What Are We Teaching Our Kids? [VIDEO]

Technology is wonderful isn't it? But what is it doing to our kids?

Most of the American population are plugged into technology in at least one form or another. Either you have a home computer, a smart phone, an iPod or are a little more advanced and have an iPad. This technology is great and gives us the opportunity to explore anything, anywhere. There is a drawback that many don't think of when introducing this technology to our kids.

Schools are already contemplating getting rid of cursive writing in favor of typing as the majority of the world is communicating in electronic form. Kids are introduced to computers almost from birth these days and most are much smarter than their parents when it comes to electronics in general. They find ways to view things on the internet that aren't appropriate and if the parents are pro-active and block those sites, the kids still seem to find a way around them. But that's not the real problem.

Think back to when we were kids. Computers were just becoming affordable and they only did basic word processing. My first experiences with a computer came in 4th grade playing Oregon Trail and some math game in class at school. A home computer wasn't affordable for my family until I was 18 and bought it myself. Now if a kid doesn't have a home computer, they are considered "weird". What has the electronic age done to our kids and what basic principles are they losing each year?

Look at this adorable little girl? From the picture, she's sitting on the deck, looking at a magazine. Cute right? What you will see in the video below is this little girl has no clue how to "look" at a magazine because she has been introduced to the iPad. Everything is touch screen in her life and an actual magazine upsets her. The use of her finger to turn the page and "create" entertainment is too much for her to comprehend.

Is this the world we are going to be a part of in the next 20 years? When this child graduates college will she even be using a book? Will the library be replaced with a digital hub to plug in your device or will there be a chair that you sit in and literally plug in your brain to download the information you need?

I know it sounds far-fetched, but it COULD happen. It was far-fetched in 1980 that we wouldn't be listening to music on anything but a record. It was not likely in 1985 that we would be able to afford home computers. And in 1995, it was far fetched that we would ever have a car that could fly.

My point in all this is technology isn't bad, but we as the prior generation have to introduce the things we enjoyed in life to the next generation and incorporate it alongside the new technology. We need to be proactive with new technology and teach our kids how to use it wisely. And we need to make sure our kids know how quickly the world changes - right before our eyes and make sure they can deal with it.

Makes you think twice about using the iPad as a babysitter now doesn't it?