We’ve all seen it, young kids totally engrossed in cell phones, iPads, or some other device, and every time us old people think, “Well gosh golly gee wiz, we didn’t have these fancy fangled eye telephones when we were kids. Back in my day, kids used to socialize and run around outside, and everything costed a nickel. I walked uphill to school both ways in the snow and…” you get the point. What I’m trying to say is that it’s become our generation's prime hobby to remark about how those younger than us are too invested in technology, cell phones in particular. Perhaps, though, it might be important to actually weigh the benefits of having such interconnected kiddies.
Now, of course, the main reason that comes to mind for giving phones to those tiny humans is for use in emergency situations. What if they are at a friend’s house or even at school or soccer practice or other places kids go and get hurt or injured? You would certainly want them to be able to contact you. It would also be a huge comfort to them to be able to immediately reach a parent in an emergency to ask for help.
Another benefit to giving the little booger eaters (I mean that in the most loving way) phones is that they can now operate with more autonomy and independence. Now the helicopter parents can finally let their children out of the house to go explore and run amuck, knowing that getting in touch with their little ones is easier than ordering a pizza. Maybe it’s just a matter of perspective, instead of cell phones making children more prone to stay inside, perhaps they could be a tool to get them out more often and more safely. Food for thought, I suppose.
Let’s face it, the world is changing, and it’s already different than it was when we were much younger. For better or for worse, communication by cellphones and other digital means is what today's kids will use their entire life (or until the next big thing), so then giving them the skills to communicate through these channels early and with as many people as possible may just be a decent idea after all. Not to mention the fact that this isn’t the first generation to be burdened by technology! In fact, every generation has had some new habit at which the geezers would roll their eyes. For us, it was Game Boys and mini clips and the first game consoles, for this generation it just happens to be cell phones, tablets, and laptops. And one day, the people who are kids now will look at their own children and think, “Dude, when I was young all we had was an iPhone 6, like chill. LOL. #soold #2000skid #whatisitwithkidsthesedays.”