As Christmas approaches, we’re being bombarded with marketing for the latest and greatest electronics for our children – infant to teenagers. If you don’t spend hundreds of dollars on these gadgets, you’re a bad parent who will probably burn in hell. Right? Okay, how about this – get your kids these gadgets, or they will be intellectually stunted, unable to keep up with their peers, and they’ll never get into college if they don’t play their video games! And it will be all YOUR fault when they move back home. You’ll have to support them for the rest of your life, all because you wouldn’t drop a few hundred bucks on the latest gizmo back when you had the chance.
It’s so easy to buy into this garbage. Years ago I did everything but sell my soul to get The Daughter the particular Furby she wanted. I blew the entire Christmas budget on Ebay, bidding on that Furby. With practically no money left, we bought a few cheap arts and crafts supplies so she’d have more than one thing to open on Christmas morning. When the big morning finally arrived, we waited with bated breath as she opened her presents. Soon there were two left; we handed her the small one first, and she opened it while we wriggled in our chairs with excitement. One to go until The Big One! She opened it, took a look, and screamed, “PIPE CLEANERS!!” She leaped up, and started hugging everyone. “Oh thank you thank you thank you thank you!!! PIPE CLEANERS!!! This is great!!! Thanks Mom!”
We looked around at each other, just shocked. What had just happened? “One more present!” I handed her the precious Furby and watched her open it, ready to savor the look on her face when she saw that it was the exact one she’d asked for.
“Oh, great! A Furby! Thanks, Mom, thanks, Dad!” Within five minutes she’d set down the Furby and was twisting those pipe cleaners six ways from Sunday into a variety of items no one could recognize but her. She had a great time.
That was the last time I went nuts trying to get the latest and greatest electronics for Christmas, whether it was academic or not. And somehow, she still turned out to be a great student, well ahead of where she should be academically, and a great person who is a pleasure to be around. So it was nice to read this article which suggests that “electronic gaming at a young age can lead to shorter attention spans, a lack of internal motivation, difficulty with problem solving and a lack of creativity.”
Believe me, I let a Disney VHS babysit my daughter more than once while I did other things around the house. But now there are even electronics that read to your child. It’s too much. As parents, the best thing we can give them is time interacting with us. Not expensive toys.
Wow! Great post! No, it was exceptional!!!
I am the first one to look around and exclaim wonder and amazement with our technological advances. I use advanced computer simulation in my trade and would feel like my arms had been chopped off without my computer or the communication avenues it has enabled us with. I routinely remark how much I wish my dad was still alive to see what has happened… he died in 1990. He once told me, “Learn to understand and use computers or be left behind.” This from a man who knew nothing of them, yet had such insight.
But I see distinct problems when it comes to children with the “instant gratification” modern technology routinely gives. I see it eroding our ability as a society to have the tenacity to see difficult real world undertakings through to their respective ends. Competitive spirit takes a hit, in my eyes. I also have the impression that lack of circumstances requiring us to “make something out of seemingly nothing” (like the pipe cleaners you gave your young daughter, or Tinkertoys, or Lincoln Logs, or toothpicks and glue, etc., etc., etc…) fails to stimulate or grow creativity… at least to the potential that it could be.
I love graphics editing programs and the creativity opportunities that they offer, for example, but what about the creativity that can be found in the very most basic things around us? Crayons, pencils, paints and such? I feel that the computer screen has removed us, all too often, from recognizing the potential in these things as well. Wouldn’t we be a better, more rounded population to more frequently encourage our children to use BOTH? In that way, the learning opportunities with technology and computers would enhance the traditional methods, not just detour and distract children from a more complete growth experience.
What a fantastic observation on your part, Laura!
We continue to send you prayers for improving health and the Merriest Christmas ever! God bless you.
“I love graphics editing programs and the creativity opportunities that they offer, for example, but what about the creativity that can be found in the very most basic things around us? Crayons, pencils, paints and such? I feel that the computer screen has removed us, all too often, from recognizing the potential in these things as well. Wouldn’t we be a better, more rounded population to more frequently encourage our children to use BOTH?”
Amen, brother! But I think the smaller the child, the lower the tech show be. I don’t think all this ADD and behavioral problems are a coincidence. I think it’s because kids are so disconnected from the real world because they spend so much time plugged into electronics.