If you are over the age of 40 and don’t understand all these terms, don’t feel too bad about yourself. You didn't grow up in the age of technology. And, be careful. These terms may not mean what you think they mean. For example, you don’t need a pair of scissors and a bottle of glue to cut and paste these days. However, if you are a parent, teacher or any person who cares about kids, then maybe you do need to be a little worried. While it can be overwhelming to understand the best way to provide technology opportunities for children in a world that is only going to become more technology-dependent, we must. We must find a way to safely and properly prepare them for a future that even they can’t imagine.
New research is being conducted every day to help us better understand the impact technology has on today’s youth. While it may still take years to fully understand these effects, one thing is already clear technology is changing everything. Experts in thinking and learning are also saying that overwhelming use of the Internet for research and study encourages users to dart between pages of information instead of concentrating on and understanding one source fully, such as a book, the way older adults learned.
This new type of thinking may leave some children incapable of the discipline needed to read and write at length because their way of learning has been altered. Technology may literally be “re-wiring” our children to think and function differently than any previous generation. Only time will tell. Cyber-bullying, identify theft and online sexual predators do pose real threats, but kids can be and should be taught to use technology wisely and responsibly. Parents and other adults must learn to embrace it, understand the social implications of its use and provide a safe way for children to explore and learn in this limitless world of information.
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