Wii, TV, Computer, Oh My!

Saturday, 12:30 PM. The scene is a local burger hangout. The pleasant aroma of burgers and fries fills the air. I am sitting at a table with my kids and another family. A group of older middle school children are hanging out at the next table waiting for their food. Each one has a smartphone. Each one is texting furiously. None of them are talking, looking at each other or engaging in any way. My friend says to me “They are probably all texting each other” and I realize this is probably true.

As I continue with this article, critiquing our society’s obsession with electronic media and subsequent non-human interaction, I want you to know that I am no media saint myself. The kids watch too much TV, we have a Wii, they play computer games more than they should. I have an iPhone, which I look at during dinner at restaurants with my family. My kids see me check my e-mail first thing in the morning and frequently during the day. I am not a great role model, and am therefore as much to blame as anyone else in the growing concern regarding the effect that TV and new media obsession has on personal interactions.

I want you to know that I am fully aware of my culpability. I struggle with it every day. I’m quite sure I am not alone and was hoping that by sharing my parental dilemma, I could garner your insight whether 1) our slow infiltration by electronics and multimedia is merely a plot to one day be taken over by Steve Jobs and his successors? or 2) we are blowing the concerns way out of proportion and, in typical protective fashion, reacting negatively to progress.

Our children are growing up in a plugged-in generation. In a lot of ways that’s great. Kids use cell phones to stay connected with parents, friends and keep themselves safe, a wider range of resources are available to them to make education a richer and more stimulating experience, and “educational programming” has certainly come a long way since I was a kid… more engaging, exciting, fun to watch.

However, the increase in technology and media availability has, of course, its share of issues. We now have many more ways for children (and adults) to disengage from honest human interaction, and that is a worrisome trend. Let’s simply look at the variety of ways people can spend stimulating their minds without looking someone else in the face. Computers and their games, social networking sites, videos, short films, interactive websites, and blogs (yes, like this one!), smartphones and all that come with them, video game consoles, TV, movies, DVD’s, mp3 players, etc. You could also throw electronic readers in there, but reading is usually associated with some discussion (book clubs, debate, open discussion regarding the news that was read), so they have not as yet come under fire for droning out our society.

Several studies have recently uncovered some startling facts about multiple media usage and potential “side effects” that parents should be concerned about. The Kaiser Family Foundation has reported that the average amount of time 8-18 year olds spend with media is around 8 hours a day— that’s a full time job! How can they possibly spend that much time in one day, you ask? Much of that is spent multitasking -using more than one device at a time. I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time getting my kids to single task and focus on cleaning their room…. maybe we need an electronic that helps them think doing that is cool?

The Kaiser study also reported that only a third of parents limit their kid’s media use. In addition, children spend about four and a half hours a day in front of the TV, about two and a half hours listening to music, an hour and a half on the computer, and about an hour and a quarter playing video games. Only 38 minutes a day is spent reading.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, which puts out statements advising parents on a variety of topics related to children, has stated that poor school performance, hitting or pushing other kids, aggressively talking back to adults, and frequent nightmares are all potential negative impacts of larger amounts of multiple media consumption. They recommend that parents limit screen time, which they mean to include television, videos, computer and video games, to one to two hours per day. They also suggest that parents co-view and pre-screen what their children are spending viewing and playing.

Another concern regarding the proliferation of technology and media is the lack of interpersonal dialogue and interaction people have while using these devices. And when there is a lack of person- to- person contact, there is a disruption in the development of social skills, interpretation of nonverbal cues, and empathy. One study indicated that teens who “text” frequently are show signs of being depressed and less assured. As children of younger ages are spending more and more time in front of a non reactive screen, social skills are getting more and more disrupted and we may begin to see, if we haven’t already, a shift in how up coming generations relate and deal on a personal basis.

So, is Steve Jobs and the media out to conquer us all? Or are we simply resisting the inevitable and overreacting to progress? I am a proponent of everything in moderation, but struggle with where that line is, especially since that line seems to be moving every day. I guess…. basically, I don’t know. That is why I am asking you. Comments please!

Tagged as: technology, video-games

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Cammi Bell

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