Can I Please Have Your Attention?: Too Much Technology

When I first starting texting, my children gave me lessons on how. One day, I sent something that really made them laugh and I got an LOL back. I was thrilled to get “Lots of Love” from my teenager and I told them so and I got another LOL back. Needless to say I now know it was laugh out loud. Can all this technology alter our relationships and lifestyles?

As technology dictates our lives in a positive manner by keeping us up on all the latest events and current information, it also can be a hindrance on our lives. The age of the computer/cell phone has left many people neglecting their social part of life. My Children wanted to watch a movie together. My daughter was on her computer, my son-in-law on his phone and our social movie hour was spent on technology. We also had dinner with all the text messages going off. It didn’t stop me from “talking to them”, but they lifted their heads, answered me and went back to the phone. Not enough people time and the fact that you can text/e-mail now and not actually talk to a person makes kids today less likely to pick up the phone and chat. In my day and age…we had to call and chat.

There is art, music, building blocks etc., but the use of technology stunts some of the creativity. Granted, children now play with things that are fun, but they also spend time doing art on the computer, listening and downloading music on the phone and just taking time away from creativity. I happen to feel that you can create things on the computer, but as your mind develops things on it, you are not using your hands to form things. I played with blocks, Playdoh, bubbles and many other fun things until I was in my teen. And, while I was playing with these things, I was socializing at the same time.

While growing up, I was what they considered a street kid. My entire block of kids would play kick ball, baseball, basketball, took tennis lessons in the park, bowl every Saturday morning in a league, walked every day, and rode my bike everywhere. The computer, cell phone, TV, and tablets create non- physical moving time for they are glued to starring at a screen.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine feels that while a child is on the computer and using technology they: raise the risk of creating attention problems, sleeping issues, too much stimulation, and obesity increase by eating more, attention problems, and anxiety.

People gather information from the internet which is great. Computers can help kids with their schoolwork, but spending too much time on the social media websites like Facebook or watching YouTube video could be unhealthy screen time.

I can remember the boy across the street mocking me for wearing orthopedic shoes and bullying me. I can remember him saying anything nice, but it was sweet to beat him in Bowling for I was good at it. Now, bullying takes place on line also and kids engage in many forms of disruptive uses of technology. That’s not a positive!!! And, by the way, I recently met up with the boy across the street’s Mom and she told me that he had nerve making fun of you when he wore the same clunky shoes.

John F. Kennedy once said “Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all..”

Written by Donna Corrado (freelance writer)