The Effects of Electonic Media on Learning and Cognition in Children

Television, the Internet, videogames, cell phones—wherever you look, society is becoming inundated with electronic media. In the last 60 years, we have tremendously expanded our ability to send and receive information, as well as created numerous ways to remain digitally entertained. For pre-school and school-aged children, both in the home and in the classroom, the availability of electronic media has grown steadily. As children are presented with an ever-increasing amount of information via electronic means, what effects do electronic media have on their cognitive and educational development? Are some forms beneficial, while others detrimental? The focus of my research is to discover correlations, both positive and negative, between children’s utilization of electronic media and their capabilities for cognition and memory, as well as to determine if the symptoms of some conditions, such as ADHD, are relieved or exacerbated by such utilization.