How Technology Affects the Development of Motor Skills of Young Children under Three Years Old

Abstract This study aimed to examine the correlation between technology use and the motor development of young children under 3 years     old.Questionnaires were employed for data collection in Macau and Mainland... [ view full abstract ]

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the correlation between technology use and the motor development of young children under 3 years     old.Questionnaires were employed for data collection in Macau and Mainland China families to investigate the current situation of technology use at home and motor development (fine motor skills and gross motor skills), and the relationship between them. According to motor development, motor skills are typically grouped into two kinds-gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills involve the operation and combination of large body muscles, like arms and legs to complete actions like climbing and swimming; while fine motor skills involve smaller movements that occur through hands, fingers, feet and toes, like pointing, picking, grabbing and writing. 187 samples were examined and the results were stated as following: All investigated families exposed their children to screen media when they were under 30 months. Most parents limit the time that their children spend in playing with electronic devices and screen media.  For 18 to 36-month-old children, the later they contacted with electronic devices and screen media, the better their fine motor skills were developed. The negative correlation between motor development and “time in technology use each day” suggested that the more time children spend in playing with electronic devices the worse their motor skills were developed (both fine motor skills and gross motor skills). The negative correlation between motor development and “limited time of playing with electronic devices ” suggested that the longer time parents allow their children to spend in playing with the technology , the worse children performed in motor skills. The relation between technology use in home environment and the motor development was also discussed.  

Keywords: Home environment, Motor Development, Technology use ,Screen media