Children and Their Postmodern Technology

The advancements in technology throughout this postmodern age are rapid and in many ways, help all of us work and live efficiently. In some aspects, our lives are made easier by the fast connections and simple instructions that it provides.  However, are lives are becoming more and more centered around technology.  It is impossible to get a thorough education or a thriving career without owning a computer, phone, website, and in many cases even a facebook page. The saddest part about our extreme dependency on electronics is that kids as young as five and six are getting wrapped up in the world of online gaming and smart phones.

Kids rather experience life on a screen and escape, to them, the unpleasing or unentertaining reality of the real world. They are constantly on their computers or phones attempting to create a more controlled environment.  It is also appealing because it is easy for kids to walk away when they loose a game or when what they are doing or what others are doing to them makes them uncomfortable. Unlike real human communication, young people can hide their true personalities and present the version of themselves that others prefer. In that way, although technology is allowing kids to stay connected with each other at all times, they are very distant because they hide their true selves behind a screen.

Children pick up on technology much faster than adults do.  It is shocking to see how much they actually know. I teach a group of first graders on Sundays and many of them have talked about the very popular computer game, Minecraft. It is like another language.  They memorize codes and use a lot of terminology that only pertains to that game and has no meaning in the real world.  When I was their age, I barely understood the ability of a computer and I am only 10 or 11 years older than them.  With the rapid upgrades in the technology world, who knows if the next generation will even understand the concept of paper books or playing catch in the backyard. 

There are consequences to a a technology centered life, especially for younger people. By playing high intensity online games, children are getting the same kind of adrenalin rush that they might get by playing a sport but, instead of using that extra energy to run faster or score a goal, they are sitting still.  This causes them to become very hyper and aggressive with no place to channel that energy. They become more irritable and create a dangerous and uncomfortable environment for the themselves as well as the people around them. 

Because they are spending so much time online rather than with actual human beings, kids are having a hard time understanding basic social skills. They are not put in enough social situations to be able to consider other people's feelings or expectations. Kids seem to think that they don't need to experience real life in order to gain social skills or street smarts and as this generation ages it may become the case that they actually don't need them in order to have a successful career and busy, social life. As this postmodern world develops, adults need to consider how much they expose kids to technology and the consequences that come with that.  Children also need to learn how extended amounts of gaming and social networking can effect them.