Came across this post on my Facebook newsfeed which I thought was very interesting and true at least for me:
“My curfew was the street lights. My Mom called my name, not my mobile. I played outside with friends, not online. If I didn’t eat what Mom cooked, then I didn’t eat. Sanitizer didn’t exist, but you could get your MOUTH washed out with soap. I rode a bike without a helmet, getting dirty was OK, and neighbors gave a damn as much as your parents did. Re-post if you drank water from a garden hose & survived!!”
This was certainly the case when growing up in India, not sure if this is still the case. While I was in middle school in India, first thing I did after coming back from school was, eat something real quick and run outside to play with my friends. Nothing could keep me indoor. We had games for all kinds of weather. I thought I was Sachin Tendulakar of my apartment complex. Kids from apartments from across the street were our enemies and spend number of nights strategizing how to kick their rears – of course it never happened. While playing cricket, got in argument with elders whose daily routine was ruined by our high flying (Tendulkar like) sixers. During Uttrayan time, there were competitions about who captures the most kites. In summer, there were board games and marbles. This one time, we even opened a bank where kids can borrow marbles from us – imagination at work. That was then.
Today, kids don’t need anyone. They got their Nintendo DS, Xbox, Internet, 200 channel cable, mobile phones and of course who can forget Facebook. I am not saying it is for better or worse. Today’s kids have access to the technology that was unimaginable just a decade ago. Times have changed for sure. These kids are digital kids, for whom text messaging is same as talking to someone face to face. These are also the kids who have access to the world’s best libraries – any question can be answered within seconds.
However, what about social skills? Undoubtly, technology has made it easier to stay in touch and connect with new people. Real business can not be done on Facebook alone, can it? Will these technology savvy kids able to read someone’s face and determine if they are trustworthy or not?
I’m curious to find out how are today’s parents developing their kids’ social skills in this age of gadgets?
Learn, Have Perspective and Grow 