Nana, Can I play your phone?

When I first heard this request, I thought it was funny but now I am beginning to realize the change the once simple device has made in our lives and how “phone” is a total misnomer for the device that allows us to hold our world in the palm of our hand and to expand our braintrust exponentially! With a simple google search or map request, we can avoid the pain and wasted moments of thinking and preparing. With social media and text, we no longer have to plan, consider others actions or even think ahead more than 3 minutes because we can just text them. With mobile ads, businesses can target me based not only on my demographics, personal preferences and stated likes, they can know when I am conveniently located near their outlet. With games, we can target our attention and eyes to a small focused area and concentrate on the eye hand coordination that makes Luke Skywalker battles believable and possible.

But should we let our kids “play our phones”?

From Christine Mallait’s blog on the subject “One of the main ideas to consider about technology and children is: are they getting enough exposure to life outside of the one present inside a television, computer, cell phone, etc.? Back in the day (even ten years ago), children were outside climbing trees, playing sports like baseball in the park, or playing tag outside much more than today’s kids. The onset of technology into children’s lives has made playing Wii sports more desirable than playing soccer outside or going on the computer instead of going to the pool. While obviously children still find their ways into the great outdoors, there are more distractions for them now that video games, iPods, and cell phones have found themselves into the hands of today’s youth. Parents have begun buying into the “easy ways” to entertain children and televisions have become new-found babysitters. Is this necessarily the way the world should be – where technology obscures the great outdoors – especially in such nice weather during the summer? As well, what should the ground rules be for children and new gadgets?

My grandchildren are taught that too much TV, Computer, Wii, Technology will turn their “Brain to Mush”