the ikids blog

Plugged-in parents alienating their kids? So says the New York Times….

In case you missed it, the New York Times ran a story that covered the research of Sherry Turkle, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Initiative on Technology and SeIf. In particular, the piece focused on her recent research which found that heavy parental use of technology is associated with feelings of hurt, jealousy and competition among kids. Her findings will be published in “Alone Together” early next year by Basic Books. The thrust of the story was:

Child-development researchers are concerned that smartphones, instant messaging and Twitter are creating distracted parents.

On the face of it, this may seem to be a plausible perspective. Mobile devices are undeniably having a significant impact on how we connect, learn, socialize, and parent. The article certainly seemed to resonate. Links to it were splashed across social media today, and one our local papers – the Star Tribune – saw fit to put the article on the front page of their print edition.

To be frank, we find the perspective advanced in the article to be both disturbing and counterproductive. We do not mean to minimize the fact that people are busy, overstimulated, and overconnected. They are. We also do not want to discourage a communal conversation around how technology fits in our life.

Our problem is the way that this article framed up the discussion – leading with the idea that plugged-in parents are alienating their kids misses all of the benefits that technology can bring to family life. My daughter learned her ABCs on an iPhone. My son can videochat with his European grandparents via Skype. My grandmother keeps track of the whereabouts of her entire brood via Facebook. She’s close to 90 years old and almost blind – but technology keeps her connected to us all. These are not small victories for technology or for our family — they are major victories. And they are happening every day in families all across the world.

This article misses all of these victories in its rush to proclaim that technology is alienating us from each other. And on the basis of what evidence? A qualitative analysis of 300 people? Really? It may be a vain hope, but I truly would like to believe that one of our nation’s flagship media outlets would look for more robust data and a better balance in perspective before running a story like this that has deep implications for the role that technology plays in our lives.

We believe there’s more promise in focusing on the opportunities that smartphones create for kids and families.

Fast Company’s recent cover story on how smartphones are impacting learning is worth considering as a counterpoint to the NYT article. Other examples of the positive impact of technology on kids are not lacking – in fact they are everywhere. Students in Tennessee are benefiting from mobile learning. So are students in the UK. As are students from Singapore to Texas.

Our point is not that smartphones (or any technology) are a magic cure for what ails society. But we do believe that all technology is a tool that can be applied for good or ill, and that it up to us to define how the technology fits into our life.

Fear-mongering articles like today’s NYT’s piece are dangerous precisely because they have the potential to blind us all to the good that can come from a smart use of technology.

Worst of all – coming from a publication on the defensive about the impact of the Internet on their revenue stream – this just tastes like a bit of technology-bashing sour grapes. Especially when it’s immediately on the heels of the New York Times clipping the heels of some talented student developers for “stealing” their content. Don’t get me wrong – I love the New York Times. I just hope for more from them in the future. There is an opportunity to show people how technology can positively impact us – and it’s a story that can not only sell papers but also lead the way to a better future. Here’s hoping they take up that challenge.

Related posts:

1. iPhone Education – Four Reasons Why Mobile Devices Will Transform How Our Kids Learn Say goodbye to textbooks and hello to the next-gen mobile tools that will power our children’s education. Increasing access to high-end mobile devices and an explosion of mobile educational software are leading to pilot programs focused on determining the role this new technology should have in the classroom. These pilot programs are already demonstrating significant [...]...
2. Apps and Education Almost half of the top 100-selling apps in the iTunes App Store were for preschool or elementary-aged children in November 2009, according to a content analysis by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, which promotes digital media technologies to advance children’s learning. (source) Given the fact that the app store sells $200 million in apps each [...]...
3. Mobile Devices In The Classroom @smeech recently asked my thoughts on a post from @coolcatteacher that makes the case for cell phones in the classroom. Among her more compelling reasons for why cell phones make sense in the classroom: - Cell Phones Can Save Us Money - Cell Phones Can Help Students Be More Organized - Cell Phones Speed Up [...]...
4. POP QUIZ: Please take out your number 2 pencil and fill in the bubble.. Current standardized tests are: a) A simplistic way of assessing learning outcomes b) Culturally biased c) Responsible for “teaching to the test” d) Narrow in their focus e) All of the above I’m sure that when first introduced, scantron forms seemed like a wonderful invention.   The technology simply and easily allowed many, many exams to [...]...
5. Kids Maps Delivers Kid-Friendly Fun My kids are obsessed with Dora right now. Everyday banter is full of references to the characters in the show. Our little boy, much to our dismay, seems to believe that he is in fact the personification of Swiper. Our little girl, on the other hand, strongly identifies with Dora. Come on, vamanos, is her [...]...