The Impact of Gadget Use on Children’s Social Development

Abstrak

Ini adalah tinjauan literatur yang dirancang untuk menyelidiki dampak penggunaan gadget terhadap perkembangan sosial anak usia dini.

Di era digital saat ini, perangkat adalah bagian dari kehidupan sehari-hari anak, tetapi penggunaan yang berlebihan dapat berdampak pada keterampilan sosial mereka, seperti kapasitas untuk berinteraksi, berempati, dan bekerja sama.

Studi ini meneliti temuan studi nasional dan internasional yang diterbitkan dalam lima tahun terakhir, dengan fokus pada anak-anak berusia tiga hingga enam tahun.

Temuan penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan perangkat yang tidak diatur berpotensi mengurangi keterampilan sosial anak-anak, menciptakan perilaku kesepian, dan menghambat komunikasi verbal.

Di sisi lain, bila digunakan dengan hati-hati dan dengan pengawasan orang tua, gadget dapat memberikan manfaat pendidikan dan membantu perkembangan sosial melalui materi interaktif yang sesuai. Akibatnya, orang tua dan guru berperan penting dalam menentukan durasi dan isi pendidikan anak usia dini.

Kata Kunci: Dampak Gadget, Interaksi Sosial, Anak Usia Dini. 

Abstract

This is a literature review designed to investigate the impact of gadget use on early childhood social development. In today’s digital age, devices are part of a child’s daily life, but excessive use can impact their social skills, such as the capacity to interact, empathize, and work together.

The study examines the findings of national and international studies published in the past five years, focusing on children aged three to six. The research findings suggest that the use of unregulated devices has the potential to reduce children’s social skills, create loneliness behaviors, and inhibit verbal communication.

On the other hand, when used with caution and with parental supervision, gadgets can provide educational benefits and aid social development through appropriate interactive materials. As a result, parents and teachers play critical roles in determining the duration and content of early childhood education.

Keywords: Impact of Gadgets, Social Interaction, Early Childhood.

Baca Juga: Bahaya Gadget pada Anak di Bawah Umur

Introduction

Most early childhood spends quite a long time in using gadgets every day. Children aged 3 to 4 years use gadgets for an average of 4 to 5 hours per day. Meanwhile, children aged 5 to 6 can use the gadget for up to 6 hours, and children aged 7 to 8 can even spend a full day in front of a screen. 

Parents generally give gadgets to their children as a way to calm or distract their children, especially when they are eating, about to sleep, or when parents are busy working. Children become addicted to playing with gadgets, one of which is due to excessive parental busyness.  

Children often see their parents busy using gadgets, so that without realizing it, children are left to play with gadgets alone unsupervised (Ar nani & Husna, 2021).

Although some parents state that they give gadgets for educational purposes, the truth is that children are more likely to use them for entertainment, such as watching videos on YouTube, playing games, or accessing social media.

Socially, children who play with gadgets for too long show a tendency to avoid direct interaction with the surrounding environment. They become less physically active and less interested in games that involve cooperation or communication with peers.

Children also show signs of dependence, such as restlessness when not given access to gadgets and decreased motivation in learning activities.

This study confirms that uncontrolled use of gadgets can interfere with children’s social development, reduce their interpersonal interactions, and reduce the quality of children’s relationships with parents.

On the other hand, if used appropriately and under parental supervision, gadgets still have the potential to support children’s cognitive and social development, particularly through educational and interactive content (Hadi & Sumardi, 2023). 

In the ever-evolving digital era, early childhood education faces new challenges, especially in terms of technology use. Education at an early age stage aims to form the basis for children’s overall growth, both physically, cognitively, emotionally, and socially. However, the inclusion of gadgets in children’s daily lives from an early age raises various dynamics that need to be considered. 

Gadgets have now become an indispensable part of children’s lives. Generally, children use gadgets to watch animated videos, play games, or access simple apps.

Although there are positive sides to the use of gadgets, such as introducing technology early or becoming a learning aid, the reality is that the use of gadgets are more often used as entertainment. High intensity of uncontrolled use can trigger dependency and reduce the quality of children’s social interactions.

There are various factors that cause children to be interested in using gadgets. Among them are the sophistication of technology that presents attractive features, increasingly affordable gadget prices, and a social environment that also encourages children to use gadgets so that they are not “left behind” by their friends.

