We live in an era of wanting to do everything as quickly and easily as possible. Time is of the essence and no one wants to relax and take life slowly. It’s all about being speedy and efficient. This way of thinking has been further perpetuated by the extensive availability and constant development of new technology. As exciting as it is, and, trust me, I do think technology is incredibly valuable and important to our society, the dependency and constant desire to stare at a screen is having detrimental effects on the younger generation. Kids are no longer using their imaginations and creating a fake world outside in the tree house. They don’t want to play board games and interact with each other. They would rather stare at a tiny screen and play internet games than get up and be active with their friends. It’s a scary new world out there,
I may not have kids, but, considering I spend 10 hours day with a couple of them, I’ve had quite a bit of time to notice this trend. Technology, when used appropriately and at the right age, can be quite beneficial for everybody. But when little kids are being exposed to iPads and iPhones and other devices at the beginning of elementary school, a dependency is formed. What is the purpose of giving a six-year-old an iPhone? Who are they going to call or text? All giving this child a phone does is create a need to stare at a pointless screen for hours each day. They don’t need one. I’ve babysat for kids who have apple watches that are bigger than their wrists and an iphone that they can barely hold. It just doesn’t make sense to me. The technology is pointless and doesn’t add anything positive to their lives.
It’s incredibly difficult living in this new world and seeing these kids wasting away some of the greatest years they have. We only get one childhood and it seems a shame to spend it staring at a screen and playing games all on our own. I try so hard to get my kiddos to ditch the tablet and do something outdoors but they simply have no interest. "Call of Duty" and "Minecraft" seem to be the best aspects of their lives and I’m worried about their lack of social contact. How are they going to be able to communicate with the people around them? Could they ever go a day without their technology? This new dependency is terrifying and unnecessary. We need to protect the younger generation and encourage them to unplug from the devices. Play capture the flag with some neighbor kids, have a pool day, try new sports. A child doesn’t need to be on a device all day. Technology is ruining the younger generation and I truly hope that this trend doesn’t continue in the future.
