Sunday’s are a great day to reflect on how we are doing in all aspects of life. Our families, our kids, ourselves and prepare for another killer week ahead as we work towards a purpose in our careers.
After finishing a glorious (all in the eyes of the beholder) evening of camping last night inkids and tech with the Cub Scouts in western Minnesota, I found this article and it truly got me re-thinking about a frequent thought I have – “how much technology is too much technology and when is it appropriate?”
The interesting thing for me as that when you ponder this question, you do it through multiple lenses.
a) Technology as a pacifier – right or wrong, I find myself approving of my kids use and time with “technology” as a way to keep them busy so that I can continue to do what I am doing. I know this is bad and I am probably the only one in the world who does it, but I continue to hope that in the rare times I do, it is adding some value for the long-term (hmmm)
b) Technology as a vitamin – in the article the author poses a great question about when for kids technology such as smartphones, tablets or other devices should be introduced and he deduces it is all about “maturity”. It is always interesting gauging your OWN kids maturity – of course they are mature enough or “no flippin way are they ready for technology”. The fact of the matter is that technology, if given in doses and used the right way can truly be a vitamin for a child’s brain that helps them grow both in skills and maturity.
c) Kids are parrots – as I lay in my tent last night while camping, I found myself continually reading Twitter, checking the score of the Heat/Pacers game 6 and falling asleep listening to iHeartRadio and my favorite talk radio show with my device under my pillow. At the same time I was doing this, my son was saying “can you turn that off, the light is bothering me.” It made me realize that just as I try to end the use of technology at times, he was doing the same and as parents, we need to realize that our children are parrots of our actions, therefore important to set the right example.
d) Our future – the author does a brilliant job of summarizing some great sites for kids to grow their future skills, passions and abilities such as Khan Academy, Codecademy, and Ardunio. All of these are excellent and worth looking into as I hope that we all realize, technology and an appreciation for it vs. a fear or even a “bullying” of it will truly create our society into the future.
Think about it. Are your kids watching you read this now? Do you know what they think of technology and how important it is? Use a few minutes on this Sunday or whenever you are reading this to have the discussion. This might not be “the birds and the bees” but it might just be as important now and into the future.
Another infusion of knowledge…
