I feel that the implications of these findings are numerous and profound. The findings in this article say that kids today spend more time than ever before doing things like text messaging, playing video games, watching TV, and using media in other ways. I believe that increased time spent doing these things means that kids are missing out on other activities and social interaction. Most kids would much rather play with their phone than read a book, this is changing the way kids today are able to function in school. Kids are much more bored and much less creative. The article said that kids spend about as much time using media as adults spend at work. This means that they are bombarded with media and technology and simply do not know how to handle sitting in a classroom without constant stimuli. I feel that kids today are inherently different than kids were even when I was growing up, and I am only 27. Kids now cannot imagine life without cell phones, ipods, facebook,etc. They do not know how to entertain themselves without these devices or function productively in school. The implications of the overuse of technology are beginning to be devastating to kids.
I am curious to know, as an educator how you will cope with what you describe as the "overuse of technology." What do you think that will mean for your classroom?
I read through quite a few blogs and I think the amount of time that this age group uses media surprised everyone a little. The fact that so many young people are doing 2 to 3 things at once is a little overwhelming. I agree with Lisa that the worse part is that young people are not interacting the way that they used to. Without personal contact something is lost in communication. I have seen the increase in media use watching my children grow up. My kids span in age from 25 years to 2. Our oldest got his first cell phone when he graduated from high school. The fifth child received his for grade school graduation -“the last in his class”. I could not believe that a $300 iPod would ever have to be replaced. When I am on my computer I can hear my 6 year old playing Mario Kar on the Wii-and he is generally angry. We are not a high tech family but among us we have iPhones, iPods, a Mac, 5 other laptops and my youngest plays video games at too young of an age. We have fallen into heavy media consumption. We do have some rules at home that have always been there probably because this is how I grew up- no TVs in bedrooms, no phone calls or TV during dinner, reduced video games when it interferes with real life. There has got to be a balance. My kids have had to buy a lot of their own technology just because I don’t understand the need for constant upgrades. I love the convenience of cell phones; I do not like that I never know exactly where kids are checking in from. I love digital cameras; I hate that I have very few “real pictures” of my two youngest kids. Technology offers a lot of benefits but there are drawbacks. As a parent, when I can tell that one of my kids is spending too much time in front of the computer, playing video games or watching TV, I can still shut it off. The only problem is that then I have to get off the computer. Turning off technology can be the best thing you do for your family. But realistically today, we can’t stay un-plugged for long.
I feel that the implications of these findings are numerous and profound. The findings in this article say that kids today spend more time than ever before doing things like text messaging, playing video games, watching TV, and using media in other ways. I believe that increased time spent doing these things means that kids are missing out on other activities and social interaction. Most kids would much rather play with their phone than read a book, this is changing the way kids today are able to function in school. Kids are much more bored and much less creative. The article said that kids spend about as much time using media as adults spend at work. This means that they are bombarded with media and technology and simply do not know how to handle sitting in a classroom without constant stimuli.
ReplyDeleteI feel that kids today are inherently different than kids were even when I was growing up, and I am only 27. Kids now cannot imagine life without cell phones, ipods, facebook,etc. They do not know how to entertain themselves without these devices or function productively in school. The implications of the overuse of technology are beginning to be devastating to kids.
I couldn't get the paste button to work unless I posted this as a comment so that is what it is posted incorrectly.
ReplyDeleteI am curious to know, as an educator how you will cope with what you describe as the "overuse of technology." What do you think that will mean for your classroom?
ReplyDeletejd
I read through quite a few blogs and I think the amount of time that this age group uses media surprised everyone a little. The fact that so many young people are doing 2 to 3 things at once is a little overwhelming. I agree with Lisa that the worse part is that young people are not interacting the way that they used to. Without personal contact something is lost in communication. I have seen the increase in media use watching my children grow up. My kids span in age from 25 years to 2. Our oldest got his first cell phone when he graduated from high school. The fifth child received his for grade school graduation -“the last in his class”. I could not believe that a $300 iPod would ever have to be replaced. When I am on my computer I can hear my 6 year old playing Mario Kar on the Wii-and he is generally angry. We are not a high tech family but among us we have iPhones, iPods, a Mac, 5 other laptops and my youngest plays video games at too young of an age. We have fallen into heavy media consumption. We do have some rules at home that have always been there probably because this is how I grew up- no TVs in bedrooms, no phone calls or TV during dinner, reduced video games when it interferes with real life. There has got to be a balance. My kids have had to buy a lot of their own technology just because I don’t understand the need for constant upgrades. I love the convenience of cell phones; I do not like that I never know exactly where kids are checking in from. I love digital cameras; I hate that I have very few “real pictures” of my two youngest kids. Technology offers a lot of benefits but there are drawbacks. As a parent, when I can tell that one of my kids is spending too much time in front of the computer, playing video games or watching TV, I can still shut it off. The only problem is that then I have to get off the computer. Turning off technology can be the best thing you do for your family. But realistically today, we can’t stay un-plugged for long.
ReplyDelete