We’ve gotten to a point where we can rely on technology to again, the point, where we are dependent on it. For better or for worse, technology is a huge part of how we live our daily lives. Even for the older generation, the parents, we are pretty much adapting as well. As many as the stories are about funny older folks who just can’t understand why the unplugged telly won’t go on, the lot of us are steadily getting there. Schools are requiring more and more use of social media and online research- some schools are even asking the kids to use tablets instead of books.
However, while some things are better done automated, some are still better left to traditional options and should stay there.
Toys
This is slowly becoming a pretty heavy debate among the older and younger generation of parents. Touch screen devices are falling into hands too tiny to hold them up, and robotics are beginning to replace man’s best friend. It’s not all bad, however- it can be argued that for the older kids, technology gives them such immense access to knowledge made attainable, and a greater platform for creativity.
For the young tots, though, it just goes to show how the traditional still wins out. Wooden toys have been around since wood, I would gather (pun!), and still remain one of the best toys to have in the play pen. Wood is organic, affordable, and contains much less toxins than their plastic, rubber and metal counterparts. I’m not quite sure if swallowing a battery is more dangerous than a wooden horse, but I doubt the latter would even fit anyway.
Studies
It’s rather unfortunate that we can observe the deterioration of handwriting among the youth. As convenient as laptops and tablets are when it comes to lectures and distributing notes, handwriting is a skill so basic and necessary that having it completely lost could very well knock humanity down yet another peg.
On the other hand, the vast amounts of knowledge and research material that are made accessible because of such technology is staggering. Kids today probably know a lot more about history than we did when we were young.
Sheer convenience
In terms of sheer convenience, it’s hard to argue with what technology has managed to provide us today. For those of us who want seamless communication across borders and access to information, our everyday gadgets provide those as the bare minimum.
For those who use technology for business, online work forces exist to help with anything from restaurant Web Design, to online advertising and marketing, to network building and graphic design. You can easily outsource work from your home to anyone you think has the skill, from where anywhere around the world.
I guess the key for parents is to find the perfect balance. Technology is a privilege that should be used to enhance our efforts by making it more convenient, not the other way around. I suppose something to instill in the kids is that no matter how incredible a computer is, someone still has to turn it on.