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rockinhamburgerI used to visit my granny every Sunday afternoon when I was a child. She would sit me down with various craft supplies, and my favourite thing to make was the cardboard guitar (this was long before my days of actual guitar playing, but clearly I was a musician at heart from a young age!). Did you ever make one of those? You know, with an empty tissue box? You rip off the plastic around the opening, then you cut a hole in one end and stick an empty paper towel roll in it, and then you stretch elastic bands around the tissue box so that they're stretched over the opening, and VOILA! You have your very own guitar that makes wonderful, elastic-y music.
I also remember making cardboard dioramas. Remember those?? I'd make an ocean floor, with fish hanging from the top, a big treasure chest on the bottom, and flashy blue paper as a backdrop.
I was a crafty child. Maybe you were too?
Kids still make crafts today, but I've noticed a slight shift in what exactly kids are crafting.
My best friend's mom is a nanny for these two adorable girls. They're 7 and 9 years-old. They listen to the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus. That's okay! When I was their age, I was listening to the Spice Girls and the Backstreet Boys (and The Beatles and Chris de Burgh and Queen and R.E.M, but I digress)!
But craft-wise? These girls aren't crafting ocean floors and hand-made guitars, they're making cardboard cell-phones and laptops. And don't they have toy cell-phones now, with candy inside? I know they have toy laptops and iPods available for purchase as well. You know, to help get these kids tech-obsessed early on.
Isn't that a little sad? That children want computers and cell-phones when they're 7 and 9? It starts early, man. Kids are becoming as dependent on, obsessed with, and addicted to technology and efficiency as we adults are, and they believe, because they're taught (not necessarily consciously) that indulging in these luxuries is adult, mature, grown-up.
I do realize this is an inevitable, inescapable consequence of innovation, industrialization, and progress. It is becoming increasingly regular and perhaps even necessary for teenagers to own laptops and cell-phones. I'm sure, from a teacher's perspective, computers and laptops make teaching a breeze, but I'm not sure I agree with the concept that teaching should be easy; it's damn hard, and I rather think it should be! Learning isn't easy; why should teaching be? You know, fifteen years ago I was learning how to write in cursive. I was writing short stories and essays on loose-leaf sheets of paper with pens and pencils. Or I was playing outside with my sister, visiting friends and using our imaginations.
What are many kids doing these days? When they're not in school or doing homework, they're playing video games, watching television, and surfing the internet. Maybe they go outside occasionally, but a lot of these kids much prefer to be inside, escaping into virtual, fictional worlds of whimsy. I love kids, I babysit a lot; this is something I've noticed, and I'm not sure it's entirely healthy, even if it is unavoidable and no doubt irreversible.
I'm not saying technological advancement is evil. I just think it's little bit sad and scary that this outlook and behaviour has become the norm. I'm also not saying technology is ruining our children. I definitely don't believe that. My sister and I had a television in our room for all of our childhood and adolescence, and we were perfectly capable of turning off the television, and you know what? We did! We went outside and played tag, or we went for a long walk, or we created imaginary worlds with our toys. My friends and I played role-playing games in the schoolyard, where we were animals or hybrid animal-superheroes. We were not enslaved by technology, and I don't think kids are today. But I have noticed this intriguing, somewhat sad, growing trend, and I do think this is something worth thinking - and maybe even talking with kids - about.
What do you think?
I also remember making cardboard dioramas. Remember those?? I'd make an ocean floor, with fish hanging from the top, a big treasure chest on the bottom, and flashy blue paper as a backdrop.
I was a crafty child. Maybe you were too?
Kids still make crafts today, but I've noticed a slight shift in what exactly kids are crafting.
My best friend's mom is a nanny for these two adorable girls. They're 7 and 9 years-old. They listen to the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus. That's okay! When I was their age, I was listening to the Spice Girls and the Backstreet Boys (and The Beatles and Chris de Burgh and Queen and R.E.M, but I digress)!
But craft-wise? These girls aren't crafting ocean floors and hand-made guitars, they're making cardboard cell-phones and laptops. And don't they have toy cell-phones now, with candy inside? I know they have toy laptops and iPods available for purchase as well. You know, to help get these kids tech-obsessed early on.
Isn't that a little sad? That children want computers and cell-phones when they're 7 and 9? It starts early, man. Kids are becoming as dependent on, obsessed with, and addicted to technology and efficiency as we adults are, and they believe, because they're taught (not necessarily consciously) that indulging in these luxuries is adult, mature, grown-up.
I do realize this is an inevitable, inescapable consequence of innovation, industrialization, and progress. It is becoming increasingly regular and perhaps even necessary for teenagers to own laptops and cell-phones. I'm sure, from a teacher's perspective, computers and laptops make teaching a breeze, but I'm not sure I agree with the concept that teaching should be easy; it's damn hard, and I rather think it should be! Learning isn't easy; why should teaching be? You know, fifteen years ago I was learning how to write in cursive. I was writing short stories and essays on loose-leaf sheets of paper with pens and pencils. Or I was playing outside with my sister, visiting friends and using our imaginations.
