Children and Technoculture
When I was a child I had to go out and knock on my friends doors to ask if they wanted to come out and play. My little brother (he’s 7 years old) laughed at me when I suggested he do this (he was bored and wanted something to do). “No, I can’t do that! I have to call my friend first to check if he’s home, and I can’t be bothered. I’ll go play on the computer instead”.
I think it’s interesting how children see the virtual world, like in Sherry Turkles article where the children she interviewed see the computer as having a psychology, and attributing it qualities witch undermine the machine/person distinction.
I wonder if it really is very good for children to be living in this virtual world? One advantage may be that if a child doesn’t have many friends, they can get online friends. But then again, these friends might not be the people they give the impression of being. Can they then be counted as true friends? Another disadvantage may be that the virtual world takes over for the real world, and children lose friends because they spend too much time on the computer/PS etc… I know this will probably be a big concern for me regarding my own children one day.
Any other thoughts on this subject?
-Emily
I think it’s interesting how children see the virtual world, like in Sherry Turkles article where the children she interviewed see the computer as having a psychology, and attributing it qualities witch undermine the machine/person distinction.
I wonder if it really is very good for children to be living in this virtual world? One advantage may be that if a child doesn’t have many friends, they can get online friends. But then again, these friends might not be the people they give the impression of being. Can they then be counted as true friends? Another disadvantage may be that the virtual world takes over for the real world, and children lose friends because they spend too much time on the computer/PS etc… I know this will probably be a big concern for me regarding my own children one day.
Any other thoughts on this subject?
-Emily
posted by Emily at 9:49 pm
3 Comments:
You know, I think that ultimately kids and adolescents know what's good for them and what's not. Sure, sometimes they don't - but you'll always get a few people who don't know what's good for them, child or adult, regardless of the advances in technology available.
Especially when I was growing up, but also today, at times I've interacted with computer games or the internet in what I consider an 'unhealthy' - antisocial - way. But I know this, and even when I was, like, twelve and playing Sim City for sixteen hours straight, I knew it. I felt weird and old after a run like that, and I was aware that when I aimed for moderation, I felt better. When it feels wrong you stop doing it, even if you're twelve, I think.
Or maybe I put too much faith in kids. Granted, I haven't really been around any since I stopped being one myself. And the other day I told some friends the story of how my dad is awesome because when I was like three he left me in the house by myself watching TV because I didn't feel like going out, and two of my friends were mothers and they were horrified, so maybe this means that I don't know what I'm talking about. But nothing bad happened except my mother came home before my father did and she was horrified. Anyway.
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Well, I can tell you about my other brother, who is 16. He spends all his free (and not so free) time in front of the computer, resulting in things like not doing his homework and getting bad grades in school. He lives with my dad who's not really bothered about it, but my mum is really worried and complains about it every time I talk to her... But then, a couple of weeks before I left for NZ my dad told me my brother had come out of his room one day and announced he'd quit playing World of Warcraft just like that, because he'd had enough. I was quite proud of him then, but on the other hand, his final grades are terrible and his only social network is on-line... So I'm still a bit worried.
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