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A recent AOL commercial shows a tiny tot banging his toy hammer on a computer mouse as his parent fret over their malfunctioning PC. Miraculously, the kid manages to hit the right keys and the problem is solved, much to the amazement of his parents. It is child’s play – proclaims AOL. But that sentence in itself can be paradoxical, as adults grapple to keep up with technology and their kids seem to breeze through every new update. We all have definitely at least one child prodigy tale to narrate from our experiences as we have seen kids barely learning to walk and speak, happily surfing the net or playing online games. But is this early introduction to technology necessarily a good thing?
Supporters dish out the obvious arguments for giving their kids a head start in the intensely competitive world, driven primarily by technology. Any attempts to delay the process will only result in their kids lagging behind in the veritable rat race. No doubt, these are the formative years of an individual but are the benefits of education or introduction to technology for technology’s sake obvious?
Kids definitely are giving more preference to the online world than the real world. Playing games, which are often freely interspersed with gore and violence, may strengthen hand-eye coordination but the slow degradation and desensitizing the brain doesn’t help much in the long run. Of course, we cannot keep the kids away from the technology for long but shouldn’t they start out with the simple joys of the world first and then work their way up their ladder?
Playing in the rain, climbing trees, running all over the place and playing hide-n-seek with more than 20 friends, having bike races, playing all sorts of team sports right from lagoori to hockey, flying kites, and reading tons of books are only some of the activities that I remember fondly from my childhood. My 15 year old cousin hasn’t done half of the things and there will be a time in the near future when kids might not do any of those pure-joy activities. Those activities not only kept me busy but also helped me socialize with other kids; building team spirit and character (Gosh! I sound like Calvin’s dad, but it is true).
Kids should definitely make full use of technology but only when they are using for a larger purpose. Technology shouldn’t rule their lives nor dictate it. Let them spend some time outside in the sun and the rain. They have to spend their lives crouched in front of computers anyways, as we do. We hate it then but it has become our source of livelihood. Why begin working when you are young and can be out having fun?
by Patrix | on Wednesday, December 15th, 2004 at 12:58 pm | 
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December 15th, 2004 at 1:40 pm reply
You are right..kids these days are not let to while away their time. Being a kid is stressful too! Can you imagine?
December 15th, 2004 at 3:58 pm reply
Alpha - Guess you never know when your childhood ends and adult life begins. That line gets pushed back a lil with every passing generation.
December 15th, 2004 at 5:53 pm reply
my childhood is still firm and intact.
The children of this age are called ’screenagers’ .. children who have been been before a screen all their lives.
December 15th, 2004 at 7:21 pm reply
to quote pu. la. … “hi aaj kal chi mule !!..he vakya saglyana mhannyacha adhikar ahe…” every generation feels the next generation is a step ahead of them…
kids today are in a hurry ..in all ways..be it in technology, fashion or growing up (eg. delhi cell phone incident).
all said n done we have something these kids dont n will never have.. “childhood” ..
“Growing old is mandatory;growing up is optional” .. I live by that quote :)
December 15th, 2004 at 7:45 pm reply
Anya - I love that term - Screenagers
Someone - Trust Pu La to come up with something like that..succinct and true. But the Delhi phone incident certainly transcends all boundaries about growing up…I have a post festering in my mind about that one. Will be out sometime next week.
December 15th, 2004 at 9:41 pm reply
My Dad and his dad feel mighty sorry for us who didn’t spend our summers working in the fields or tending to the buffaloes. These things keep you rooted, they say. But i don’t think not having done all that made a huge difference to my life. You and I feel bad about today’s kids not having their share of what we call ‘fun’, but they themselves don’t seem to care. And my cousins abroad who are the perfect ’screenagers’, as Anya says, don’t think ther life is any worse/incomplete than mine. Every gen has a way of coping, having fun. And i don’t think it’s such a serious issue to worry about.
December 15th, 2004 at 11:18 pm reply
Passerby - I guess everything can be seen in the “different” light. But its just that nostalgia always feels good.
December 15th, 2004 at 11:37 pm reply
I so agree with you dude.
December 16th, 2004 at 12:45 am reply
I would say it depends. The main reason kids become screenagers is because we adults are so busy that we plonk them there. Watch this and let Momy do her meditation or Daddy do work. Unlike our parents we cannot allow kids to roam in the paddy fields or the streets. Today morning my auto driver was deterimined to hit someone and actaully went out of his way to nick a pedestarian…
Obvioulsy I would prefer keeping a kid at home ’screenaGING OR WHATEVER’ than let him explore ..
In this day and age - (atleast in India), open spaces are becoming scarce - and free-time to spend … what was that again?
December 16th, 2004 at 2:10 am reply
A THOUGHT provoking post. somehow it’s parents who are responsible for it. Give each & everything EVEN before they ask. They are making their children so delicate, So much consious about their health. What if my child got infected by this & that. It’s not hygienic. So much restriction for food, almost for everything. Now when children developed their taste like this they can’t expect them to be like them(their childhood days. And please parents don’t expect their children that they listen to them all the time. Are they forgeting they listened their parents. So why have so much expectations. Instead think, work toward making a healthy & growing environment. The good atmosphere at home. Morality & all will pass to them naturally.
December 16th, 2004 at 6:26 pm reply
Smiley - That increases the issues we agree on by one more.
Aurora - The reason that parents do not take much responsibility is becoz personal and family life still comes after work. Raising children is a challenge but can be handled with ease if you have your priorities set right.
Beautiful Life - All you have to do is to teach them to think and distinguish bw right and wrong. The values that you inculcate in early childhood are the ones that stay with them forever. Moral correctness and clarity of thought is passed on from parent to child by merely experiencing everyday things.
December 25th, 2004 at 10:12 pm reply
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