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Abstract

The seismic changes brought on by technology in the last decade have far outpaced clinicians’ knowledge about how these changes are affecting children and their parents. While there is still much that isn’t known about the impact of technology usage on the developing brain and on family relationships, applying a developmental framework, such as Erikson’s epigenetic model, is a helpful place to start. From infancy through emerging adulthood, children are using technology in different ways, depending on their stage of development. At each stage, technology can facilitate or inhibit development. In infancy, technology can disrupt early attachment and help with new parents’ isolation. For toddlers, it can augment or replace traditional fantasy play. School-aged children find themselves required to use technology for school, but are also drawn toward video games at the expense of outdoor time. While teens and emerging adults may be prone to misusing technology as part of their identity formation and separation from parents, technology can also facilitate peer relationships. For each developmental stage, the authors offer a vignette, a description of media use, a developmental interpretation of technology use, and guidance for clinicians.