Child Welfare and Information and Communication Technology

Furthermore, internet exposure interferes with the school readiness skills. Early exposure to television suggests disruption of school readiness skills According to Barr (24). Too much tv to children affected their reading and identifying scores. Also. Children viewing adult-controlled programs led to the reduction of parent-child rapport (Barr 25). The study also showed that the programs also affected the quality and quantity of infants play than when the television got turned off. Assumedly, the tv impacted the attention reflex from their toys to the screen. Barr (25) stated that interference of a child's play would affect the attention retention later in life.

On the other side well-designed programs especially educational ones for over two years of age impacted the children positively. The children developed the long-term academic skills and pre-academic skills and subsequent language growth (Barr 25). The studies proved inconclusive because, at the time of the survey, there existed fewer products for the children in the media, especially television.

Child Welfare and Information and Communication Technology

Contemporary, the child welfare groups use the information and communication technology to improve the process of child welfare. Development of communication and case management and software suggest the provision of essential data and focused interventions to the major users (Darcy & Tregeale 1482). The ICT sector can improve information delivery and communication order in children welfare.

The child welfares websites through the ICT development increases the chance of users' participation (Darcy & Tregeale 1486). Before the growth of the internet, time to interact with the workers of this department was inadequate or very little as well as was determined by the workers. In today's world, the internet offers the users with direct communication services whenever they need it(Darcy & Tregeale 1486). The online communication saves the workers time or those who need the services met as before.

More so, ICT development signified the distribution of texts to users. The use of ICT ensures confidentiality and privacy of the information about children (Darcy & Tregeale1488). ICT gives the children welfare websites users the power to control the information they want to distribute. The users can see and give a go-ahead of the information on the record. It also enhances distribution of text through automatically sending the messages (Darcy & Tregeale 1488).

The use of ICT further improves the quantity and quality of the information. Many people find the use of the internet interesting (Darcy & Tregeale 1488). Therefore, children with proficiency on the internet may quickly engage with the service providers. People affected by social and economic circumstances can find this type of medium appropriate to use. Hence, a lonely child can interact with social workers through the internet (Darcy & Tregeale 1488). The ICT infrastructure also offers to those with taboo issues related to children a platform to communicate. Therefore the user feels free to use the world wide web without fear of getting jeopardized. The freedom and confidentiality increase disclosure of information.

Contrastingly, the use ICT comes with some risk. One of the risk is the children's vulnerability when online (Darcy & Tregeale 1490). This threat mainly affects the emotionally weak. Nowadays, cyber-bullying and pedophiles numbers on the internet increased tremendously. The ability of instant messaging gives these dangerous groups mechanic to access the children using the internet. Although the use of web improves the quantity and quality of information, allowing children to use the internet exposes them to cyber-bullying and pedophiles. Other negative impacts of the use of internet in children welfare include distortion of online information, reduction of direct communication and marginalizing the disadvantaged groups.

The growth of ICT plays a major role in children welfare in both positive and negative ways. Dissemination of information keeps on rapidly changing. Children's exposure to the internet and media needs proper regulations that can curb the vice and protect the children from harm as well as help them utilize it positively.

References

Barr, S. (2010). Infant and Early Childhood Exposure to Adult-Directed and Child-Directed Television Programming. Merrill - Palmer Quarterly, 56(1), 21-48.

Darcy, M. &Tregeagle, S. (2008). Child Welfare and Information and Communication Technology: Today's Challenge. British Journal of Social Work, 38 (8), 1481-1498.

Harrison, K., & Peralta, M. (2015). Parent and Child Media Exposure, Preschooler Dietary Intake, and Preschooler Healthy-Meal Schemas in the Context of Food Insecurity. Journal of Communication,65(3), 443-464. DOI: 10.1111/jcom.12153