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Digital Life and Family Life

Does, don’ts and suggestions abound to assist us all to manage a life for children that is very different from our own childhoods. These American examples are thought provoking and may be of some assistance to parents of children from tiny to finishing school this week! There are Australian examples, many of which have been shared by Miss Kristen Waldron in recent times. It’s a global world and a common problem with which we have no choice but to engage.

What is getting children addicted? Click on the question to see some of the reasons why – and what addiction is.

A significant paragraph from The L.A Times makes these observations (you can read more by clicking the first three words of this sentence):

“A significant temptation of technology is its portability. In a widely read rant in the Washington Post, Amanda Kolson Hurley wrote about our culture of "snackism" for kids: "We walk around with trail mix and Sun Chips stuffed in our bags like we're mobile, no-fee vending machines." The same is true of our digital devices. Kids used to sit too long in front of the TV. But at least once you got them out of the house, that was the end of it. Now the TV can be on perpetually and parents can dispense movies and video games like mobile, no-fee theaters and arcades. Snackism means children eat when they're not hungry; on-demand screen time is no better for them.”

Ariana Huffington makes this point: …” what we need is to re-calibrate our relationship with our technology. This is one of the most important conversations of our time. And ironically, conversation is the very thing our addiction to our screens prevents. We’re so busy scheduling our lives, documenting them, logging them, tracking them, memorializing and sharing them that we’re not actually living them”.

This topic links to the introduction to our Senior School Assembly today delivered by our incoming School Captains,  Bella Bradbeer and James Sutherland, which focused on the human need for people to people interactions delivered in face to face mode. As parents and teachers, we also need to consider what behaviours we are modelling in relation to our own digital devices.

If you are interested in this type of dialogue I am available to discuss issues and or provide resources.

Margaret Simkin