Gay Kirk created CRAIL-115:
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Summary: Technology and Kids, When Is Buffstream Too Early?
Key: CRAIL-115
URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/CRAIL-115
Project: Apache Crail
Issue Type: Bug
Reporter: Gay Kirk
Kids today are being introduced to technology at very young ages. It's amazing
to me when I see babies that are just learning to walk, playing with and
looking at pictures on their parent i-pads. They know how to touch the screen
and get results. Children as young as three have better mouse skills and
computer knowledge than a lot of adults. Is this okay? Is introducing
technology too young causing our children to be less creative, and imaginative?
Is it one of the leading causes of childhood obesity? Do our kids have less
patients today because they're not used to having to "wait" for anything?
Everything they want, need, or have to have is at the click of a button. In my
opinion, the answer is yes. Don't get me wrong, technology is here to stay, and
kids must be able to use it to succeed in life and in school. Computers ans
smart boards are in nearly every school and children as young as kindergarten
are using them on a daily basis.
Most gadgets are now small enough to take with you in the car, on trips, to
doctors offices, etc., which allows for a calmer, quieter, occupied child. This
is good. However, I believe that children, especially older infants, through
elementary age, still need the good old fashioned toys that don't require
batteries, or outlets. They need puzzles and board games and books. They need
to build, and knock down, they need to touch and feel, to create, dream, and
imagine. Sure, kids can very easily learn shapes, colors, numbers, and letters
technologically. But children can't learn to climb, or jump, or balance, they
can't learn to catch or throw, they don't learn to share, or cut paper using a
computer or playing a video game. Cause and effect, and logical thinking are
best learned by actually "doing", not by clicking and dragging and watching a
computer screen do the work for them.
Remember being a kid, and turning sticks into wands, or swords? Looking up at
the clouds and seeing what "animals" you could find? Or turning that big box
your parents new appliance came in, into a rocket ship, or secret hide away?
Remember making mud pies and splashing in the rain puddles? It just seems that
kids don't do much of that anymore.
Kids are getting lazier, their imagination and creative nature are being lost,
they have no patience, and get irritated if the computer runs a little slow, or
they're phones die, or OMG, the electricity goes out because of a storm! My
kids think that is a fate worse than death! They literally don't know what to
do with themselves! They honestly get on the phone and start calling friends to
see if their power is on, and if they can go to their house! Yes, my kids are
not immune to technology either. My kids are 19, 15, and 11-all boys! They are
amazing, wonderful, great, handsome, all that, but also, they are typical of
today's generation of kids.
These kids are out future, and they need a little help. We as parents, are so
busy today. So many duel incomes, or single parent homes. It is way easier to
stick your kids in front of the tv, or let them play video games, then it is to
interact with them, or clean up after they have made an enormous mess with
their legos, or play dough, or glitter. But they need that. They need a good
start. One of the things I think we can do is to keep the technology at bay for
the first few years of our children's lives. Limit it until it's absolutely
necessary that they need it.
There are so many amazing products out there that will help your child grow and
develop and gain the skills they need to be ready for this vast, amazing world
we live in. Toys like blocks, shape sorters, and legos, cars and trucks, baby
dolls, costumes, play kitchens and tool sets, push and pull toys, trikes,
bikes, and balls, to name a few. As well as toy drums, horns, and keyboards.
All of these toys foster a sense of learning, be it educational or
developmental. Many help with cognitive learning, nurturing, or fine and large
motor development.
Mastering a puzzle is a great and fun accomplishment for most of us, young and
old. Puzzles certainly can teach all sorts of things, depending on what kind
they are. Peg puzzles for small children can teach anything from animal
recognition to colors, shapes, numbers, and letters. More advanced puzzles are
great for cognitive learning, logical thinking, spatial relationships, and
problem solving.
Books, well they're pretty self explanatory. Reading is crucial. I tell my kids
that no matter where they are in life, they will, without fail, have to read
something every single day. Whether it's a street sign, the tv guide,
instructions, or a text, all of these things requires reading. Then we have
things like board and card games. These teach a vast amount of skills,
depending on what type of game it is. Other than the obvious things like
numbers, counting, colors, and reading, they also teach children patience, how
to take turns, and how to win and lose gracefully. When a child is having fun,
and doing something they love, they don't even realize they're learning
anything.
We need to sit down and play a game, read a book or take a bike ride with our
kids. These types of things are great bonding and family time experiences. I
personally don't feel like the shoot 'em up video games my kids play lead to a
great bonding experience or wonderful family memories!
I have been working on what I feel is an incredibly neat web site for the last
4 months or so. A site that I am extremely proud of. It is called
Coolcreativekids.com. I have around 200 or so items, including toys, games,
puzzles, books, science kits, musical instruments, and more. None of the items
are electronic, and a very few require batteries.
Everything I sell at is educational or developmental in nature. Many items are
unique, all are high quality, and several are award winning, parents choice
products. My prices are competitive, and I do not overcharge for shipping. I
hope you will check it out!
I am the mother of 3 amazing boys, ages 19, 15, and 11. I, of course, think
they are wonderful, talented, handsome and all that, but I also think that
technology has gotten the best of them, for the most part. They were all
developmentally on track, and are all three very smart, yet I honestly do
believe that they have
*[Buffstream|https://complextime.com/buffstream-what-is-it-and-why-use-it/]* no
clue about the real world sometimes because they live in a constant virtual
world. They are lazy, they get frustrated easily, say if the computer runs too
slowly, or if, God forbid, we lose power in a storm. They honestly don't know
what to do with themselves! To get them to read an actual book, or play a game
of cards, well, they would rather set themselves on fire! They get so bored if
they don't have their gadgets. They have no imagination. It's sad. But we've
done this to them. Technology has done this to them. I think technology is
great, but in due time. I think we should let kids be kids for as long as
possible. Let them make messes, and play in the rain, let then make forts out
of sheets, boxes, and pillows, let them dress up in your clothes, and daydream.
Talk to them often and really listen to what they have to say. Kids are small
for just a very short time, let them enjoy it, there's plenty of time to grow
up.
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