What are many kids doing these days? When they're not in school or doing homework, they're playing video games, watching television, and surfing the internet. Maybe they go outside occasionally, but a lot of these kids much prefer to be inside, escaping into virtual, fictional worlds of whimsy. I love kids, I babysit a lot; this is something I've noticed, and I'm not sure it's entirely healthy, even if it is unavoidable and no doubt irreversible.
I'm not saying technological advancement is evil. I just think it's little bit sad and scary that this outlook and behaviour has become the norm. I'm also not saying technology is ruining our children. I definitely don't believe that. My sister and I had a television in our room for all of our childhood and adolescence, and we were perfectly capable of turning off the television, and you know what? We did! We went outside and played tag, or we went for a long walk, or we created imaginary worlds with our toys. My friends and I played role-playing games in the schoolyard, where we were animals or hybrid animal-superheroes. We were not enslaved by technology, and I don't think kids are today. But I have noticed this intriguing, somewhat sad, growing trend, and I do think this is something worth thinking - and maybe even talking with kids - about.
What do you think?
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no subject
Date: 2010-02-15 06:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-15 06:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-15 08:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-15 11:34 pm (UTC)I don't know, here it's pretty necessary for 9 and 10 year olds to have cellphones because they take the trains by themselves, and such. Sure a lot of my students are addicted to their iPods and videogames, but they're just as likely to go play in the park on the weekends. *shrug*
I certainly agree that kids are getting way addicted to technology, but I don't see why its hard for the parents to limit it. Kids might want to stay online and on their video games, but thats why they have parents, to not let them.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-16 03:46 pm (UTC)I can understand, in certain situations, children requiring cell phones, and the situation to mentioned makes perfect sense. I'm definitely talking about kids who live in the city and take the bus with other kids from their high school. I guess it's always good to have a phone on you, just in case, but it more concerns me that some kids want them so badly, you know?
And that's exactly it! That's precisely what needs to be done. There needs to be a limit placed on how much television and video games kids play, and it really is up to the parents.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-19 06:29 pm (UTC)When I was 8 or 9 I'd go biking with friends, running around playing tag and overall ; be a kid.
But then I moved. And not just to a different city, no. To a whole different country that speaks a whole different language (I went from China at 3years old to Canada to China again), a language I have never spoken fluently not even as a 3 year old (I could only speak a dialect back then).
And it's been frustrating. I go to a private school which means a lot of my friends have big bucks. I don't really care about that if it wasn't for the fact they live across town. And not even really across town, across the city. Heck, one of my friends lives so far out in the suburbs that he's not even on the city map!
And I really, really miss my friends from elementary school. It's been an insanely long time, but I hold on to their memory as they're the most important part of my childhood. I still remember the day we put on a school musical called 'Dig It' and my friend freaked out and missed her line.
So, technology has become an insanely important part of my life as it's the only connection I have to people I truly care and miss. Although, most of my friends in China get frustrated that I never have my cellphone on, can't get into the habit of charging it. Would I like spending mroe time outside? I would. But to what extent? None, and I mean none of my friends live closer than forty-five minutes away. None of them understands the concept of getting together for the sake of getting together. Not to mention, costs are high here, well my friends are high maintenance at times.They say to me: "Chris, what the hell is on your mind? That's what MSN groups are for."
I personally hate watching television here. Mostly because it's bothersome to have to mentally translate every word they say into English and then respond to it. I spend a lot of time on the computer just simply connecting to the people I miss and trying to catch up to the lifestyle I miss. I crave going back to Canada so much, it's just not an option for me at the moment. I miss actually having a park around where I can go jogging without worrying about stepping in dog poo (goose poo being a totally different story) and cross a street without feeling like I'm bargaining my life. I want to, but my environment doesn't give me much choice.
The sole dependence is very frustrating and worrisome at times. I asked my friend when was the last time he played tennis. He told me he played it yesterday...on the Wii.
There's a fine line between entertainment and obsession, and there are quite a few people crossing that line.
Oh, and when I was a kid...cell phones were still huge blocks. And, computers were lucky to have 20 gigabytes in it. Heck, American Idol didn't exist!
no subject
Date: 2010-02-19 06:34 pm (UTC)Oh, one last thing. When I was younger, teachers actually put emphasize on grammar. But it doesn't work when you get a string of teachers after wards that throws grammar into the wind. *just got her SAT scores*
Okay, two last things. I had like, one class in elementary school about cursive. I am insanely jealous of people who can write cursive. My handwriting is atrocious.But, one thing I really can't stand at times is when people use chat speak every moment of everyday. It just bugs me because it makes me think they can't spell even the most basic of words. (Although I am very grateful for spellcheck).