CHAPTER 1

NATURE AND BACKGROUND

Technology has always been advancing throughout the

years. It has made a big impact on people especially on

lifestyle. One of the many things that are affected in the

society; having been a common source of information and

entertainment. In today’s modern age, gadget has become a way

of life. Gadgets nowadays are basic need for everyday

lifestyle. Gadgets gave a big impact into the history of

humanity because of its use. The history of gadgets spans as

far back as humanity itself- since hominids began creating

tools to make their lives easier. Humans have always created

devices and appliances with specific practical purposes that

were initially thought of as novelties, due to unfamiliarity

with and initial unwillingness to accept the technology.

Excessive use of gadgets such as mobile phones,

tablets and computer desktops can cause physical and mental

damage to children. According to a study, a child will likely

to become overweight and develop seizure and vision problems

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when they spend too much using gadgets. In Central Visayas, one

of the regions in the Philippines, a National Nutrition Country

(NNC) Region 7 study reported 3 percent of children are

considered as obese and overweight. A health article states

that the thinking and emotional development during the first

five years of a child is crucial. Allowing them to spend 2

hours a day can impact irreversible damage such as slow

cognitive development and attention deficit.

Digital screens cause eyestrains and other related

symptoms like vision difficulties and headache. Kids are more

vulnerable than adults and spending too much time with gadgets

can affect their vision. It is difficult to keep children away

from gadgets but you can take steps to minimize adverse

effects. Speech refers to verbal form of communication used by

humans, and language refers to the whole system of

communication spoken or written, verbal and nonverbal.

A child with a language delay might pronounce words well

but only be able to put two words together. A child with a

speech delay might use words and phrases to express ideas but

be difficult to understand. Speech delay, also known as alalia,

these two problems often overlaps. Many researchers have

studied this and also concluded many theories about it. By

using screening tool, researchers studied that the more time

children spends on smart phones, tablets and electronic games

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and other handheld devices the more likely the child have

delays in expressive speech.

Children will learn to talk and communicate through

interactions with others. This is the way how they will learn

to communicate well if they are not communicating they are not

learning. Every one minute that your child is spending on the

screen is one minute fewer that he could speak or learn with

others. Screen time is the time your child is spending on

screen whether it’s TV or any other gadget. Screen time takes

away the time of the child which he can spend by talking and

communicating with other people.

The study found that the more time children between the

ages of six months and two years spent using handheld screens

such as smart phones, tablets and electronic games, the more

likely they were to experience speech delays. There is no

running away from the fact that technology is ruling our lives.

Toddlers have become the main target audience of tech toys and

multimedia companies. Some of the most prominent toys include

robots, tablets, mobile phones and interactive digital books.

The fact that these devices can be carried around everywhere

makes them an integral part of children’s lives.

Tech toys introduce children to a virtual world. Face-

to-face communication is replaced by touch screen interaction

with cartoon characters. Toddlers do not have the ability to

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comprehend the difference therefore, that special bonding

between parent and child also get affected. Lack of

communication also results in delayed language skills. Children

learn to control things in a pre-programmed and mechanical

manner. They tend to remember every move by-heart and just keep

repeating it in every play. This hampers their creative

thinking and imagination ability. They get into a habit of

doing things the way they are taught. It also restricts their

learning ability. Exploring, finding different ways or coming

up with creative ideas might seem as an alien concept to them

in the future.

Once again, with the virtual world at their finger tips,

toddlers fail to notice the surrounding. They do not enjoy

playing with other children in the park. This results in lack of

social skills among toddlers. Learning social interaction at an

early age is very important. If this addiction is not controlled

at the right time, children may get used to being lonely. They

will face difficulties interacting with friends and teachers at

school. A fear of crowd will overpower them. Sitting at one

place staring at the screen or just pressing buttons of remote

controlled toys can have adverse effects on children’s health.

Modern gadgets are not necessary in child development. Children

can thrive on being talked to and read to.

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 Overexposure to gadgets may cause attention deficit;

cognitive delays and impaired learning. Staring at screens also

strains the delicate eye tissues of the toddlers. In addition,

tech toys don’t engage children in physical activities which

results in delayed body development. In the long run, it can

also make a child obese. Technology is the buzz word of the

century. Depriving your children of this advancement is not a

viable solution. Expertise in technology will form the base of

whatever career they choose. The real challenge is to make an

informed choice. Parents should use their parental instincts to

limit their children to exposure to technology. Toddlers

actually need very limited access to tech toys. Choose toys that

encourage, social and verbal skills, imagination and allows you

to play along with children.

Technology is not all bad. It has its own advantages in

today’s world. But it needs to be introduced in the right way at

the right age. Maintain a balance between tech toys and

traditional toys like building blocks and pretend play games. Do

not leave them unsupervised while using gadgets. One of the

biggest clinchers that enabled gadgets to effortlessly grab a

child’s attention is the sounds and bright colors of online

games. Gadgets should be used with conscious awareness of what’s

best for your child particularly in the early days of childhood.

