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Post date: Apr 10, 2014 1:41:29 AM
Balance, now there is a concept we hear about all the time. We understand what it means but have such a hard time achieving. We need to eat a balanced meal, yet how many of us cut out as much carbohydrates, fat, or calories from our diet? We are so geared to go to extremes we forget about the balance. When my daughter was a month old, I did not give her pizza because I knew her digestive system could not handle that type of food at such a young age. Of course, I did let her have nourishment. I made sure she had her milk. When my son was 6, I did not give him the keys to my car. My husband and I bought him a bike since his brain and coordination were ready for a bike, with supervision of course.
So why do we often forget about balance when discussing technology? It isn’t so different. We would not dream of giving an 18 month old a Harry Potter book and expect her to be able to read it, interpret it, and discuss it. So why do we think giving an 18 month old an iPhone or iPad to use is a better decision? 18 month olds are no more ready to comprehend reading materials than they are ready for screen time. Children under three are not ready for two dimensional stimulus. Can a two year old work an iPad? Yes, but does not mean they should? The American Academy of Pediatrics (research) recommends that once children reach four years old they can begin having up to two hours of total screen time a day. Screen time includes TV, iPads, LeapFrog, VTech, etc.
I was lucky enough to listen to a talk by Gloria DeGaetano today titled “Digital Devices for Children: Tools, Toys or Tether." Gloria’s discussion centered on how children's' brains are developing and need stimulus in a balanced environment.I admit I had preconceived notions on this topic and thought she would come in and talk about the evils of technology for all children and its dangers. I found Gloria DeGaetano’s talk very interesting since she discussed brain research with a focus on balance.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (research) recommends that seven to ten year olds can have up to 3 hours a day outside of school and homework. Teachers are aware of balance themselves. They do not allow student to be on a computer all day any more than they would spend the entire day on the playground. Educators understand that young minds need many different ways to engage the children. Yes, technology is an absolutely wonderful way to help students to create, but we also know it is not the only way to achieve our goals.
Gaming was discussed during Gloria DeGaetano’s talk and I appreciated her sharing realistic and practical concepts. Keep decisions based on brain research. After the age of twelve your brain is different than a young child’s brain. We can’t expect a young child to understand the nuances in most games that are designed by adults. Young children will often act out aggression in play such as pretending to shoot each other. Gloria’s question to us was, “Do you want your children to act out this aggression using their own script? Or, do you want your children using the game creators script when acting out the aggression?” A six year old does not understand the nuances of game based aggression like a twelve year old whose brain should be able to decipher difference.
So as parents how do we know what to allow our children? Minecraft looks relatively benign. The game has children construct and create. But within the last year, Minecraft has introduced a survival mode that has the user utilize a sword to kill the non-human like characters (ex: Creepers). It is a quandary but remember balance. Is the child who is using Minecraft a five year old who is not cognitively ready for aggressive behavior on a video game or is this an older child who understands the nuances of the game? If you just don’t know if a game is suitable or if your child is ready to play it, play the game with the child to see if they are able to decipher the fantastical elements. If the parent thinks it is violent, then it is not a game they should play. Set the boundaries earlier before children develop addictive behaviors in gaming. Remember, it’s all about balance.
Now excuse me while I have a diet soda and French Fries.
Leanne Knight
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