Technology and the Young, Both a Blessing and a Curse

Is technology making our younger generation smarter than ever, or are they becoming a bunch of dummies?  The answer is "YES!"

Technology has it's benefits, as expressed in chapter 3 of Sex, Brains, and Video Games, but it also has its drawbacks.

Students that are more familiar with the many forms of electronic media are considered to be, in some ways, smarter or more advanced than their grownup counterparts.  They get it.  Young people accept the technology and roll with it, easily learn it and move on.  They are able to multitask.  Many of them at a very young age have already accomplished more on the computer or internet than many adults. 

Adults sticking to the old ways are being left behind.  Reading books no longer makes a person literate.  Literacy is being redefined for a new generation.  Kids consider themselves more literate than an adult who is not skilled in information communication technology.

Knowing the internet, blogs, web 2.0, etc. is important for both adults and children.  And as time and technology advances, the need to keep up will evermore increase.

However, there are a few things I like to say about technology that many people seem to forget. 

"You need to learn to walk before you can run." 

You need to know how to do math before you can learn to use a calculator; you need to understand the concept behind it.  You need to know the alphabet before you can spell; you need to learn to spell before you can rely on an undependable spellchecker.  You need concept, before design, before product.

Technology is a great tool as a helper, as a convenience, but...
What happens when the power goes out.  Technology is useless. 

There are so many kids right now, that don't know how to write or read script, and they barely know how to print either.  This is because they are so used to using a keyboard for all their writing needs.  They don't know how to read an analog clock.  I saw this one preschooler flipping the pages of a magazine like you would using a Kindle. 

I'm a lousy speller.  At work, kids will ask me how to spell something, so I will tell them that the dictionary is "right over there," and point to the dictionary stand about 15 feet away.  They will say, that takes too long.  Then they take out their phone, or netbook, and I walk over to the dictionary.  By the time I get back to the table, I already have the word looked up, and they just have the spelling program open.  Many of them don't even know how a dictionary works.

The youth of today are growing up at a great time.  Technology is amazing and to be able to grab hold and run with it the way many young people do today is a great thing.  We adults need to be able to be more like that.  But, the basics can not be forgotten.  Technology may not always be there when you need it, so make sure that knowledge is always there instead.