Kids Prefer Gadgets To Family
from the such-is-life dept
Remember when being "sent to your room" was punishment as a kid? Nowadays, with kids have computers, TVs, DVD players and mobile phones, they actually prefer being in their room than being out in the rest of the house with their families. Similar to the study we pointed to a few weeks ago about technology killing the traditional road trip as kids wall themselves off in a digital cocoon, it appears kids would much rather be off alone watching TV, surfing the web and (most importantly) text messaging with their friends. While the article makes it sound like the technology is to blame, that's a weak excuse. The technology didn't put itself in the room and lock the kid up. Shouldn't the parents be somewhat responsible?
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Not really tech...
You are right, its not really technology that's to blame, but it simply highlights the problem. This was happening 20-30 years ago.
I remember my parents punishing me sometimes by sending me to my room. I also remember not caring much as it was in my room that I would read (I was a voracious reader), draw, write or listen to my stereo (remember cassettes and LPs?). If things got really bad tho, my parents found ways for me to learn my lesson...
This is basically a symptom of kids having too much stuff, parents having little time and either being lazy or having no energy to come up with innovative ways of being involved with family members...instead of showing the love, they buy their kids off. Its even worse if the parents are divorced as both parents compete as to who can spoil the child more hoping to curry favor.
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News Flash!
I've never heard of such a thing :-) Really, replace electronics gadgets with toys, books, records and text messaging with phones and the same is true 20 or 30 years ago. 100 years ago you could say the same about sticks and balls.
Too many people want to blame any problem on new "things" when in fact its just the same old wine in a new bottle.
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Withdrawn
.......Ahhh, relaxation and enlightenment!
BTW, one definition of 'adult':
A child who has attained the chronological age of legal majority.
Contrary to common cultural beliefs, adulthood is not related to either wisdom or maturity.
sig: I didn't desert Windows,
Windows deserted me: BSOD
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Dude! Cut the power!
Get them off the gadgets if you want any chance to raise people that can actually relate to other people. Get them on rechargable batteries so their music and reading lights keep working and you'll be fine. They will be too.
But cut the power!
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Me too
Oh, and parents be responsible for anything? Surely not in the USA these days. This is a society where even the V chip isn't enough; Too many parents would rather see the government ban anything on TV and the Internet that they might not want their children to see.
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