It occurred to me as I watched my 2 year old daughter scroll through youtube videos of Dora on my husband’s iPhone just how much more advanced the children of today are when it comes to technology.
Yes, you read that correctly. 2 year old. iPhone. YouTube.
This child can not only find her Dora videos to watch on youtube, but has learned how to move icons around, send text messages (random letters), call people from the contact list and even purchase and install applications. Just last night, my husband left his password enabled and she ordered $25 worth of Dora music downloads right from the phone.
Yet, this is the same child that can’t draw a circle, repeat the alphabet or put her shoes on the correct feet. But none of this is for lack of trying.
As a parent, I do appreciate the advancements in technology, but at the same time, I wonder how damaging technology is becoming to learning basic “old school” skills. These days it’s more beneficial for a child to type 40 wpm than correctly form cursive letters. This of course will come in handy later in life no matter what career path they choose.
But I wonder, at what point does technology become a hindrance rather than advantage in a child’s education?
My son is the same way with the iPhone. He can seriously do anything he wants on it.
I know what you mean about becoming a hindrance, though. My son is so used to things making noise that when he sees a new toy he asks, “What does it do?” When, really, he should be the one DOING. Using his imagination, making things work, figuring them out, you know?
I do not have an iphone but my daughter who is almost 3 can sit with my laptop on playhouse disney and play games, the stories. Good thought that this may become a hinderance. Are they going to learn to type befor they can write their names. Wonderful post.
Cat,
As I reflect on the tech advances from the past decade, I get so excited about what the future has to offer. Despite this, I too see where new technologies as well as some tools aren’t exactly helping our growing children. I’m still freaking out w/my oldest son having a hard time letting go of the t.v. remote control, which has nothing to do w/new technologies and is probably really just a guy thing. As an English major, what really gets me is texting of which I have just started doing more. I had a hard time abbreviating words, leaving out commas, etc. because it just isn’t the right way :) to communicate in the real world. Many kids are learning how to communicate w/texting and I wonder how much of that contributes to their illiteracy.
This is too cute. I agree with you regarding the effects technology has on the old school way of doing things. Most kids today have to use a calculator for simple math problems.
hahaha too funny! My son who is 20m loves the phone already and knows how to call ppl, although we don’t know who he calls! He also loves to be on the computer to watch Elmo videos and press all sorts of buttons while at it. It is very true, technology has changed in a huge way from when we were young!
Good grief, *I* can hardly write cursive anymore! lol I handwrote some Christmas cards and my hand hurt after. That’s pretty bad.
I know, it’s crazy. Your little one is smaaart at 2! I haven’t really given mine a chance to be very technological though that doesn’t stop her from getting involved in the Wii games, knowing how to turn the DVD player and TV on and off and play movies, and grab the remote. I shudder to think of what would happen if I let her at the computer… ;-)
Yep, these 2.0 kiddos enter the world well equipped w/ all they need to run circles around their Mamas w/ all things tech. My 5 year old has a blog, and she has shown me things I didn’t know how to do (I kid you not!!). To answer your question, I think it’s only a hindrance if we allow it to be. The tools that technology offers can be great ways to enhance our children’s learning (and having fun) experiences, if we monitor them properly, and do our research before allowing them to use certain programs/products.
LOL That’s too funny! :D I think that children learning todays technology while they’re young will set them up for great success later on in life. However, I do still think that the ‘old school’ things are just as, if not more so, important.
I am scared that computers and technology are going to be too much a part of our children’s future and education. I don’t know if they are going to learn to think for themselves or have the skills to think for themselves anymore!
I think you could be on to something really important here. I think children today have totally lost the ability to spell because of the computer and twitter. While I agree that technology is very important for their futures, they still need to learn the basics FIRST if they are to become productive members of society. You need to read and write and perform basic math skills before you can do anything else in life, and they really don’t seem to understand that. They also need to learn how to behave in social settings in order survive.
That said, the photograph is adorable!
I’m going to be honest, I remember my family’s first computer was a Zenith (mid-to-late-80′s) and I wasn’t even allowed to use it! I was taught to type on a typewriter…and I was also taught cursive. I think it’s important to teach analog as well as digital skills because they focus on delayed-gratification principles (i.e., it takes a LOT longer to write something out by hand than to type it or text it) and help to focus. But how to teach those skills? Hmm, that’s the tricky part!
(I also used to pretend that a calculator was a computer, so maybe I was predicting the future)
Well let me say she is beautiful!! Apple needs her as their spokesperson. It makes you wonder what kids today will be doing when they are 20 if they are using an iphone at the toddler stage. That pic is adorable!
My children are the same way with our iPhones. BTW, according to my aunt, one of the school districts around here aren’t teaching cursive anymore and won’t allow papers turned in with cursive writing.
I was rather shocked when I mentioned to a doctor that my older son’s handwriting was atrocious and she said there was no point in correcting it because we’ll all be using computers before you know it. While we may all use computers in the near future that’s no reason to not be able to write.
Your daughter looks very pleased with herself! When my Pie was about 6 she was coached over the phone by a friend on how to set up an account with a Star Doll site. Unbeknownst to me she somehow figured out how to use my PayPal to purchase a 6 month subscription to the site! I could have died! Sometimes they’re TOO good at doing these things too soon if ya know what I mean! I have kept a very good eye on her computer activities since then!
Wow-For a 2 year old, that is some serious techy talent!!
My mum and I were just talking about this the other day-Our generation is so dependent on technology now and days.
Now whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing is yet to be figured. I think it’s a little of both.
I have thought the same thing myself as I watch my oldest son work gadgets. He could run the touch pad on a laptop at 3 and sometimes I wondered if I was doing the right thing. He couldnt write but he can run a laptop. Good post to get a person thinking.
It has been in the news lately about addiction to the internet. The program I so was about HS girls facebooking for hour and hours. They decided to only do it on the weekends for 2 hours each day and their grades, stress level and life in general improved vastly.
I would not let my 2 year old play on an Iphone with out my supervision and then only once a week or so. I’d rather read to her or do other fun things that will improve her fine motor control.
It is amazing what they can do with technology these days and can easily compare it to my soon to be 18 and 14 year old. They had no idea what a video game was or a computer and my 2 year old plays the xbox and wii like a pro (he actually is better than me) and knows how to get on the computer and “check” his email. Their brains just seemed to be wired differently.