Child Development and Technology Concepts

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Absent Presence

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Moments when a parent's attention drops sharply because they are occupied with their phone, leading to fewer and lower-quality parent-child interactions.

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Cortical Thinning

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A maturational process in the brain's cortex (the wrinkly outermost layer). The NIH study found premature cortical thinning in children who spent more than 7 hours a day on screens.

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Displacement Hypothesis

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The theory that time spent on screens displaces opportunities for other necessary activities. In the context of child development, it refers to screen time replacing essential face-to-face interactions with caregivers needed for social and emotional learning.

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Dopamine

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A brain chemical with a pivotal role in cravings, desire, and feelings of pleasure. Screen time, especially social media, is believed to stimulate its release, which can lead to compulsive use.

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Expectancy Violation Communication Theory

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A theory suggesting that when a person in an interaction violates behavioral expectations (e.g., by using a smartphone), it leads to negative reactions from the other person.

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iGen

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A term coined by psychologist Jean Twenge for the generation of teens born in 1995 and later, who are the first to spend their entire adolescence with smartphones.

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Joint Attention

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The ability to recognize where someone else is looking and then also pay attention to that reference point. It is a fundamental social skill for bonding and learning that develops in infancy.

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Learned Helplessness Theory

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A theory explaining that individuals who feel they have no control over a situation may develop motivational, cognitive, and emotional deficits (like sadness and low self-esteem). This was used to interpret why children 'give up' trying to get an inattentive parent's attention.

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Microsystem

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In Bronfenbrenner’s theory, the first and most immediate system in which a child develops, encompassing personal interactions with family members and others in their immediate setting.

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Persuasive Design

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The purposeful manipulation of the brain's dopamine reward system in technology (e.g., through likes, notifications, leveling up) to make the technology highly addictive and keep users engaged.