The tykes of Tech
Children are being exposed to digital devices from a very early age.
Meet five-year-old Tara Nath. Like many girls her age, she has a bevy of Barbie dolls and other physical toys. But whenever possible she loves playing a Barbie game on her Nintendo DS. Tara's parents, Nidhi and Uday, go out of their way to ensure that she plays outdoors and has enough physical toys and educational tools around her. But the Nintendo, or her mother's iPhone, are never too far away from Tara.
Psychologist Sukanya Wignaraja worries less as a doctor and more as the mother of 12-year-old Leela. "Granted, many of the parents are from affluent homes and can afford to buy such devices, but over 70 per cent of the children in my daughter's class have iPods and iPhones and some even have iPads. Leela and her friends have been talking gadgets from the time they were 9-10 years old and I am sure that you can engage them in a conversation about Apple products or the latest gadgets for hours."
Counselling psychologist Naina Kaith, who works with children a lot, speaks of the negative impact of technology. "There is a definite impact on children's thought, behavioural and emotional patterns. A particular problem that I usually see is that kids believe they can get things quickly. They cannot get in touch with their emotions and feelings and the rapid nature of technology leads to partial or incorrect processing of information."
"There is a lot of information out there that is not ageappropriate and children can easily draw faulty interpretations," she adds. Action, she argues, is not about banning or stopping children from using technology but more parental intervention. Do children really need a phone? Or are kids asking for a mobile device because of peer pressure? And do parents also give in due to peer pressure because their friends bought mobile phones for their kids?
The answer usually is 'yes'," points out Kaith. In fact, she argues that the hectic nature of work and the fast pace of life have also meant that parents are not getting as involved in their children's lives as they used to. "There needs to be more supervision by parents, not in a threatening way. Parents need to talk and interact with their children more."
From the perspective of most technology companies, all of them state that they do not develop devices "specifically" (video games aside) for children. But the mushrooming of touch and other intuitive interface devices such as those on game consoles has made technology more appealing to children. The biggest single change has been the increase in icon-based navigation. Several years ago at Microsoft Research in Bangalore, a project was being undertaken to develop an icon-based jobs board for semi-literate workers; researchers based this on the fact that young children with limited language and cognitive skills could navigate through icon-based interfaces. To corroborate these findings, the researchers visited poorer neighbourhoods and witnessed how children without any computer access learnt to operate a computer, mouse and keyboard within minutes.
So, is the omnipresence of technology too much of a good thing for kids? "As a parent, I sometimes feel concerned about these "techno kids" and how this dependence on technology in every sphere of their lives will affect them in the longer term. But slowly I am beginning to realise that this is the way things are going to be and technology is a part of their existence in a way that it was not for my generation or even yours (with reference to this writer, who is all of 32)," says Wignaraja As for little Tara, her parents ensure that she has a rounded experience in life.
"Phones and computers are a fact of life today," says Uday. "But we ensure that she is not obsessed by a screen and we are strict when we need to be." Many parents may not have the time, inclination or the techsavvy to understand this.
Psychologist Sukanya Wignaraja worries less as a doctor and more as the mother of 12-year-old Leela. "Granted, many of the parents are from affluent homes and can afford to buy such devices, but over 70 per cent of the children in my daughter's class have iPods and iPhones and some even have iPads. Leela and her friends have been talking gadgets from the time they were 9-10 years old and I am sure that you can engage them in a conversation about Apple products or the latest gadgets for hours."
Touch, feel: Icon-based interface and touch technology has made it more appealing
"There is a lot of information out there that is not ageappropriate and children can easily draw faulty interpretations," she adds. Action, she argues, is not about banning or stopping children from using technology but more parental intervention. Do children really need a phone? Or are kids asking for a mobile device because of peer pressure? And do parents also give in due to peer pressure because their friends bought mobile phones for their kids?
The answer usually is 'yes'," points out Kaith. In fact, she argues that the hectic nature of work and the fast pace of life have also meant that parents are not getting as involved in their children's lives as they used to. "There needs to be more supervision by parents, not in a threatening way. Parents need to talk and interact with their children more."
What can you do about your 'Digital Child'?
As told by Naina Kaith, a Counselling Psychologist |
So, is the omnipresence of technology too much of a good thing for kids? "As a parent, I sometimes feel concerned about these "techno kids" and how this dependence on technology in every sphere of their lives will affect them in the longer term. But slowly I am beginning to realise that this is the way things are going to be and technology is a part of their existence in a way that it was not for my generation or even yours (with reference to this writer, who is all of 32)," says Wignaraja As for little Tara, her parents ensure that she has a rounded experience in life.
"Phones and computers are a fact of life today," says Uday. "But we ensure that she is not obsessed by a screen and we are strict when we need to be." Many parents may not have the time, inclination or the techsavvy to understand this.
