Whether or not you believe that humans evolved from a common ancestor to monkeys, the fact that evolution is currently taking place is incontrovertible. A technological revolution is occurring, and people of all ages are being forced to adapt or be consigned to the “outdated” group.
Each new generation of children grows up learning how to use and interact with technology progressively earlier. This includes using a computer, watching a TV, listening to an iPod, talking on a cell phone and using gadgets and programs. The result is more tech-savvy children than any of their predecessors.
As quickly as Apple is coming out with the next iPod and iPhone, Google releases another Droid. There are parents buying these devices for themselves and allowing their children to play with them, or buying them specifically for their children.
I have a family friend who bought an iPod Video for their two-year-old daughter, so she could watch movies and listen to music in her room or in the car. Really?
According to the BBC article “Web children ‘living in prisons,'” John Gibson, chair of the Independent Schools Association, told its annual conference that many children are growing up in prison-like environments because they are surrounded by technology and don’t play outdoors enough.
Even though I’m an advocate of media literacy and the role of digital media in education, I agree with Gibson and recognize that there are appropriate levels of use for anything. Too much time spent at a computer or TV screen is not good for you, educational or not. These screens are serving as electronic baby sitters.
Children should not be spending so much time with technology at an early age. Technology is being made more easy-to-use and user friendly, so that learning how to use these devices is not a difficult task. It can be picked up by anyone, at any time, so it does not need to be taught at an early age.
Playing with blocks, magnets, paint, pots and a spoon are all more conducive to a child’s development and growth than time spent in front of a digital screen playing educational games, according to Director of the Hands on Learning Center Nasreen Mohammed.
“They should be outside playing, and in the process of developing their fine and gross motor skills. For example, when they are playing with a shovel and pail, they are learning not to throw sand at each other, but how to be creative and make structures like castles,” she said.
This is why children should be encouraged to play with toys that require them to think and physically challenge themselves, instead of putting them in front of a screen to amuse themselves. They will get the rest of their lives to do that.
