Heartless Babysitters

Here's your babysitter!

When I was growing up in Canarsie, summertime fun included playing hopscotch, jumping rope, writing with chalk on the sidewalks and going to local, crummy parks where the sprinklers were as close as we were going to get to 'amusement park-type' of water fun. Some went to camp, but most neighborhood kids – even those with parents who worked – hung out together all day at a “spot” where some of the best memories were made.

Before I was a teenager, I mostly tagged along with friends or amused myself outside. At 13 years old I was spending a lot of hot days at Kings Plaza Mall with my friends or at Canarsie Pier. However, there was A LOT more to do in the community - as I'm sure every community in the city in the 1980s had more recreational things for kids to do and more places for them to just chill and not have to spend money.

In addition to the “times-they-are-achangin'” mentality, we now have more competition than ever to keep youths – and even toddlers – in the community busy and out of trouble. Luckily for many parents, there's an answer: technology! Yes, heartless, emotionless, yet intelligently programmed technology!

When I came across a blog posted on CNN Living, asking “What's Wrong With Using Tech To Distract Kids?” it made me realize how disconnected children are going to be from socialization now that iPads, tablets and other gadgets are serving as what some call “virtual babysitters.”

I have nothing against handing a child a portable computer so that they can busy themselves for a while and learn through interactive games. Even my 12-year-old sister is distracted by hundreds of YouTube videos which have been keeping her quiet and distracted for the past two years. But where do we draw the line between providing human interaction for children and letting them become drones who are drawn to rechargeable devices that keep them silently amused for hours at a time?

Special contributor to CNN Bunmi Laditan offered her opinion on the issue, suggesting that technology is a positive thing for modern children. She also expresses that there is a clear gap between current trends to keep children busy for a few minutes and the long-term effects of practically being “raised by technology.”

On one hand, when I think back to my childhood, I didn't learn anything from those few minutes of hopscotch or riding my bike up and down the block (but it kept me in shape). However, give a child a tablet where they can download a game of skill and they can be entertained for hours.

I haven't yet read into studies indicating whether children drawn to technology have less friends or if they communicate with children their own age less often. What will happen to them in years from now if they're so used to touching a screen that they're unsure of how to actually have fun with people their own age in real life? Personally, I sense that there's an unspeakable battle parents have given up fighting since the tablet, equipped with more information than any human being can provide, keeps their child quiet and out of trouble.

Sadly, many parents in the community – especially places where violence and crime rates are skyrocketing – aren't going to tell their kids to “go outside and play.”

My generation of Canarsie neighbors didn't worry about getting shot during a house party or stray bullets killing an innocent child in the middle of the street. While it's awesome for a child to be able to share their gadgets with their friends while they're enjoying the outdoors, there's also an increase in robberies and thefts associated with tablets and Smartphones. Some kids have no choice but to stay indoors and occupy themselves.

Let's get real! Adults aren't nearly as interesting or entertaining as a 'Paint Your Virtual Face' or 'How You Would Look As A Walrus' application. Why take your kids to the zoo or circus when you can watch them online whenever you want, in the comfort of your home where there's no parking fee and no need to take out your wallet for an expensive snack.

If we did a survey on how many parents in this area are taking their children to amusement parks, beaches or educational and recreational facilities, I estimate that the number would be quite low – and these children are probably wandering the streets or cooling off by an illegally opened fire hydrant before going back to their iPhones, iPads or whatever other iGadget is more amusing.

Sure, some kids are interacting with each other through these 'virtual babysitters' but it no longer seems natural for a kid to want to play outside. I enjoy going to Canarsie Park and seeing kids do what they did in the old days – laughing together, getting exercise and playing games in which they have to socialize with others. At Canarsie Pier, some parents take their children fishing, which is a great bonding opportunity for parents who still want to make time for their kids (remember parents who didn't need to work long hours so they spent plenty of time with their children?).

I don't see as many kids out and about in the community as I did when I was growing up - and you can't tell me there are fewer children in Canarsie now than in the 1980s. If a majority of kids are hiding in their homes all summer and keeping to their computers and other gadgets, where is their socialization skills being practiced? They're forced to be with other children when school is in session, so how are we preparing them for real world communication if all they're doing is swiping a screen all day? Some children love those nonsensical games where they compete against strangers or an inanimate player.

Even though there are many intelligent apps which help kids learn and develop different skills, the old school values of forming and keeping friendships, learning patients and tolerance, and developing street smarts have been lost in the shuffle – or the iPod shuffle, I should say.

http://www.canarsiecourier.com/news/2013-07-11/Telling_It_Like_It_Is/Telling_It_Like_It_Is.html