Analysis of an issue or Event in wellness through the Lenses of Natural and Applied Sciences
Wellness entails the incorporation of healthy habits in our routine activities with the primary aim of attaining better health and mental health outcomes. According to research, a wide range of issues are considered to form part of overall wellness facets. The common facets include social connectedness, exercise, sleep, and being mindful (Anspaugh et al., 1997). It is believed that all these aspects directly influence an individual’s physical and mental wellbeing. When a person begins by making simple healthy choices, they lay a foundation of stress reduction, positive social interactions, and optimal wellness. Media is among the primary aspect that determines our social connectedness. With the changing generation, children are among the individuals who depend on medial for interaction with their friends. However, media influences child development in both negative and positive ways. Children learn at different levels and speeds (Anspaugh et al., 1997). Additionally, they use different learning materials in the stimulation of their minds. Since the development of media technology, some children’s learning capabilities have been significantly impacted on while others have been negatively affected by media through addiction. The essay analyzes the relationship between children and media through the natural and applied sciences and social sciences.
Analysis through Applied and Natural Sciences
Natural and applied sciences entail studying the physical world in disciplines such as biology and related STEM-related fields. Natural scientists are primarily concerned with developing questions by using a specific process in describing, predicting, and observing the natural world. Additionally, natural scientists employ modern methods of understanding the physical universe by developing hypotheses and experimentation. Looking at the natural and applied sciences helps us gain insights about ourselves and the aspects that significantly contributed to our shaping. According to natural scientists’ arguments, if children are unable to learn quickly while growing or retain sufficient information like peers of their age, they may develop a learning disability when they attain the schooling age. Consequently, most scholars believe that electronic media’s introduction to children who already have a learning disability later in life may worsen their capabilities.
Media and technology is not a new thing in education. Most educators rely on media and technology in the delivery of certain teaching materials. Some of the commonly used forms of mass media that have been used by teachers for centuries include books, television, cassette players, and radio. However, with technological advances, gadgets, and technology such as the internet, tablets, mobile devices have been developed (Linebarger & Vaala, 2010). Although some children’s learning capabilities have been transformed through media, some educators believe that the early introduction of children to media has resulted in a decline in their learning disability. Therefore natural scientists believe that early introduction of media to children provides both positive and negative learning avenues.
The evolution of technology and media has contributed to parents and children bonding with their children and communicating frequently effectively. Natural scientists also believe that the brain activities of children who experienced a heavy usage of tablets, smartphones, and video games during their early developmental period are different from that of children who did not spend time on these gadgets (Linebarger & Vaala, 2010). MRI scans of children who use media frequently reveal that their brains become well-developed in their early years of life as opposed to those who did not. However, when children rely too much on media, such as spending more than two hours per day on these gadgets, it results in lower thinking and language test scores. All these negative impacts can be addressed by limiting children’s access to media and promote only high-level media to be viewed by children.
With the introduction of technology to children at a tender age, a bond is created between a child and the device. The impact created by technology is more extreme than what is considered as being social. A study conducted by Linebarger and Vaala indicated that the absence of physical play and engaging games do not create time for children to be social (Linebarger & Vaala, 2010). Due to the dependency of children on media, it results in addiction associated with aggressive problems. Consequently, addicted children present signs of poor adherence and absorption of ideas when compared to their counterparts.
Television serves as a teacher for different children. For instance, the various programs displayed can teach them about racial harmony, cooperation, kindness, and alphabets. Additionally, some television programs incorporate zoo libraries, bookstores, and other recreational settings that serve as a powerful prosocial teaching tool (Linebarger & Vaala, 2010). However, concentrating too much on television deprives children of time for reading and finishing their assignments, which results in harmful effects on their performance. Lastly, children who get used to television programs may also be exposed to violence, inappropriate sexuality, and offensive language. Therefore, children’s caregivers should change children’s television viewing habits to minimize the negative impacts (Linebarger & Vaala, 2010).
Analysis of the Issue through Social Science Lens
Social sciences relate to the study of society and the relationships between people. The interactions of people in social sciences tend to overlap with the humanity lens, especially culture. Through the use of social sciences, it lays a foundation for gaining insights on the interactions between different people and how they strive to improve their ways of life (Mehraj et al., 2014). The social lens is vital in understanding social engagement’s significance during a child’s early developmental period. Most social scientists believe that parents have a critical role in the social learning aspects of a child. If children are allowed to use media without adult supervision, they may learn things that may impair their social interaction aspects with other children (Mehraj et al., 2014).
Additionally, children’s excessive use of social media at an early stage may impair their social interactions with children and their peers. On most occasions, children addicted to media will always spend most of their time locked up in the room, watching things on a screen. This hampers their abilities to interact with their peers and learn some aspects from them (Mehraj et al., 2014). Additionally, addiction to media may result in these children learning some aggressive behaviors when left unsupervised. If children acquire these violent behaviors, they cannot effectively interact with their peers because they will exhibit signs of violence and harm to their counterparts. However, children can use media to connect with their parents when they are not around, which results in their bonding and positive relationships between children and their parents (Mehraj et al., 2014). If children are staying in a divorced family, they can use social media to connect with their parents. Due to the constant use of media in communicating, both the child and parent will know how their children are doing. Lastly, some parents have fixed schedules hence denying their children an opportunity to freely interact with their parents (Mehraj et al., 2014). However, when children know how to use media, they can call their parents via video calls and interact freely with their parents.
Conclusion
Media has both negative and positive impacts on a child’s wellbeing, including learning and development. The Natural and applied sciences and social sciences help provide greater insights concerning how we relate to our physical world and social interaction. To foster children’s overall wellbeing, most natural and social scientists advocate for parents’ supervision when children are using media. Parent’s supervision will lay a foundation for preventing children from viewing things that may negatively impact them. Additionally, to prevent the negative impacts of media among children, organizations, and societal systems must find a strategy that will empower children about the safe use of media.
References
Anspaugh, D. J., Hamrick, M. H., & Rosato, F. D. (1997). Wellness: Concepts and applications. Mosby.
Linebarger, D. L., & Vaala, S. E. (2010). Screen media and language development in infants and toddlers: A natural science perspective. Developmental Review, 30(2), 176-202.
Mehraj, H. K., Bhat, A. N., & Mehraj, H. R. (2014). Impacts of media on society: A sociological perspective. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 3(6), 56-64.