human evolution.

Moving forward

Young people are inspirational in their focus to use technology to become more civically minded and exposed to greater diversity.¹⁷ Their pursuit to solidify globalization and interact with the world with civility and openness, combined with access to unprecedented technological resources, positions the coming generations to be the most well-rounded and collaborative ever. However, the challenge of overcoming early overexposure to technology could serve as their greatest asset or downfall.  

Despite its challenges, we should approach the inevitability of technological advancement with excitement—and an air of caution—to mitigate the potential consequences of the current shifts and safeguard the well-being of our children, who do not yet have the power to enact change but will surely reap the consequences of early exposure to technology.   

We must put a closer focus on meaningful guidance and giving young people the tools to empower themselves to lead a tech-dominated world by teaching them to not only interact with technology, but to analyze its impacts and create solutions. 

Parents inherently have the tools and knowledge¹⁸ to set effective boundaries at home. With reinforcement from legislators, educators, other influencers, and youth themselves, parents can help children combat the effects of early technology exposure and nurture their ability to think confidently lead our increasingly automated world. Consider the following non-exhaustive list of suggestions to begin reinforcing positive actions and addressing the frameworks governing the child-technology dynamic and early technology exposure: 

Parents

• Regularly engage in reflective conversations byasking children about their experiences with technology and talk about how to manage stress related to technology, such as mindfulness practices, digital detox strategies, and the importance of balancing screen time with other activities. 
• Co-create technology guidelines that involve children in setting household rules around technology use. Discuss the reasons behind limits and work together to establish boundaries that respect their autonomy while promoting healthy habits. 
• Create home-based media literacy tests to challenge children to identify fake news or misleading information. Give rewards¹⁹ for correctly identifying trustworthy sources and debunking misinformation, fostering critical thinking and discernment! 

Federal, state, and local governments

• Provide tax incentives for companies that prioritize technologies with specific, implementable, and measurable features designed to protect children’s well-being. *This would also require congressional authority to set specific, implementable, and measurable criteria.  
• Fund research on technology’s impact to support more empirical knowledge on the effects of early technology exposure on children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development. This research could inform future policy decisions and help identify critical intervention points. 
• Mandate critical digital literacy curriculum by requiring schools to teach not just basic tech skills but also critical digital literacy, including lessons on recognizing disinformation, understanding algorithms, and questioning the reliability of online content.  
• Promote student-led tech initiatives and create policies that encourage students to take an active role in technology-related school projects or community programs, like creating spaces where students propose and implement solutions to the challenges of early tech exposure. 

Educators

• Encourage and facilitate student-led discourse by organizing activities for students to discuss the pros and cons of technology in their lives. Topics could include the impact of social media on mental health, the ethical implications of AI, or strategies to balance technology use with real-world interactions. 
• Regularly test students’ ability to identify mis-and-disinformation through quizzes or interactive lessons and incorporate tech-based topics, like the role of automation in society, into classroom activities. 

Other influencers (community leaders, tech companies, etc.)

• Create digital literacy grants that fund (1) initiatives focused on digital literacy education, particularly for communities experiencing the compounded effects of underrepresentation and disenfranchisement and (2) student scholarships and programming tailored toward developing digital literacy content, systems, and products.  

Conclusion

With the right guidance, the next generation will contribute to society in ways beyond our current scope, maintaining control over the tools they create and using them to advance humanity rather than becoming passive users shaped by it.

Footnotes

1. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2018/acs/acs-39.html#:~:text=The%20presence%20and%20use%20of,learning%20how%20to%20use%20it. ↩︎
2. https://www.nbcnews.com/video/1980s-flashback-when-cell-phones-were-a-novelty-465541187745 ↩︎
3. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/8-18-census-integrated-report-final-web_0.pdf?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email ↩︎
4. https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/public_comments/california-00325%C2%A0/00325-82243.pdf ↩︎
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537095/#:~:text=Piaget%20divided%20child%20development%20into,and%20learn%20about%20the%20environment. ↩︎
6. https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/public_comments/california-00325%C2%A0/00325-82243.pdf ↩︎
7. https://preply.com/en/blog/tech-and-kids/#:~:text=Many%20parents%20struggle%20to%20limit%20screen%20time,-If%20children%20don&text=Our%20study%20found%20this%20is,their%20kids%20to%20be%20occupied. ↩︎
8. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kids-will-be-more-tech-savvy-than-their-parents-by-the-time-they-are-10-years-old-301154064.html ↩︎
9. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/millennials#:~:text=Millenials%20were%20the%20first%20generation,technology%20has%20shaped%20their%20interactions. ↩︎
10. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/23/8820 ↩︎
11. https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/social-media-teen-mental-health-a-parents-guide ↩︎
12. https://ar5iv.labs.arxiv.org/html/2404.02798v1 ↩︎
13. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/04/future-learning-ai-revolutionizing-education-4-0/ ↩︎
14. https://ed.stanford.edu/news/national-study-high-school-students-digital-skills-paints-worrying-portrait-stanford#:~:text=A%20new%20national%20study%20by,skills%2C%20the%20study’s%20authors%20say. ↩︎
15. https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/students-still-cant-tell-fact-fiction-internet ↩︎
16. https://ed.stanford.edu/news/national-study-high-school-students-digital-skills-paints-worrying-portrait-stanford#:~:text=A%20new%20national%20study%20by,skills%2C%20the%20study’s%20authors%20say. ↩︎
17. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/11/28/teens-social-media-habits-and-experiences/ ↩︎
18. https://katiedavisresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2013_CHB_young-peoples-digital-lives-davis.pdf ↩︎
19. https://www.gohenry.com/us/blog/chores/34-ways-to-reward-your-kids-for-doing-chores ↩︎