Teacher or Babysitter

A couple of days ago, Troy sent me a link to this article. In short, the author had been out to dinner and seen a family of four arrive. Upon seating, the two children both pulled out iPads, plugged in their earphones, and spent the rest of the evening glued to glowing, interactive technology. At first, the author was taken aback and then went on to realize the profound value that the iPad can play in the life of a child.

Troy asked for my response to this, so here it is - but first, the disclaimer(s)...

Per home computing: I grew up in front of computers, perhaps even more so than my peers. Even just 25 years ago, the personal home computer was more a luxury than a necessity. So we must concede that the changes in this area are TREMENDOUS. We've seen this all come about very slowly and naturally, but the technology gap between us and our parents is nowhere near what it will be between us and our children.

Per kids and TV: I was a weird kid. I don't know Transformers, but I'm a walking Sylvester Stallone encyclopedia. This was my childhood. Sure it makes my brain process things a little funny now, but I think I'm mostly ok. Some parents avoid television altogether. We held off for quite some time. When Katie became sick, we relied on it a little more heavily, but have scaled back. We prefer shows that are simple and don't have a lot of loud action and movement.

In short, my response to the idea that Every Child in America Needs and iPad is this: yes, absolutely if... it is a teaching tool, not a babysitter. The author of the aforementioned article sites various reasons why the iPad is better than television and I agree with most of those points. The real crux of the argument, however, should not revolve around technology but, rather, parenting.

I think that it will become more and more important for children to know and interact well with technology - I also know that this next generation will be some of the most creative people we've seen in years (maybe even centuries). Technology can help to foster that creativity and give it an outlet, but it should only be a supplement. This is the stuff of science fiction and what separates us from the machines. Creativity. The ability to dream. The ability to envision something that no one has ever heard of. The ability to make music beyond a string of complex "if-then" statements.

Is the iPad a better option than TV? Probably so (if you can afford it and if the kids don't try to flush it down the toilet). But how you parent has to remain at the forefront. This isn't an all-or-nothing situation. It's an issue of what's right for you and your kids. Parent well.