To what extent is it considered the use of technology impacts upon the social development of children in the early years?

The significance of technology in modern day-to-day life is increasing with new technological advances being made frequently. With this prevalence of technology growing, the impact that it may have on children in the early years is becoming a growing concern for early years professionals and parents alike. This Independent Project was inspired to investigate how far early years professionals view this use of technology to be impacting upon the social development of children due to its growing importance. Developing social skills are also key to building relationships and the futures of communication for children as they develop into young people. The view of professionals upon how technology may be impacting this development is explored in this research project. In order to conduct this Independent Project, a questionnaire was distributed to early years professionals of different qualification levels, roles and experiences around the UK. These collected their view on a range of topics regarding the use of technology in early years. This data was presented in graph format and analysed in relation to relevant literature from recent years. The research highlighted that early years professionals are somewhat concerned regarding the use of technology in early years and how this may be impacting upon the social development of children. Concerns regarding the safety of these devices was also raised during the research, suggesting that work to ensure the effective use of technology in the early years may be required