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If computers, TVs, video games, I-pods, MP3 players, and cell phones make up the lion’s share of your child’s holiday wish list, you’re not alone. Two factors have made this phenomenon a reality. As we continue to live in such a high-tech society, new and more dazzling electronic gadgets will continue to attract your child’s attention. Secondly, we also live in an information world that has invaded every aspect of our lives, including how kids learn, play, and interact with others. John Maxwell, the author of “Attitude 101” (Nelson Books, 2003), notes that more information has been produced in the last 30 years than in the previous 5,000, which is especially troubling since this deluge of information is often useless or even harmful for children. So before you rush out this holiday season to Best Buy or Circuit City, you may want to heed a warning from the Alliance for Childhood, an international nonprofit partnership of educators, researchers and health professionals. These experts have gone as far as to say that this high-tech, screen-centered lifestyle is a health hazard for children. “As we shift more towards the impersonal use of high technology as a major tool for teaching young children, we will lose that critical context of interactive relationship that so reinforces early learning,” says Dr. Marilyn Benoit, past president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and board member of the Alliance. A recent report by the group strongly criticizes the extensive financial and political connections between education officials and school technology vendors and encourages parents to be aware of the increasing influence of corporations in policymaking for education. Specifically, the Alliance encourages educators to stop making computer instruction a priority in the schools. According to the report, “The lack of evidence or an expert consensus that computers will improve student achievement despite years of efforts by high-tech companies and government agencies to demonstrate otherwise is itself compelling evidence of the need for change.” At the same time, the Alliance asserts that a high-tech childhood is promoting a sedentary life at a time when childhood obesity is at epidemic levels. It is no reach to understand that a sitting child is an inactive one. Marie Sherlock, author of “Living Simply with Children” (Three Rivers Press, 2003), suggests that parents help their children “deconstruct” all forms of information by analyzing both the programming and advertising goals of the media. She stresses the value of sitting down with children and watching television programs or checking out websites together. “Parents should critique this information together with their children in terms of their moral messages as well as the function of advertising,” says Sherlock. “This helps your children to become critical thinkers so that they can discern what is truly information and what is hype.” Sherlock also stresses that buying expensive electronic toys for holiday gifts can set a dangerous precedence when children begin expecting those types of gifts each year. It’s also important to remember that gift-giving is just one of many holiday traditions. Sherlock’s 15- and 12-year-old sons still look forward to the annual Christmas tree hunt followed up by hot chocolate and cookies. Sherlock points to numerous studies showing that when children become adults they remember the family traditions and rituals of the holidays, not all the expensive gifts they received over the years. This holiday season, instead of running out and buying the latest electronic toy for your child, consider more simple, long-lasting gifts that will spark their imagination and creativity. One novel approach to gift-giving is to present your child with a gift of experience. For example, if your child is a baseball nut, promise him an outing to the opening game of the Angels season. Or if your daughter loves the outdoors, take her kayaking without her siblings. Carol Daus is a freelance writer who lives in Huntington Beach with her husband and three children. Help for the Information Age According to Marie Sherlock, author of “Living Simply with Children,” here are a few tips to help parents slow down the information buzz and limit the exposure that their kids have to inappropriate media and messages: 1) Limit (or terminate!) the TV. At the very least, don’t allow television in your child’s room. 2) Resist the temptation to constantly buy the latest electronic wonders for yourself. Children pattern their consumer behavior after their parents. 3) Ensure that your kids are “media literate” by helping them to critically assess information. Watch and critique programs together. 4) Model responsible information and media consumption by limiting your own TV viewing and Internet surfing. Read regularly and make visits to the library with your child. |
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