For this class's blog assignment, I interviewed 2 people. I asked them both a few questions concerning their opinions/views on media and the kids of this generation.
I. The first interviewee is my friend, Marty D., who has raised three kids, and has one grand-baby. Here is my first interview below.
Me: How do you feel about this generation and media? Do you think it is more helpful or harmful to kids? Why?
Marty: I call this generation of young folks the "box and bag generation". The reason is because they're moving too fast and don't have time for the simple basics in life. The simple things are not being passed on. The first big example is my son, Jordan. He will just grab a box of cereal and a plastic bowl for his supper because it's quick; and if there's a bag of chips, it's also something quick that he can and eat. Technology, I suppose, is more good than bad. There is so much that can be accomplished with technology today. If I have medical issues, the technology that's out there today can help me. Also, it seems like you can talk to anyone and everyone, and it's easier to keep up with family and friends rather than on a normal land line phone. However, kids these days are moving so fast, that they don't have time to spend with the family, to enjoy the simpler things in life, or to appreciate those simpler things and other people.
Me: How has different media affected your family, your kids especially? Do you think that it has created a gap or brought you closer together?
Marty: I think that when you live a simple life, and are rich in the heart, you don't notice if you're materialistically poor or wealthy. My family and I used to sit together in the evenings at dinner and have discussions, but it slowly became, "Let's get done so I can go play Xbox". It has created a certain distance between us all, definitely between us, the parents, and our kids. All kids want to do now is walk around playing on their phone, playing some handheld video game, or something like that. We used to watch a movie together as a family and bond, but that relationship is sort of eroding because the kids are now focusing on other things during that time, paying less attention to the movie and being able to spend time with the family without distractions.
Me: What media products do you consider good or healthy for children? Which ones are you more concerned about, though?
Marty: I like the computer, because they can experience and open the world. However, things like Facebook, where they spill their whole lives out to the world and become vulnerable to online predators is really scary. Adults can become addicted just as much as kids, and it can be harmful even to a husband and wife's relationship. It can also open up your home as a world stage. So the computer can be as great as it is harmful. It's really just how you use it.
Me: How did you determine what your children could or could not watch on TV as well as how long?
Marty: Well, at the time when my kids were growing up, we did TV. We would watch TV together, and if my wife and I didn't think it was appropriate, then we just turned the channel or turned it off altogether. They did not have TV in their individual bedrooms.
The length of their being allowed to watch TV depended on school nights, really. On a school night, we would cut it off at about 10pm, but on the weekends, it was a little later. When they would eventually get TVs in their rooms, they continued to watch what they should and not to watch what they shouldn't. I suppose it was something that was instilled in them about good and bad things to be watching on TV. I never did censor or monitor TV channels, but they still knew well enough to not be watching inappropriate things.
II. My brother Robin has a son, Thomas, who is extremely involved with video games and technology in general. Here is his interview.
Me: How do you feel about this generation and media? Do you think it is more helpful or harmful to kids? Why?
Robin: Media is more harmful, I believe. It affects people's health--they weigh more, are losing social skills such as face-to-face communication/interaction, and also decreases productivity through idle pursuit.
Me: How has different media affected your family, your kids especially? Do you think that it has created a gap or brought you closer together over the years?
Robin: This generation relies too heavily upon media to cover gaps in their education. They "Google" everything, for example. It has gone beyond the damage done by calculators to math skills. More time in the home is spent on trivial electronic browsing instead of bonding and personal relationship-building.
To some degree, yes, it has created a gap between my son and I. He would rather play video games than help me build a garden shed or walk downtown to have a coffee, or go to the park and talk.
Me: What media products do you consider good or healthy for children? Which ones are you more concerned about, though?
Robin: Smartphones provide a lifeline between generations when used at the proper times and in appropriate places, certainly not while driving. Video gaming via computer decreases productive output, affects health, and isolates people from each other. There is no personal, direct contact.
Me: How did you determine what your children could or could not watch as well as how long?
Robin: We restricted adult content, but little or no restriction on time. We wanted him to know how to use all types of electronic media. This could have a negative influence in causing depression and possible Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Too much neural stimulation and not enough down-time could upset his brain chemistry, I'm afraid.
-Kelsey
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