Read this news item, and this one. They speak for themselves. A lot of people who are not only very tech-smart but have made fortunes out of it in recent times are questioning what technology is doing to us, and trying to keep their children out of its grasp. If this still doesn't provoke many young educated Indians to start thinking about which way we are heading, and whether it's time to stop and take good stock of the present state of affairs - including, most importantly for the future, in our classrooms - then things have already gone past the point of no recall.
As a teacher, reader and father, I have long been saying that the current obsession with 'tech' has become a global disease. I can vividly see what staying glued to little screens from early childhood is doing to things like handwriting, memory, imagination, critical thinking, patience, empathy and even, unthinkable as it sounds to still-sane people, concern for personal safety. I hope young parents will take note. I am personally telling as many of them as will listen to me to urge their own kids to play and read and do housework instead of giving them tablets and smartphones, but my voice is too small to make a difference against the black vortex that is threatening to swallow us all... there are actually 'teachers' around who want textbooks to be rewritten in comic book format to hold the attention of the youngest generation now in school. How much time left till the ultimate meltdown?
P.S., March 04: I read this editorial in yesterday's newspaper. Apparently some sensible people are thinking along the same lines.
P.S., March 04: I read this editorial in yesterday's newspaper. Apparently some sensible people are thinking along the same lines.
4 comments:
Dear Sir,
I do not know where to start on this matter. But this is such a vital issue today. This is totally out of control and heaven knows what can save us from this ultimate apocalypse...which is the decline of originality and empathy. That day is indeed not far when text books would be rewritten with graphic illustrations for grabbing the attention of future generations. It is such a shame to see what passes by as 'content' today. Technology is taking us away from writing to visual language...we are going back to the primitive ages, even if the age is digital. Caves will be high density super skyscrapers, newborns of cavemen will learn emojis rather than language, and these cavemen would not hunt, but get a tasty supplement artificially created at the press of a button. The few who can still read or write will probably be top leaders and scientists with the privilege to stay in an expensive colony at the multi-planetory space station orbiting earth. This is so scary to imagine.
Sincerely Yours,
Subhanjan
Sir,
After reading the above two news items i am just thinking of our country and its goverment who are continously trying to make use of all digital items from e-banking to e-learning . The Waldorf School of the Peninsula,s teachers and their educators said that "computers and schools don,t mix" but in india every private school is eager to introduce smartboards to all classrooms, and want students to learn through tabs and computers.They think that if they do these then they are developed
I also visualized this thing when i sometimes downloaf any pdf of any book and then after reading it from mobile i do not get the pleasure that i get from reading ordinary book.
You said it right that your
voice is too small to make a difference against the black vortex and if the people themselves do not understand that what can be the consequences of using a smartphone for messaging, chatting doing facebook and others things then none could make them understand .
I hope that if people of our country also understands it as the Woldorf school undertood that education and technology are two different things which can,t mix.
Yours sincerly
Siddhartha
Dear Sir,
I could not agree more. This problem is not only the bane of our next generation but also extends to us. I considered myself a prolific writer and an avid reader during my student days but these days, due to the strenuous nature of my work, I find myself glued to my devices for prolonged periods of time. As a result, my attention span appears to have reduced considerably and the chain of thought doesn’t flow as freely as it used to. I observe such behavior all around me and I am certainly not very proud of this.
Regards,
Ritambhar
I can feel that addiction to technology is affecting me adversely. Once a mediocre student in school, nowadays I find it difficult to concentrate on my studies even though I know that I need to study and pass certain exams in order to make some progress. My job demands that I sit in front of the computer 8 hours a day, and after that when I return home I watch some videos on Youtube for entertaining myself.
However, I do not remember ever watching Youtube or even surfing the internet to entertain myself when I was a lot younger; I would rather fool around with my friends or be mischevious with my parents or just read a story book to entertain myself. Back in those days we had the radio, the tape recorder, football, cricket, badminton, carrom, climbing trees, chasing goats and dogs and hens on the streets, stealing fruits from people's orchards, running around in the sun, getting wet in the rain, fighting with friends amd siblings, getting thrashed by parents, and so much more! I never felt that something was amiss in my life. But nowadays I have so little in my life!
Reading has come down to a big zero percent in my life, so much so that I sometimes feel ashamed of myself. I know I need to start reading again, and I am starting to do that slowly.
I hope I am able to use technology properly and make the best use of it rather than wasting time on it. And this post of yours has done a lot of good to me by reminding me that I am losing focus.
Thank you for this post Sir!
- Subhadip.
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