The effects of the use of media by a child at the preschool stage and outline recommendations for media

by | Jan 17, 2025 | Media

 

Identify the effects of the use of media by a child at the preschool stage and outline recommendations for media use for this stage.

Scenario:
A parent tells you that their preschool-aged child loves using a smartphone, iPad, computer games, or watching tv. The parent is not sure if it is appropriate for their child and wants to learn more.
Explain at least 2 or 3 research-based findings about the effects of media use on a preschool-aged child (3 to 5 years of age). Provide at least 1 or 2 recommendations for the parent regarding the appropriate use of media for a child in this stage.

 

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Effects of Media Use on Preschoolers:

  • Language Development: While some educational programs can enhance vocabulary and language skills, excessive screen time can displace opportunities for real-life interactions that are crucial for language development.
  • Cognitive Development:
    • Attention Spans: Excessive screen time can shorten attention spans and make it difficult for children to focus on tasks.
    • Executive Function: Skills like problem-solving, planning, and self-regulation may be negatively impacted by excessive screen time.
  • Sleep Disturbances: The blue light emitted from screens can interfere with sleep patterns, leading to difficulty falling asleep and poor sleep quality.

Recommendations for Parents:

  1. Limit Screen Time: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 2 years old avoid screen time altogether, with the exception of video calls. For children aged 2-5, screen time should be limited to 1 hour per day of high-quality programming.

Effects of Media Use on Preschoolers:

  • Language Development: While some educational programs can enhance vocabulary and language skills, excessive screen time can displace opportunities for real-life interactions that are crucial for language development.
  • Cognitive Development:
    • Attention Spans: Excessive screen time can shorten attention spans and make it difficult for children to focus on tasks.
    • Executive Function: Skills like problem-solving, planning, and self-regulation may be negatively impacted by excessive screen time.
  • Sleep Disturbances: The blue light emitted from screens can interfere with sleep patterns, leading to difficulty falling asleep and poor sleep quality.

Recommendations for Parents:

  1. Limit Screen Time: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 2 years old avoid screen time altogether, with the exception of video calls. For children aged 2-5, screen time should be limited to 1 hour per day of high-quality programming.
  1. Co-viewing and Active Engagement: When children do engage with screens, parents should actively participate by watching, playing, and discussing the content with them. This helps children understand and process what they are seeing.
  2. Create a Screen-Free Environment: Designate specific times of day as screen-free zones, such as mealtimes and bedtime. Encourage alternative activities like outdoor play, reading, and engaging in creative activities.

Important Note: These recommendations provide general guidance. Individual needs and circumstances may vary.

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