Opinions on this Facebook Post....

BrassicWoman

I think it is lacking in any of the actual research about children and technology. Of which there is loads; people don't have to guess what it does.
e.g.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/260/

Silvertabby

Nothing new. I didn't use a pocket calculator at school because they were new technology/very expensive - but they were compulsory for maths lessons by the time my younger sister started secondary school.

However, when my sister told mum and dad that she needed a calculator they just laughed and said that as I/they hadn't needed one, she didn't either. My sister (always the smart mouth) asked my mum if she had used a little blackboard and chalk when she was at school, just like her own mum had used - or had she used the 'modern technology' of paper and pen.

onomatopoeia99

happyandcontented wrote: »

This was posted on a friends FB page and it gave me food for thought. It is articulate and quite well written, but it does send a message that could be controversial and contrary to the opinions of many:

What is your opinion? You seem to have "forgotten" to include it.

Robisere

I am a 73 yo grandad of 4 very different 13 to 24 yo's. Having taken to computing in my late 50's after injury and disability, I attended a 13 month course at a Disability College and passed in 11 months, while attending IT classes at weekends, with another Technical College. I did this because I could see the world changing and knew I had to change with it to get a job. I got the job but was retired on ill health grounds, so began a new career in my early 60's as a designer and printer of business materials. I built PC's myself as a sideline and I bought all the devices I needed to make a good living. Eventually I moved to Lincolnshire and retained a few clients, but stopped and retired completely at 70.


I built the 24yo his first two PC's: he is an Asperger's sufferer, but a Mensa tested genius and now No.2 to the boss of a very good, expanding IT company. He builds his own now! I built the next two for his 19yo cousin, severely dyslexic but uses a keyboard with terrific speeds and has a trick memory which retains everything. He can read and write via the internet but "All the words go wobbly and fade" when trying to write, so he does all written communication on his PC or laptop. He also builds his own now and uses any device with speed and efficiency. He also uses Teletext and Subtitles, to learn reading. His 21 yo sister is an ex-chef turned Commercial bank employee, who uses the internet only at work and her ancient HP laptop we gave her, just for music, video and FB: hates anything more complex on the Net!


The 13 yo is an A* grammar school student, little sister and possible future competitor for her 24 yo brother, who has built her laptop and desktop at work. She learns programming and Server Tech from him! If Big Bro is unavailable, granddad or 19yo cousin is called. I don't know how long I can keep up with all of this, but I am very willing to keep learning and trying.


To me, there is no competition between generations, new knowledge, experiences and modern tech. I really like talking to younger people and I meet many of the peers and friends of my grandbrats, all of whom know they can talk to me as a representative of my generation, about anything. Several say that their grandparents (and, far too often, their parents) grumble about their device use and do not try to understand them or what they actually do with tech. That is sad, IMO: why not attempt to share their lives more, by perhaps learning a little IT online or locally?


I learned to embrace the modern world and take from modern Tech what I needed to work, relax and communicate. This Oldphart is still occasionally Behind The Curve, but mentally galloping hard to catch up. Whilst enduring cancer Chemo treatment.

Red-Squirrel_2

I really don’t envy parents today dealing with the minefields of social media and technology.

Fact is, it’s here to stay, and kids have to learn how to use it responsibly and safely.

Criticism from judgemental older people who don’t have to actually deal with it just harp on from the sidelines seems highly unhelpful to me.

Red-Squirrel_2

Sunny_Intervals wrote: »

Honestly, I think I've just reached saturation point with these sanctimonious FB screeds. They seem to be less about whatever the issue is and more about what an amazing and morally superior person the author is.


There was one a couple of days ago about a woman who breastfed a stranger's hungry child. It should have just been a kind moment between two mothers, but no, the entire internet needed to know what a hero she was.

You do know you don’t have to read them, don’t you?

I scroll past loads of crap on the internet every day!

Red-Squirrel_2

Sunny_Intervals wrote: »

It's like saying I shouldn't be annoyed about all these folk being stabbed because I can choose to scroll past the news story.

It’s really really not.

seven-day-weekend

welshbookworm wrote: »

Technology is a tool.Used wisely it is good.
All my children are dyslexic,by putting sub-titles on the TV when they were watching, they all learnt to read.
They had a computer from a very early age, which helped their spelling and comprehension.
They have all done well in their chosen fields and are happy, which is all a parent can ask for.

My son (38) had (still has) trouble writing. He could, however, from quite a young age, touch type at a rate of knots. He is much better on a keyboard than physically writing, when you can see him having to 'gear himself up' to put pen to paper and then make indecipherable writing.

I agree too that it helped his spelling.

So yes, technology used responsibly can be beneficial.

David_Aston

Red squirrel, are you sure that Gran's "they are not" Is incorrect? Sounds ok to me.

Red-Squirrel_2

David_Aston wrote: »

Red squirrel, are you sure that Gran's "they are not" Is incorrect? Sounds ok to me.

That’s not the error, keep looking.