OT – Electronics versus Parents

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  • August 7, 2014 at 7:03 pm
    Claire
    Participant

    I’m amazed and saddened by all these advertisements for computer programs and electronics that mimic interactions that children would normally have with a live person (usually a parent or teacher) that I see on TV now.  Reading or phonic lessons, sight words or colors, even older childrenn’s materials too.  It really makes me aware of how much electronic devices and such are now incorporated and even replacing things in our lives.  I wonder what it means for how we relate to one another as human beings in this next generation … the one that is growing up with this stuff as the norm?  Will relationships be more difficult and complicated and disgarded more often?  I also wonder how to best keep the balance between some of the nicer time saving or interesting aspects of this new world and then the threat of “opening the flood gates” so to speak. 

    August 8, 2014 at 11:52 am
    ruth
    Participant

    I hear you on this.  I love having the internet to learn how to do things and “meet” people in other states and countries that share hobbies and lifestyle choices.  But I also have to really limit my time online or my whole day will be gone before I know it.  I have limited myself to 30 min in the morning to check e-mails, facebook, and this forum.  If I see something I want to look more into I note it down for later when the kids are playing outside or by themselves.  We don’t have smartphones though.  I haven’t had a time when I really felt I needed one.  I noticed a difference in my M-I-L when we went up for Thanksgiving.  She had just got a new smartphone and was looking at it constantly.  I see teens at the park and they don’t talk to each other unless to show them something on their phone.  They are all just looking down at the phones!  I heard on a radio program I listen to in the mornings while making breakfast a disscussion on this.  They were commenting on the lack of great talkers.  The letter count on texting and tweeting has reduced the ability of people to speak eloquently at lenght on a subject.  I also remeber either reading or hearing about people having lack of intamacy due to being able to “hide” behind the computer screen and not wanting to let others in to see their true selves.  I am definately concerned about the future of our world.  I can raise my kids to not depend on electronics and to use them as tools, but what about when the rest of the world is dependant on them for their social life?  I don’t have any answers.  Unless there is some kind of world wide loss of power, these electronics are here to stay for good and only increase. 

     

    August 8, 2014 at 12:13 pm
    ruth
    Participant

    I tried to edit to add that I would allow my kids a kindle paperwhite when they become avid readers and a older cell phone like we have that dosn’t have internet capabilites (we buy our cell phones of e-bay to get oldschool cell phones).  I would allow their own laptop when they can afford one themselves, but to be monitored to make sure they are not spending all their time on it and not using it inappropriately.

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