A Eulogy for Childhood

The class discussion on Childhood and Technology had a particularly stong effect on me. I had always believed that incorporating technology into childrens lives had been a good thing, but I suppose I hadn't thought about it in depth too much. I have many fond memories of my childhood involving technology, from television (my mom taught me to tell time by the TV shows I watched, Barney was a half hour and Sesame Street was an hour due to their respective lengths) to sitting in my grade school classroom learning how to spell and do simple math by playing a computer game geared towards that purpose. Yet I see my little brother now, who speaks like characters from South Park and says things and understands thing that I do not remember comprehending at that age. Perhaps it is the fact that he is the youngest and is exposed to more "adult" behavior, but when I see him come home from school drop his bag and head straight to the TV to watch the newest episode of "Family Guy" I begin to feel that technology is a determining factor in his lacking of youthful naivety. 

Before I continue, I believe that it is not technology inherintly that is evil, but rather the exploitation of the technology and what it is used for, that ultimately leads to its affect on Childhood. I remember fondly watching a program called "Reading Rainbow" which to this day I still remember episodes that taught me the differences between Stalactites and Stalagmites (formations found in caves) and what causes them. I can remember that it introduced me to ideas about the solar system, and planets, and space, which prompted me to ask my mother to take me to the Planetarium. I watched a show called "Wishbone" which took classic novels and acted them out using a dog. I thought the espisode that was based on "The Oddessy" was the coolest thing I had ever seen, and that caused me to pick up my fathers copy of the book (who then bought me a more child appropriate version). When reading the book in my AP Literature class in Highschool, I had already completed reading various versions of it, as well as countless other classics from Moby Dick to The Count of Monte Cristo all because of Wishbone making me realize that old, boring stories can actually be pretty cool. Maybe I was an exception (that exception being I was a dork when I was a kid), but ultimately I believe that what technology can do is serve as a launching pad to further a childs education as it did with me. For example, the computer games I played as a child that helped me learn math were in no way a substitute for what I gained from the teacher, but the game was a system that gave me positive feedback using its system of rewards that helped me practice and become more interested in math.  

However, there are two sides to ever coin and I believe that in recent years we have been seeing the ugly side of technology rear its head. I believe that what is at the crux of the matter is the idea of secrets. As mentioned in class secrets, are what define childhood from adulthood. When being a child, one of the things that makes you a child is knowing that there are "adult topics" or "adult shows" or "adult words" all these things that you dont understand. Though it is not done maliciously, every child also knows that there is stuff being kept from him or her, and this only furthers the concept of child curiosity. While it is the secrets that make us a childhood, I believe a big part of childhood is us trying to trick our parents and find out what those secrets are. How does this relate to technology? I believe that this day and age of hypercapitalism has exploited the childs desire to see "adult life" and tried to make money off of it in every way possible. A show like the Simpsons is a good example. It is a cartoon, which is appealing to children, yet adresses adult topics, and in fact is primarily and adult show, but because of the style in which it is presented (cartoons) a child may feel it is not as taboo and then eventually get hooked on it because of the adult topics discussed. The same goes for computer games, while at its root both games may be educational, companies know that a math game involving karate and violence will sell more then a math came involving a choo choo train and a bunny rabbit. While the intentions of some creators may even be good, it is impossible to divorce the creation from the fact that is must sell, and I believe most capitalists know exploiting a childs curiosity is what sells. 

Ultimately, it is hard for me to give into the idea that technology is inherintly bad. Especially since I am using a blog right now to participate in a class (I don't care hat you say, I'm still a kid). Additionally, I do not believe I would be as technologically adept as I am today if I hadn't be using it since a young age (for proof of that one, just ask my grandparents to pick up a cellphone or send an email. Go ahead, see what happens). Technology is becoming the language for the new millenium, and it is important for our children to understand it, but the real debate is how will we teach it to them while still retaining the ever important notion of youthful innocence. 

~ Ariel 

***I just noticed this, and figured I would add it on to the end as it helps my point. I had a sentance saying "technology cant be all bad as I'm using this blog right now" and there it is, the fourth tab from the left for editing my blog, a tab that says "monetize."