Not to mention the visual content that is so accessible and very appealing to children. However, excessive use of gadgets has an impact on children’s social interactions.

Children who play with gadgets for too long tend to have less play time with their peers. In fact, playing directly is very important in training children’s social skills, such as working together, understanding other people’s emotions, resolving conflicts, and learning to be patient.

In the context of social-emotional development, playing with peers provides many benefits. Children learn to negotiate, understand each other, and develop empathy and cooperative attitudes.

Group games are also the main means of forming children’s social character. As children spend more time in front of screens, the opportunity to develop these skills becomes limited. 

For this reason, there need to be wise steps in regulating the use of gadgets by children. Parents and educators can play a role by setting time limits on the use of gadgets, providing explanations about the benefits and risks, and inviting children to do more physical activities or games that involve social interaction.

Alternative activities such as drawing, playing outdoors, or traditional educational games can help reduce dependence on gadgets while enriching children’s social experiences. 

With the right approach, gadgets can be used positively as part of a child’s learning and entertainment process, without sacrificing important aspects of their social and emotional development (Octaviana & Asih, 2022).

The use of devices has both beneficial and harmful effects on their users (Hidayat & Maesyaroh, 2022).  On the one hand, gadgets can bring numerous advantages, including: 1) encouraging the development of imagination; 2) training intelligence; 3) increasing confidence; and 4) honing skills in reading, arithmetic, and problem solving. 

However, there are some drawbacks that must be considered, such as: 1) decreased concentration while learning; 2) laziness in writing and reading; 3) decreased social skills; 4) addiction; 5) risk of health problems; 6) inhibition of children’s cognitive development; 7) disruptions in language skills; and 8) potential influence on children’s behavior patterns (Agustina et al., 2022). 

Baca Juga: Bahaya Gadget pada Anak

Research Methods

This study employs a qualitative approach with the literature study method (library research), which entails thoroughly investigating numerous relevant written sources to comprehend the phenomena of gadget use in early infancy and its impact on their social-emotional development.

This literature review focuses on gathering, evaluating, and interpreting secondary data from scientific journals, books, research reports, academic papers, and other official documents published within the last five years (2020-2024).  

The data analysis technique in this study was carried out in three stages: data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. Data reduction is accomplished by extracting essential information from multiple sources regarding the use of devices in early infancy.

Furthermore, the reduced data is given in the form of an analytical narrative that classifies the good and negative effects of gadget use on children’s social development.

The final phase is to draw inferences based on the patterns of findings in the literature and then make recommendations for alternative educational activities that can lessen gadget dependence while also improving children’s social connections.

Research Results

According to the findings of a literature analysis, the use of gadgets in early infancy is becoming increasingly common, with a reasonably long length of use beginning at the age of three.

Children aged 3-4 years spend an average of 4 to 5 hours per day on devices, whereas children aged 5-6 years can spend up to 6 hours per day in front of a screen (Ar nani & Husna, 2021). This trend demonstrates how gadgets have become an integral part of children’s lives, particularly in the household setting.

Baca Juga: Menghadapi Tantangan Era Digital: Dampak Gadget pada Kesehatan Mental Anak-anak

Discussion

This study aims to explore the impact of gadget use on children’s social development. In today’s digital era, gadgets have become an indispensable part of daily life, including for children. Although the improper use of gadgets can have various negative impacts, if used wisely, gadgets also have the potential to provide educational benefits.

Therefore, it is important to understand how gadgets affect children’s development and the factors that drive their use. Excessive use of gadgets can interfere with children’s social development. Children who spend a lot of time in front of screens tend to reduce the intensity of direct interaction with the surrounding environment.

They become more focused on virtual activities rather than playing and communicating with peers. This has an impact on the lack of physical activity, decreased interest in games that require cooperation, as well as difficulties in building healthy social relationships. 

Dependence on gadgets also affects the quality of the relationship between children and parents. Children who spend long periods of time using these devices often show symptoms of dependence, such as feeling restless when gadgets are not available and decreased motivation to engage in learning activities.

As a result, communication between children and parents becomes limited, as children’s attention is more focused on the gadget screen. However, the use of gadgets does not always have a negative effect. If used wisely and under parental supervision, gadgets can be a very effective learning tool.

Age-appropriate educational content is able to stimulate children’s thinking and help them understand various concepts through interactive media. Thus, the wise use of technology can actually support children’s cognitive and social development. 