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Statement of the Problem

The main problem of this study is to analyze the

Implications of excessive use of Gadgets to the Speech

Mechanism of Toddlers. Specifically, it attempts to answer the

following questions:

1. How does excessive use of gadgets affects the speech

mechanism of toddlers?

2. Is there any significant relationship between excessive use

of gadgets and speech mechanism of toddlers?

3. Based from the data gathered, what are the suggested ways on

how to limit the use of gadgets to the toddlers?

Objective

The objective of this study is to determine the

implications of excessive use of gadgets to the speech mechanism

of toddlers.

1. To determine how excessive use of gadgets affects the speech

mechanism of toddlers.

2. To find out if there is any significant relationship between

excessive use of gadgets and the speech mechanism of

toddlers.

3. To determine the suggested ways on how to limit the use of

gadgets to the toddlers.

Hypotheses

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 Based from the different questions posited in the study,

hypotheses the deduced were:

1. There are no effects of excessive use of gadgets to the

speech mechanism of toddlers.

2. There is no significant relationship between excessive use of

gadgets and the speech mechanism of toddlers.

3. There are no suggested ways on how to limit the use of

gadgets to the toddlers.

Significance of the study

The study deals with the implications of excessive use of

gadgets to the speech mechanism of toddlers which is necessary

not only for the researchers but also for today’s generation.

Gadgets like tablets, smart phones and not-so-smart phones are

multiplying five times faster than we are, with our population

growing at a rate of about two people per second, or 1.2 percent

annually. For the first time ever there are people, including a

growing number that only communicate with other machines. The

number of active mobile devices and human beings crossed over

somewhere around the 719 billion mark.

To the parents: This study will help the parents to guide

their kids in using gadgets responsibly. Teaching their kids to

socialize to other people could improve their kids’ mental and

emotional health.

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 To the toddlers: This study may help the toddlers to be

aware of the consequences they may encounter if there is

excessive use of gadgets. They should understand that social

interaction is essential in order to grow and develop their

capabilities as an individual.

To the future researchers: This study may help the future

researchers to be guided about the implications of excessive use

of gadgets to the speech mechanism of toddlers. Future

researchers may also use it in some of their resources for their

future studies. This study is a big help for the future

researchers to be aware of the things related to their study.

To the researchers: This research may benefit them on

accomplishing their requirements in research. The result of this

study may be beneficiary for the researchers because it will

give them the knowledge about the implications of speech

mechanism to the toddlers and how it affects toddlers.

Conceptual Framework

Due to the excessive use of gadgets of toddlers, their

ability to socialize and interact may have a great impact to

their speech mechanism.

The first box shows the input which is the excessive use

of Gadgets of Toddlers.

The second box shows the process which is the surveys,

questionnaires and interviews.

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 The third box shows the output which is the Speech

Mechanism of Toddlers.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Effective ways
Excessive Use Surveys,
of Speech
of gadgets of Questionnaires,
Mechanism to
Toddlers Interviews
the toddlers

Figure 1.1 Research Paradigm of the Implications of Excessive Use

of Gadgets to the Toddlers

Scope and Limitations

This study focuses on the implications of the excessive

use of gadgets to the speech mechanism of toddlers. This study

will undergo interviews and surveys to answer the questions about

on how can gadgets affect the speech mechanism of toddlers. The

study may be very helpful especially for the parents to be aware

of the possible outcomes if their children are exposed to too

much gadgets.

Definition of Key Terms

Toddler may be conceptually defined as a young child who is just

learning to walk. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

It may be operationally define as a child aging 1 to 4

years old.

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Technology may be conceptually defined as the use of science in

industry, engineering, etc; to invent useful things

or to solve problems. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

It may be operationally defined as people’s lifestyle

and have been the common source of information and

entertainment.

Gadgets may be conceptually defined as a small mechanical or

electronic device with a practical use but often

thought of as a novelty. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

It may be operationally defined as the basic need for

everyday lifestyle.

Speech Mechanism may be conceptually defined as a spoken

expression of ideas, and opinions, etc. (Merriam-Webster

Dictionary)

It may be operationally defined as verbal form of

communication used by humans.

Language may be conceptually defined as the system of words or

signs that people use to express thoughts and feelings

to each other.

It may be operationally defined as the whole system of

communication spoken or written, verbal and nonverbal.

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 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter deals with the related studies and related

legal bases about the Implications of excessive use of gadgets to

speech mechanism of toddlers.

Related Studies

According to (Mahendru, 2014) Speech, being the natural

form of communication, is the most basic and commonly used

communication by all the human beings. For common people speech is

just sound waves coming out of the human mouth and

perceived/listened through ears. But there is a complex mechanism

behind its production. Speech synthesis is required for many

moderns’ day devices such as speech vocoders, speech recognition

devices, hearing aids etc. Speech modeling, which is the first

step of speech synthesis, is a complex as human speech production

mechanism. Speech produced by different people differs in their

basic parameters.

This study proves that speech is the natural form of

communication. In this case the study encourages the parents of

the children to guide them in using gadgets. Children must learn

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how to interact rather than spending their time on gadgets.

Toddlers must work on how to socialize in their young age for them

to be equipped in the future.

