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My 5yrs old son and technology

zooboole

Published By zooboole

I distinctively remember when my wife suggested that I shouldn't teach my kids coding. She is still right and I am still right as well. But there is also a take away for both of us.

I am planning to start my tech school for children this year, it's thus important that I help parents to understand what it really means to be in technology or to teach children technology.

I was born with a passion for anything electric. I have always been fascinated by electricity and it's properties. I spoke and taught extensively about it. I have grown up and managed to embrace the field as an electrician and computer programmer. I lived in tech for the past 25 years of my life. I sleep with gadgets around me and I wake up with gadgets chained to me as well. I make money and take care of my family through technologies. I founded small businesses in technology and I teach people about technologies. I have had a broken back and neck also because of it.

This places me at the right place to tell you what impact it has/may have on one's life.

Technology in itself is not necessarily a bad thing. It becomes harmful when it's in the hand of human beings. How, when, and what we use it for determines the impact on our lives.

This article presents real-life observations of my 5 years old son in whom I noticed a great passion for technology since he was a little baby. I have thus given him the chance to have access to it as he wishes. He has already destroyed more than ten mobile phones and about four laptops. He knows how to use a computer on a Windows operating system(XP, 7, 10), and on Ubuntu which is a Linux distribution. His usage is not anything special. He can browse through folders and find music and video files, and he can launch whatever possible games that are installed. He knows when a PC or a phone is connected to the Internet or not and can decide to connect or disconnect. He can tell me if we still have Internet access or not. He can turn the computer on or off using OS features... then he can remain on it pocking every single thing on the computer. I found him doing things I never knew they existed on those phones and computers. Once he has it, he wouldn't move again unless you force him.

In addition to his addiction to phones and computers, he is also addicted to television. The mother used to turn on the television to keep him busy and get some peace for herself. Most modern parents can relate to all this. It's a typical child of the 21st century.

My boy is now 5+ years olds and he used technologies for almost his entire age. All this while I have tried to have an eye on him. At first, I wanted him to embrace what he loves and also teach him what I loved at an early age and give him the best entertainment tools. But, now I have to disconnect him and allow him to have healthy growth and development.

Following are some behaviors he started to develop:

- Lack of Focus

He started to lack focus on anything that's not related to the gadgets. When you ask him to read in a book, he seems to be dreaming and impatient to move to the next thing.

- Obsession with gadgets

This leads him to unpredictable behaviors such as taking gadgets without asking permission, watching TV through neighbors' windows, or even taking other people's gadgets without asking. He started behaving like a drug addict ready to do anything to get a doze.

- He is ready to stick to any person who has a gadget at hand.

This attitude could put him into danger especially with strangers.

Lack of sleep leading to a sever lost of appetite which keeps him slim

Once he dives into the gadgets, he would never think of sleeping. No naps, and even sleeping in the night has always been a fight. This started to make him look slim and dull. When you give him food, because he is in a hurry, he just tastes it a bit and drops it. His eyes always look reddish, because he doesn't have a good sleeping cycle.

- Less interest in school activities.

No doubt that this is the worse. He started not to like school and most things related to it.

- Less interest in playing with his mates

This aspect is what got me thinking a lot. I am a very social person. I know the infinite benefits of interacting with other humans, and it's even more beneficial to a child than any other person. But, my boy would not go out and play with other kids. This started to affect his speech flow. He wouldn't talk well and timidity started to settle.

- He would not go to the toilet or urinate when he feels it. Always keeping it.

You can imagine the damages of such habit.

But I can't say this without mentioning some development I noticed in him.

  • The first is that he is smarter and gain great acquaintance with technology.
  • His level of focus when he plays is incredible. This can be turned into a great skill
  • He understands what calculation means and knows how to use the calculator to do his home works...I even wonder if I should teach more of mental calculation or teach how to reduce pain with a calculator?
  • He learns a lot of things from the animations he watches
  • and so many more that I am proud of him

While it's imperative to teach children about technology, we need to find the right time to start. One of the main issues with technology is addiction. The parent needs to be aware of it and hence know how to observe their children involved with technologies. Addiction is not passion nor knowledge, it's a sickness that comes with its consequences. I suggest, for the early initiation of technology, children should be at least ten years old. Any other contact with technology under this age should only be superficial and well-controlled/supervised.

So, to help my son, for now, I have seized all devices from him, gave them out to people, then I bought him a bicycle. I take him out from time to time.