There are several factors that contribute to the high use of gadgets among children. First, rapid technological advances have made gadgets more attractive and accessible to them. Kids can now easily operate various apps and games without the need for help from adults.

Second, the increasingly affordable price of gadgets allows almost every household to have a digital device, so that children’s access to gadgets is increasingly widespread. Third, pressure from the social environment, especially peers, also plays a big role.

Children often feel the need to use gadgets so as not to be left behind or different from their friends. Uncontrolled use of gadgets can have various negative impacts, especially for children. One of the most noticeable effects is reduced social interaction.

When children spend more time with gadgets, they lose the opportunity to communicate and interact with the people around them. As a result, a child’s social skills can be weakened, including the ability to communicate, collaborate, and show empathy. In addition, children are also at risk of addiction to gadgets.

They can feel restless and have difficulty getting away from screens when they don’t have access, and tend to ignore other activities that are more beneficial to their development. This kind of dependence can have a long-term impact on a child’s mental health and emotional balance. 

To overcome these various negative impacts, it is necessary to make systematic and consistent efforts from parents and educators. One important step is to set a time limit for using the gadget every day. With clear time limits, children can learn to control themselves and divide their time between other activities.

In addition, it is also important to provide alternative activities that are interesting and rewarding. Children can be invited to play outdoors, draw, read books, or participate in group activities that can develop their social skills. This approach helps children stay active and avoid dependence on digital devices.

Parental supervision is also very necessary. Parents should not only provide a time limit, but also accompany their children when using gadgets. Thus, they can ensure that the content that children access is safe, educational, and appropriate for their developmental needs.

Baca Juga: Pengenalan Gadget kepada Anak

Conclusion

The use of gadgets in early childhood has a fairly complicated impact on their social development. On the one hand, if used excessively and unsupervised, gadgets can reduce the intensity of children’s social interactions, trigger a tendency to be alone, and inhibit verbal communication and empathy skills.

Children who are often exposed to gadgets are at risk of addiction, decreased motivation to learn, and disrupted interpersonal relationships, especially with parents. However, on the other hand, gadgets can also function as useful educational tools if used wisely, controlled, and appropriate for the child’s age.

Educational interactive content can stimulate children’s cognitive and social development. Therefore, the role of parents and educators is vital in regulating the duration of use, choosing the right content, and roviding alternative activities that can encourage direct social interaction. This all aims to balance the use of technology with the needs of child development holistically.

Penulis:
1. Windi Dwi Andika
2. Najlatul Fatiyah
3. Afrah Maritza
4. Devy Juliawi Cahaya
5. Damayanti Sukma
6. Mega Ariska
Mahasiswa Early Childhood Education Study Program Universitas Sriwijaya
Aktif juga di Himpunan Mahasiswa PGPAUD (HMPAUD)

Editor: Ika Ayuni Lestari
Bahasa: Rahmat Al Kafi

Bibliography

Agustina, N. I. M., Ismaya, E. A., & Pratiwi, I. A. (2022). Jurnal basicedu. Jurnal Basicedu,. Jurnal Basicedu, 5(5), 3(2), 524–532. https://journal.uii.ac.id/ajie/article/view/971

Ar nani, N. P. R., & Husna, F. H. (2021). Perbedaan Kecenderungan Adiksi Gadget Siswa Sekolah Dasar Ditinjau Dari Jenis Kelamin. 19, 65–78.

Hadi, R., & Sumardi, L. (2023). Penggunaan Gadget oleh Anak Usia Dini. JIIP – Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan, 6(2), 1062–1066. https://doi.org/10.54371/jiip.v6i2.1324

Hidayat, A., & Maesyaroh, S. S. (2022). Penggunaan Gadget pada Anak Usia Dini. JURNAL SYNTAX IMPERATIF : Jurnal Ilmu Sosial Dan Pendidikan, 1(5), 356. https://doi.org/10.36418/syntax-imperatif.v1i5.159

Octaviana, E., & Asih, S. W. (2022). Analisis Penggunaan Gadget pada Perkembangan Sosial Emosional Anak di PAUD Darul Aman Kabupaten Temanggung. Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan Dan Sains Islam Interdisipliner, 1(1), 53–62. https://doi.org/10.59944/jipsi.v1i1.15

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