Sunday, July 6, 2008

Is Today's Tech Too Much for Today's Kids?

As I drove back from Bald Head Island (a place you really need to visit), we stopped at a Cracker Barrel restaurant for dinner. While waiting for our names to be called for seating, I wandered around the old country store. That is not the reason for this blog...the reason for this blog is what I saw the kids doing, mine and others. They were playing! With the sample toys and being social with each other. No MP3 players stuck in kids ears; no PSP or Gameboy machines. And I cannot help but wonder if we are not selling our kids short by providing the access to technology a little too easily...like our parents may have done with television. I saw kids thinking about how to solve puzzles with their brains and hands instead of a computer mouse. Are our kids becoming too technology dependent to the point of losing the ability/desire to think? I know that technology allows kids to create creatively and to share their work with others and that is a good thing. But I wonder, is there a point where providing technology is providing too much?

3 comments:

Scott Mooney said...

Doug-

I am so with you on this! Wow, I've seen such amazing instances of this. My family and I were having dinner at the fine dining experience known as Denny's (you may have been lucky enough to have experienced this yourself) one time and at a table across from us were a typical family, mother, father, teenaged brother and sister, all enjoying a night out with each other. The only thing was... although they were sitting at the same table, none of them were talking to each other. They were all on their phones, messaging or talking to someone else. My wife and I thought that was the most hysterical and sad thing all at the same time.

I will be living the dilemma you are describing very very soon. As my oldest gets closer to preteen he's going to want all that junk. As someone who wants it all myself, how will I deal with that? Not a clue my friend. Not a clue.

Lori M. Carter said...

Hi Doug,
I think the answer is giving our kids a wide variety of experiences. As for the "high tech" family that found their own company less than appealing.....sounds like they needed a lesson in basic manners. Having, using, and relying on technology doesn't negate the need for learning how to treat one another respectfully - parents included! I remember the day when reading at the dinner table was considered bad manners. But, we didn't ban the book!

LC

atechtchr2c said...

Hi DS,

I also believe there is value in all opportunities to make children think and use their brains. I don't think it's such a bad idea to find a simple balance between both. In doing so, we tap into several types of learning environments as well as engaging different types of learners. Perhaps education needs to find more value in finding a balance between all things, instead of swinging on the pendulum from one extreme to the other.

AG