Kids & Technology...a lifestyle shift

For this last post on kids and technology, we're going to take a brief look at how the incredible strides forward over the past few years directly impact our children. Going beyond our children's overexposure on Facebook (yeah, I know you put their pictures up there, because I do it too), kids these days will not know a world without email, social networking, the World Wide Web, and all the new-fangled devices that give us nonstop access to all things cyberspace.

For parents, the technological shift can provide incredible opportunities but also present great challenges. You know how difficult it is to get up and get active when Facebook and Twitter keeps sucking you back into the chair. Is it really necessary to fly across the country to visit family when Skype puts them inside our home? Why read Little House on the Prairie when you can build your own world in Minecraft? How can you convince your child he or she needs friends when they have 624 of them on Facebook? Should we be scared of the changes technology will impose on the next generation, or embrace them?

Well, here's a few wise words and information from some local experts...

Physical activity...You've been there. I've been there. Our kids are most certainly there.

Who wants to go outside and run around a bit when there are so many cool apps to mess around with?

Well, as the U.S. fights a rising obesity problem, it's time to get intentional about getting our kids active. Limiting their time surfing online, watching television, and playing video games is a start, but now, with a lifestyle that breeds inactivity, parents must focus on physical activity for our kids, because it doesn't just happen.

Mitch Park YMCA "Y-cade" game

One awesome possibility is your local YMCA. The new one at Mitch Park here in Edmond even uses technology to sweeten the deal. "We have a room set up like a studio space, all with video games that require a child (ages 8 - 13) to be active in order to play," says Kelly Crockett, Health and Wellness Director. She adds that the YMCA offers plenty of affordable physical activity programs for kids of all ages, as well as the opportunity for teenagers to work out with their parents.

Reading and learning...There are things that reading can do for which there is no electronic substitute. Developing critical thinking and empathy, as well as learning good grammar and writing skills, all come from reading books. Books open our eyes to cultures and situations beyond the realm of what Hollywood offers in movies and television, simply by giving the audience such a wide variety of topics and genres. Reading books is crucial.

Now, that isn't to say technology hasn't had an overall positive effect on learning. Not only have electronic books reinvigorated the struggling publishing market and given easy access to so many voices, but the internet allows our children to travel far and wide. And teachers are using technology to make the classroom interactive, engaging this new generation with what is familiar and fascinating to them. "I love seeing the way the light goes on for kids, their possibilities to learn, by utilizing technology in the classroom," says Cordell Ehrich, the principal at Cimarron Middle School here in Edmond. "We need to use these resources to continue to grow."

Social skills...When was the last time you sat down with a teen (or pre-teen) and he or she gave you his or her undivided attention without once glancing down to check a cell phone? Better yet, when was the last time you sat through a conversation without checking your text message, voice mail, Twitter or Facebook account, Pinterest updates, etc. etc.?

Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. And I'm guilty too.

Technology has a way of keeping us connected in ways never before possible, but it doesn't mean we can always substitute sitting behind a computer screen with getting out and experiencing friendship face to face. Our kids are no exception. But we can't cut it off completely. "I think there's a balance," says Guidance Counselor Evan Tims at Cross Timbers Elementary in Edmond. "I have seen some withdrawal, but we are in a different world. Instead of fighting with it, we need to partner with technology." She said technology is our children's world, and when it's used right, it's a good thing.

In summary, I guess I've learned several overriding truths from this blog series on kids and technology. Technology is here to stay. Social media isn't going anywhere either. If we don' learn to use it and implement it into our lives as parents, we will fall behind the times, and we risk losing a critical connection with our children. But (and this is a big one, folks), as children of a different generation, we owe it to our children to teach them the value of face-to-face interaction, reading books, making friendships outside the almighty Facebook, and learning how to compose a proper letter without smiley faces and techy shorthand. We need to teach them that any communication is a good thing, but a conversation in person is always better. We need to stress that being active and getting out--living life--is better than any imaginary life in cyberspace.

And how do we do that? By being an example ourselves.

I hope you've enjoyed this topic. Next month we talk about parental involvement, and how we can be a positive force in our children's lives!