Media

I thought I would start off with a post about all of the ever increasing technology that is being forced into our children's lives on a daily basis.   

While I understand that society is thinking that the more technology we have the more education we can provide for children, I wonder if it's really and truly good for them.  There are all these gaming systems, computer games, websites and don't even get me started on this entirely new language of text messaging and I'm sure several other things I'm sure I haven't kept up with.  The sad thing is, she is keeping up with it.  At first I was buying these things thinking I could let her learn to read better and develop her math skills.  After a while I noticed she was going in her room after dinner disappearing into her leap frog gaming system.  There were a few times I woke up in the middle of the night only to realize she was laying in the dark with the glow of her leap frog flashing across her eyes. I can remember my brother doing the same when Nintendo first came out.  What kind of education and learning comes from this?! On one hand being a single mom I'm thinking "thank you lord for the free time!"  On the other I don't like it and know it's not right.  Finally over some time I have removed a tv, all gaming systems, a computer and a cd player from her room.  There are no electronics whatsoever in there.  I decided to go with "old school" reading books, crafts and conversation.  I have noticed a positive change in her since all of this.   She actually tells me what she did that day and talks to me about what's she's feeling.  She is sitting on her bed reading the tons of books I have in her room.  The downside is that I've lost any free time I could have ever possibly needed.  I think my sanity will stay intact if I work on it though which makes it better in the long run for her.   

So, to media or not to media?  That is the question.  Maybe there is a happy medium in there somewhere?  Maybe parents need to really research and educate themselves on what truly is educational and not harmful to their kids?  But how do you really know?  I grew up with none of this stuff.  I didn't know that a phonics leap frog program would zone my daughter out.  What do you think?

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You can bomb the world to pieces, but you can't bomb it into peace ~ Michael Franti

Amber

You know I have a 9 year old daughter and a 15 year old daughter.  They both have other interests, etc..so I guess it is a matter of harmony between everything that we choose in our lives.  Both girls enjoy the computer for research, and I do too, especially when they ask a question that I can't answerAnd,  there is "good" programming on the TV.  We just have to be more conscious of finding it.  We enjoy Discovery, History and Animal Channel.  And, even primetime is being effected by the "shift" with Oprah's Big Give, etc...

One thing I've learned in my Life, and spiritual journey thus far, is that we cannot shut ourselves off to Life.  We must be willing to accept what is, make conscious choices and share our Light.   I think that self discipline and personal truth are also big lessons our Souls are seeking to learn with all of the choices we have now. 

Blessings,
Jen

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Live Now & Prosper

The + & - of Technology

I remember well the BC (before computers) time of computers, yet have had one since their inception of 286's and kept up with them as they evolved. Technology has truly been a great thing, having brought the world closer together. Being able to know the existence of another human being in a small remote space on the planet, I believe all would agree this is a great thing. The ability to look up anything, gaining new insights or building upon present knowledge has been an advantage.

Author of A New Earth, Echhart Tolle says that aspects of computer and technology use is merely a distraction of the ego, such as gaming. This I would have to say I agree with. There are two sides of the gaming distraction. The young learn pathways of thought processes, thinking outside of their own box, which is a plus, yet only to be trapped by the one of the program writer, becoming a very negative path more and more are succumbing to. Being taught to think using a specific method only builds robots. 

Think for a moment of our wide field of vision in regards to thought processes. Our education systems methodology of delivering information is only effective for 15 to 18% of all students. A myopic view this truly is, garnering only a sliver of the total possibilities for human potential.

I did several years ago a thought process expanding exercise with Danika my youngest to teach a usable process. She had a project she was doing for school on nouns, adjectives etc. 

In the centre of the table just in front of her was a 20" long marble cheese stone. I asked her what it was. She said a cheese cutting board. I asked again. She looked perplexed and I said "What is all of it, everything that it is?" As she thought I asked her to touch it and to feel. She said it was cold. " So what else is it?" I walked away and in fifteen minutes she handed me a list of 18 different things that it is.

Put the world a piece at a time in front of them , guiding them with mental taps without imprinting ourselves upon them, they become all that they are. Become aware of your own fears, yet not subjecting the young to them. A bonsai tree is a manipulated life form, whereas an untouched one is all that it can be...

Sincerely

AL 

 

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The Disease Bounty Hunter

Funny, I was just having this conversation with someone recently.  I remember the first vido game...I think it was Pong.  You had two dashes that would move up and down to hit a dot back and forth like tennis.  We went crazy over it and played it for hours when we were finally able to get one.  My kids are 20 and 15 now and when they were little, they played Nintendo with their grandmother!!  She loved to play mario with them.  It was an activity they did together and it helped keep her arthritic hands moving.  We always limited their time on games.....mixing in reading time and other educational activities.  I feel the biggest thing is to just pay attention to what our kids are exposed to.  Of course you can monitor what you have in your own home but have no control over what goes on when they are in anothers home with supervision from another parent.  I feel we as parents need to be aware of the content.   For instance, when my daughter was young we would watch Lambchop with Sherry Lewis every day. She would watch it while I was doing my college schoolwork.  One episode, Sherry told a story about Little Red Riding Hood and on her way to Grandmas house she took a shortcut over a frozen pond.  I was horrified!!!  In Michigan we teach our children to never go on frozen ponds or lakes without an adult who is experienced and can check the safety of the ice.  I never let her watch the program again.  There are messages in everything!!   Look at the old daffy duck cartoons and how he shoots himself in numerous episodes and then comes back to life.  Some of the most innocent and seamingly child friendly things are the worst.

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Your Most Attractive Features are Your Heart and Soul~~~Savage Garden

The Media

I totally agree. Technology has made quite a difference in our society. Our computers think for us. I enjoy the fact that we are more able to multitask, but it at times makes us lazy, or even worse working too hard. What ever happened to the days where things were simpler? Families were our main focus in life. Now we are so busy with everything, that our families are put on the back burner :(
As far as television, we are careful what our boys watch, but we can't aways be there to monitor them when they are out with friends. We hope that the values we have instilled in them help in making the correct choices.
And as far as video games, all their Playstations and so on we did not buy them. Oddly enough were purchased by the grandparents who used to tell us that we were going to rot our brains if we kept playing Pacman all the time, lol!. We do not want to condone them sitting around all day, off in their own little world. We allow them to play them, but for only a short while each day. We are very fortunate that our boys actually ENJOY going outside to play :D
This Christmas we finally gave in and bought a Wii. We were alright with having one because a great deal of the games you have to be standing to play. There are a lot of games that we love playing together as a FAMILY, and not one of the kids hunkered down on the couch playing by themselves.

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Don't let yesterday use up too much of today