According to (Eagle, 2013) Speech discourse is often given

as the most basic and universal form of exchanging information and

as such has occupied a central role in questions of human

rationality, agency and identity. However, even within disability

studies, very little thought has been given to the actual form of

speech production as an embodied act. Discourse around stuttering

and other communicative disorders is not nonexistent; several

academic journals are devoted to speech pathology and therapy.

The researchers can relate in this study because it is

stated that communicative disorders are existing. This study shows

that toddlers that may experience damaging effects of too much use

of gadgets may undergo speech pathology and therapy in order to be

healed.

According to (Konurbaev, 2015) Language exists in and

through speech and knows no other form of existence. Speech is

arguably wider and more diverse than language and fulfils one of

the most fundamental needs of man – to communicate.

This study proves that languages exists for the people to

communication and interact with others. Toddlers should know and

understand that in communicating, it is essential to speak

fluently in order for them to be understood by other people.

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 Recently, every other day information technology or IT

invents lucrative gadgets are attracting the attention of the

present generation. As a vulnerable group, the youth becomes the

largest consumer of such devices and services, which in turn makes

them addicted to them at some point of time. Addiction is the

continued repetition of a behavior or an activity independent upon

the adverse or negative consequences of the same (Angres and

Angres, 2008) or it can be a neurological impairment which leads

to such behaviors (American Society for Addiction Medicine, 2012).

This study states that every other day there are new

gadgets that are addicting which attracts the generation today.

Addiction can lead to negative effects to children and toddlers.

It can result to neurological impairment or speech delays to

toddlers.

Actually the term addiction means the high degree of

likeness towards a particular thing or subject. According to

Kimberly Young (2010), addiction to technology is a habitual

compulsion to engage in using technology instead of using it to

address life’s problems. They use technology as a coping mechanism

to avoid conflict.

Once a children has been engage in using gadgets, it can

lead to addiction and excessive use of it. There are many negative

implications if toddlers become addicted in using gadgets. Strong

parental guidance and consent is advice.

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 There are inconsistent studies to clarify whether screen

time is good or harmful for children (BHF National Centre, p.3).

Most parents reported that watching educational television

programs helped in the learning process (Peisner-Feinberg, 2004).

However, recent studies from Pagani et al. (2010), Tremblay et al.

(2011), Ramirez et al. (2011) and Leatherdale and Ahmad (2011)

concurred that screen time decreased academic achievement,

fitness, lowered scores in prosocial behavior and self-esteem, and

instead increased victimization, lead to sedentary lifestyles and

even obesity.

The studies states two different cases, first watching

educational programs in gadgets helps toddlers in their learning

process which is good. However, too much screen time has negative

effects to children, this can lead to speech delays.

Children are lacking in exposure to outdoor activities. For

instance, in Singapore and Malaysia, besides watching television,

playing gadgets could be the main factor of myopia or, near-

sightedness (Koh, 2012).

Children that are addicted in using gadgets lacks time in

other things. One example is socializing with other people,

children who merely socialize with other people and expose

theirselves in using gadgets will have difficulty in socializing

and lead them to some negative implications.

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 Early language development provides a foundation for the

development provides a foundation for the development of later

language and literacy skills. Spoken language milestones in first

few years of life are frequently found to be delayed in child who

shows language and literacy problems later in life, implying that

early spoken language development can play a substantial role in

in a school-age oral and written language performance

(Scarborough; Lyytinen et al.). Although the cognitive- behavioral

outcomes of “late talkers” have been previously explored, the

associated neurobiological characteristics of children who are

early or late talkers, such as the neural circuitry for speech and

print processing, are not well characterized.

This study states that spoken language milestones in first

few years of life are frequently found to be delayed in child who

shows language and literacy problems later in life. These problems

may occur if a child is expose in using gadgets.

Children typically speak their first words at around 12

months and begin to put words together prior to 2 years (Zubrick

et al). It has been argued that there are sensitive periods of

language development and those children who fail to achieve the

appropriate language milestones in the first years of life are at

risk for later problems in receptive and expressive language

during school age and beyond.

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 The study states that children speaks their first words at

around 12 months and begin to put words together prior to 2 years.

So if toddlers are expose in using gadgets in early stage of their

lives it may affect their speech mechanism and will take a long

time to be able to speak.

According to (Teng, 2013) Children using electronic gadgets

like smart phones at a younger age are increasingly exposed to

certain social and health risks that come with it. The study found

that 65% of the children started playing with electronic devices

before they turned three. Most of the children – 95% played video

and stimulation games on the devices. Half of them said they used

them to play educational games such as spelling quizzes. Other

uses include surfing the Internet and social networking. Some 85%

of the parents felt their children benefited from using the

gadgets, as they saw them becoming more IT-savvy. Many, however,

we’re not aware of the risks involved in the misuse and excessive

use of these devices.

This study shows that 65% of the children starts playing

electronic devices before they turned three years old, 95% played

video and stimulation games on the devices. Parents are not aware

of the risks involved in the misuse and excessive use of gadgets.

So parents must take good care of their children and if possible

don’t let their children be expose in using gadgets.

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