Technology Creating More Distant Children

I was very interested in the chapter; Finding Oneself and especially the part on leaving home in Habits of the Heart. In many cultures children should stay at home with their parents and take care of them as they grow old and die. In America it is expected that we leave the house as soon as we reach adulthood otherwise you look like you’re unsuccessful or cannot support yourself. As Americans we put a huge emphasis on independence, even as children being able to do many things on your own is expected. Doing things as a family regularly is pretty rare for most American families, I know personally in my family we all do our own activities separate. I thought a little bit about what children on are doing independently and why, and have come to the conclusion that a big part of the issue is that we give children a lot of tools to make them independent. Television is a big part of it, it’s easy, its keeps the kids calm and out of their parents hair, and is often referred to as a personal baby sitter. Video game are another big thing for kids, it’s easy for them to sit in their rooms for hours playing video games or watching T.V, so being alone isn’t new to them and it probably doesn’t bother them very much either. Having all of this technology that is easy to use for children is a tool of sorts that prepares children for independent lifestyle. This is definitely not necessarily a good thing, it is important to interact with other people, especially family members. Below is a link on how TV can affect children of different ages:

http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html