When I was a kid, cell phones didn't really exist commercially (beepers, anyone?) and smartphones weren't even almost a thing, so obviously parents back then (when did I get old?) did things a little differently. If we were out and about, or even sitting at home, and my parents wanted to keep me occupied so that they could tend to other things, I usually had a picture book, or crayons, action figures, obviously legos because I'm an engineer, and naturally good ole Nickelodeon. Not to mention books like the Bernstein Bears and whatnot...do kids really read that much anymore? Hm. While the television still exists as a means of occupying a child while they're at home, you seldom see kids actively playing with things for extended periods of time anymore.
Not only does it seems like the digital babysitters are the preferred method of entertainment, but that when real toys are used, the kid seems to get pretty bored pretty quickly. For example, when I'm up at my grandparent's house visiting, we always hang out with the people next door with whom we are very close. They're a younger couple (she actually used to babysit me), and they have a son who is 4 or 5, still in pre-school. So when they come over to hang out with my family, they sometimes bring some toys for their son (he also has a little toy bag at my grandparents' house) to occupy him so the adults can have some sort of conversation with one another. Now, these toys do get played with, but within a few minutes he's on the iPad showing me a bunch of TMNT or dragon games that he likes to play, along with a few of his other favorites. It's also worth noting that he's more proficient with that iPad than my aunt...
This new wave of children and technology begs us to consider its influence on parenting. Is it positive or negative? Are parents now lazy, impatient and uncreative, or is it just the way that culture has progressed and this is now just the new norm? It could be a little bit of both, but talking about that is what the comments are for.
I think a big issue here is that tablets, smartphones, and other such devices are a relatively new development. Today’s parents still retain a romantic vision of the their childhood, filled with games and toys like Lincoln Logs and action figures and catching fireflies in glass jars. When their children don’t behave similarly, they feel that they are somehow missing out on key developmental experiences.
ReplyDeleteAre they? Why are these experiences important? Before suspecting if tablets and smartphones are detrimental to our children, we need to examine what they are replacing and whether they serve the same purpose, and in order to do so, we need to identify what those purposes are.
Immediately, creativity and cause-effect come to mind. In playing with Lincoln Logs or action figures, a child can take “building blocks” (literally in the case of Lego or Lincoln Logs) and use them to create imaginative structures or narratives. Classic baby toys, such as rattles and shapes, can teach special relationships. Screen-equivalents to these exist; Minecraft is the most obvious digital equivalent of Lego blocks, and children can certainly learn the effects of their actions in Angry Birds. However, the alarmist view that television is causing children’s brains to leak out their ears might have some kernel of truth. Endless hours of television shows, now made portable by these tablets, likely don’t provide the stimulation or education that traditional toys do.
I guess what I’m suggesting is that screens are a tool that can be used for effective or ineffective parenting. Poor uses of screens are more common than poor uses of traditional toys, but regulating "screen time" might be a misguided action.
I love that you acknowledged both parenting and technology itself as causes for kids becoming more and more involved with technology. It is tough to find the point where the kids are benefiting from being exposed to technology and where they are becoming to dependent, anti-social, and not easily entertained.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion on the matter is that I think technology can really help young kids learn, but is often misused because it isn't policed. I have cousins who are 4 and 6 and they are very tech-savvy for their age (the 6 year old wants his own email address). I've watched them use applications in tablets for math, memory, and reactions to keep their brains active and that's great. The problem arises when parents allow too much use of the tablets/phones and it turns to mind-numbing games. I've also watched my cousins sit in silence for long periods of time just staring at the screen. It puzzles me how they sit on their tablets and my aunt and uncle just let it be.
An epiphany I had when thinking about this issue is this: kids are so into their technology because they want to be like "grown-ups." When I was younger, I always wanted to act like my parents, aunts and uncles, and older cousins. I always wanted to be a part of whatever they were doing and be on their level. My dad cooked a lot, I took an interest in cooking. My cousin drove a big truck, I wanted a big truck (toy or real). I could go on but the point is I looked up to my family and I thought whatever they did was the best thing to do for myself. Now, kids look around and they see parents, cousins, strangers, everyone on their technology. They think that's what older people do and if they can do it, they will belong and be like their idols.
So I think the blame goes to parents who inadvertently show their kids that technology is so important in their lives. Kids are so impressionable and will follow in their parents' footsteps, but they don't know the limits or boundaries to using the technology because it's so complex and there are endless uses for their phones and tablets. They will keep going until they see that they are like the grown-ups around them, which won't come.