Emerging Technologies Supporting Cognitive Development In School-Age Children

Abstract

Over the past few years, the importance of mental health has gained unprecedented attention and priority across various sectors of society. Many children have dealt with some form of undiagnosed or untreated mental illness that interferes with their ability to learn. These disorders can seriously affect daily life and continue into adulthood, creating a precarious home, school, and social life. Due to the increased use of technology over the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, it is now commonplace to rely on technological innovations for mental health in children. Technology has advanced to expand child engagement and interactivity, especially for children who struggle with emotional regulation, social skills, and coping strategies. Research has shown that the human brain is fully developed at age 25. The longer a child has cognitive and emotional stability, the greater it positively affects their lives. Interventions should be given early in the child’s life. And if technology is available to aid in those interventions, everyone should be able to access them. The main objective of this paper is to explore how emerging digital interventions can improve mental health in children, specifically those with deficits in cognitive development. In conjunction with this paper, the website childmindtechnologies.com has been created for practitioners, educators, and parents, aiming to facilitate the adoption of these digital interventions in various settings, whether it be at home, in school, or in clinical environments.