Do you remember playing card games like Concentration? By now, I'm sure it can be played online or via cell phone. How convenient. Not.
I am extremely thankful that I didn't have a cell phone or the internet when my children were babies and preschoolers. They would have been huge distractions, and my time with my children just would not have been the same.
Now that the children are older, I've developed a new appreciation for these forms of technology. I wouldn't be blogging if I didn't. But that doesn't mean that I think no limits have to be set, for myself and my children. If I had another child now, I would hold off as long as I could in exposing him or her to cell phones and computers, just as I would strictly limit time spent viewing television.
But hey, that's me. I go against the grain with a lot of things. But when I read articles like the ones I'm about to share, it makes me wonder why so many parents seem to be allowing advanced technology to take away the precious time they have with their children, and where it will all lead:
- Toddlers' Favorite Toy: The iPhone - Letting toddlers play with sophisticated technology before they're out of diapers is worse than giving a 16 year old a Mercedes, in my eyes. Do parents really think their children will get a head start this way? Are we forgetting The Tortoise and the Hare? But wait, it gets worse...Just take a look at this:
- Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction - Is being interrupted and distracted 24/7 a good thing - for teens or adults?
As more and more adults become entranced by screens, the children are watching. There's even a commercial with an adult falling down the stairs because she was looking at a cell phone instead of where she was walking! And this was an ad FOR a cell phone. How sad.
When my daughter was in 6th grade, she was in her room with a group of friends. I just happened to walk in to ask them something, when I saw that they were all texting people who weren't even in the room! Instead of appreciating the fact that they were all together, and communicating with each other, they preferred playing with their phones. Again, how sad.
Am I overreacting here? Please feel free to tell me I am.
With Thanksgiving being on Thursday, I think now's a good time to unplug for a few days. We will cook together, get the house ready, share homemade food, go for a walk, catch up with friends (in person), and maybe even play a game of cards.
My children are beyond playing Concentration (now they're pretty good at practicing the real thing), but there are plenty of other card and board games they enjoy. No cell phones are allowed.
I'll have to write another game-related post sometime soon. In the meantime, please feel free to share any and all thoughts, even if you completely disagree.
Have a safe, healthy, and happy Thanksgiving! And if you have a special way to share unplugged time, please tell us about it.
