Watching three-year-olds hyperfocus on and nimbly maneuver around their parents' iPhones at church makes me excited that Kimball will spend a good chunk of his childhood in the simple and refreshing atmosphere and culture of Vanuatu. I don't like being a slave to technology, but it is becoming more and more "necessary", at least in Western culture, and kids these days just seem hard-wired to embrace it from the start.
All things in moderation and safety is what I'm thinking. Thoughts?
3 comments:
i'm gonna do my best not to rant here, but i have some strong opinions on the subject. i work with a group of kids who are so technologically overloaded it's ridiculous. i just think it's sad that an 8 year old would feel like they need cell phones and ipods and game systems. it's almost like they don't know how to function without them, and they are losing the ability to communicate personally. i also think it's super depressing that children are losing the ability to imagine and create on their own. they games my kids "make up" are based on movies or tv shows or video games. now i'm ranting...
Sakes alive. I have such strong feelings on this subject that I don't even know where to begin. I'll try to make it short and to the point: Yes, indeed, I truly believe that because of texting, FB, etc., social interactions are changing dramatically and not necessarily for the better. Not only do kids (and adults too!) lose their ability to effectively engage in a give-and-take conversation while looking someone in the eye, they spend ginormous amounts of their time messing around on their devices instead of going out and doing something productive, kind, or of service.
The woman in the article who said that she texted her children (FROM HER BED!!!) telling them to get off of their computers and go to bed would hear a thing or two from me if she was ever so unlucky to run into me: 1) Why is she texting her children as she lies in bed? Get out of your bed and be a parent, lady! 2) Why are your 14 and 15-year-olds online after 11:00 p.m.? Are you monitoring any of the stuff they are looking at, lady? 3) Why is she "amazed at the way Hannah and her 14-year-old brother, Anton, communicate?" You are doing the same thing, lady!
Sheesh, I'm on my high horse, huh! Sorry to sound so holier-than-thou; I readily admit to doing my share of blogging, FB, commenting, etc., (that's an understatement) but I think that Ashley said it perfectly, that there must be a happy medium. And I think that it is the parents' responsibility to BE THE PARENTS and help the kids find that happy medium. Who is paying the bills for the devices? Most likely the parents. Who actually has control but probably chooses not to take the responsibility of saying "no" sometimes? The parents. Really.
k. I'm jumpin' down from my high horse now. I know we're all doing the best that we can so I'm not trying to create guilt or place blame. I am probably the epitome of do as I say, not as I do, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents worth. (Yeah, yeah. I know I threw in a lot more than two cents . . . )
I agree that younger kids shouldn't be given their own cell phones, etc. and older kids (teenagers) should have limited minutes on the cell phone and stuff. Hearing about how many texts those kids send is scary!
but it is becoming more and more "necessary", at least in Western culture, and kids these days just seem hard-wired to embrace it from the start.
I am not trying to disagree with you, I just wanted to make a couple points:
a) Kids are extremely fast learners, that's why they pick up using electronics so fast...that's why it seems "hard-wired" I think...
b) You could say the same thing about phones, TV, other "old" technologies when they first came out.
I'm kind of in a weird position to discuss this because my career/passion is in designing computers, yet I'm not really interested in consumer electronics (I don't even own a tv!). I definitely believe that technology is changing the world for the better/helping people in many ways, but that individuals (esp kids) should exercise moderation, as you said.
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