Learning Goals
The goals of this assignment are
- to keep up with current events as they unfold in society;
- apply theory/readings to real-life events and vice versa,
- to help create personal awareness of technology and/as a society,
- to begin to articulate your position on these topics in both academic and casual contexts.
Summary of Article: Who/What is the article about? What is happening? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Why is it happening?
The article written by Hanna Rosin dwells on the issue of the way children are nowadays exposed to technology and all of its benefits and drawbacks. What is currently happening is that parents are now aware of the fact that their children might spend more than enough time in front of the TV or phone/tablet screen, and that scares most of the fathers and mothers out there. The switch to a more technological childhood took place when the first iPad was released.
The majority of parents felt like it was a bit easier just to let their children watch cartoons, play developing games, and just have fun with the device for half an hour a day or so. This sounds much easier than watching their toddlers cry or letting them bother anyone because they are bored.
It is kind of awkward that children might bother anyone, but this is happening right now all over the world. One of the reasons why such an issue has taken over the world is the rising level of ubiquitous human laziness. Technology brings innovation into our lives. The paradoxical part is that it should be limited to some extent in order not to spoil our lives because we are not ready for progress.
Author’s Position: What is the author’s take on this current event issue?
At first, when the author first found out about the technology that could be used in education, she was skeptical about it. She was not very permissive in terms of letting her son access a mobile phone or any other kind of gadget/computer. But as time passed, she let her son use it more frequently and even started watching TV shows for children with her son. The author’s opinion on the issue is that we should not restrict our children from playing with the gadgets.
On the contrary, we should let them play more and learn more, because they already belong to the generations that are growing up in the middle of the technological progress and a variety of gadgets. Rosin believes that letting children use technology freely is the ultimate way of parenting if you teach them how to use it the right way and guide them. She questions the fears of the parents who do not let their children access a computer or a phone. Rosin notes that nowadays technology is everywhere, and we cannot protect our children from exposing them to the Internet, but she doubts that the technology itself does any harm to us and our loved ones.
Relate to Class Material: How does this topic relate to this week’s class material
The issue discussed by Rosin pretty much relates to the main idea reflected in Kelly’s article. Both authors pledge allegiance to technological progress, and they believe that in the future, technology should be backing up people in every aspect of their lives. Rosin and Kelly agree that humanity should embrace technological progress and let it naturally evolve and infiltrate into our lives. Technology does not hold you back – it helps you advance.
You may have been rejecting the advantages of it in the past, but today the benefit of technology is not even a question anymore. The main point of both articles is that many see the technology as a threat to our children, but the authors are certain of the fact that if the technology is brought into our lives correctly, it is not going to be a menace to the toddlers or anyone else.