The societal push and pull between widespread acceptance of new technologies and the draw of more analog traditions continues. While many parents become contemplative and a little mournful of the loss of cursive writing and abundant–and imaginative –outdoor play, they also foster an understanding that technology is the future. Children must be prepared for it from an early age.
Yet is there a balance that can be found? A method that allows for the maintenance of “old” traditions and the utilization of new technology? It is a topic that has been widely explored. In fact, Andy Robertson, a consumer tech Contributor for Forbes writes almost exclusively about the intersection of technology and family life. He has read most books on the subject, and recently chose to highlight the book Parenting for a Digital Future. Written by Sonia Livingstone and Alicia Blum-Ross, the book explores how fears and hopes about technology help shape childrens’ lives. Robertson notes that it is an evidence-based and detailed exploration of the struggles of modern parents in the shaping of their children’s perspectives. The book touts qualitative and quantitative data accumulated by home visits and research. “It forms a clear picture of what it’s like to be a parent of children in this technological age. There are some fascinating, and moving, insights that come from this,” he writes. He provides an example from the book: “As parents strive to understand the profound changes they are living through, digital dilemmas act as a lightning rod for contemporary contestations over values, identity and responsibility... our research has led us to observe, over and over again, how [technology] provokes fundamental anxieties about agency, values and (the loss of) tradition.” Notably, he says that communication between parents, supportive networks, links between school and the home with regard to learning all play an important role in whether or not technology will benefit children. Ultimately, technology alone will not prepare children for the future and better position them for harnessing technology. Rather, a supportive network that bolsters their learning is what is required for their success. “Programming might be the new Latin, but learning it isn’t about accessing a new tablet but growing up in a context where this new language is supported and appreciated,” Robertson writes. The book uses data to uncover the current dilemma of caregivers and parents: they are told to capitalise on tech and also warned about how too much screen time can harm their children. What parents ultimately need is not an idea of exactly how much time children should spend with technology, but greater frameworks for tech and deeper support “that provides a coherent way forward.” “Not only with how to benefit from it individually, but how to have wider conversations and ongoing connections with other families, teachers and services who are doing similar work,” Robertson writes. So the debate of the push and pull should rather be about greater collaboration. Comments are closed.
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AuthorDr. Angela Carol MD,CCFP,FCFP is a family physician focused on treating chronic illnesses. Archives
May 2022
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