Technology

I had the pleasure of seeing this video last night. I found it quite amusing, but let’s not miss the larger point here:

• Should kids be allowed to bring cell phones to school?
• Why would a student answer a phone call during a class lecture?
• Are we teaching our kids to become adults that do not respect, relate and empathize with others?

My personal opinion is that a child should be allowed to bring a cell phone to school. The main reason is safety. I feel much better that my daughter can reach me or her mother if there is an emergency. I also believe that kids need to be taught, at a very early age, how to responsibly use technology. The key word here is “responsibly.” I think parents need to teach their children that a cell phone can be just as disruptive, in a class setting, as yelling.

We must not throw the baby out with the bathwater by not allowing cell phones in schools. I think we all realize that technology is a way of life, and those that do not embrace it will be left behind. Allowing kids to use and understand technology, at an early age, will give them a head start in navigating their way through this technical world. I believe within the next 5 years, we’ll probably start to see many colleges go completely away from printed text books. Expect to see every college student carrying around some type of tablet device, e.g., Apple iPad, Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, etc., in the not too distant future. These devices not only will take the place of text books but will also be their primary note taking device. So kids need to start using these devices early in life.

So why did the student answer the cell phone in the first place? My initial thought was that many kids aren’t taught basic common courtesies. We need to teach our kids that their actions can often effect others. In the case of a student answering a cell phone in class, the student disrupted the teacher from teaching and the other students from learning. The question is, did the student realize this? Or did he even care? Was his needs more important than everyone else’s? I guess he can only answer those questions.

On a related note: I am an owner of a small company. Recently, I had to send out a companywide mandate restricting personal cell phone use. A couple of employees were abusing my relaxed cell phone policy. Personal texting and phone calls were at an abusive level. What I found perplexing was that a couple of the abusers were totally in the open about what they were doing. It was as if they either did not care or did not realize that having the company pay them to take personal calls or personal text messages was wrong. Where does that come from? They are good employees! One thought I have is that this, blatant, out in the open abuse, was happening because it was behavior that was learned as a kid.

Finally, I believe that we, as parents, need to spend more time teaching our kids how to empathize and relate more effectively with others.

Everything in this article is my opinion. I look forward to hearing your comments and particularly how your opinion might differ from mine!

{ 6 comments }