This week I gave a talk called Social Media, Gaming, & the Internet: The Good & Bad News (ok, it’s mostly bad). 

Some of the questions raised included the following questions:

  • What is impact of extended use of different technology?
  • Can kids be addicted to their technology?
  • How do we as adults (digital tourists) manage or respond to the “digital natives?”
  • Are we being unnecessarily hysterical about technology with or are there reasons to be concerned?
  • Are we being hypocritical in our positions? That is, if we are on our phones and devices throughout the day, can we justifiably be critical of our children’s T.O.D. (i.e., Time on Device).

As I did my background reading for the talk, I learned something that I found pretty astounding.

Guess who did not allow iPads into his home?

That’s right, Steven Jobs.  So while Jobs was promoting iPads as the device that would revolutionize our lives, he was wary about his own children becoming taken over by them.

Not only that, apparently many of the leading tech gurus of Silicon Valley sent their children to private schools that are completely technology free, like the Waldorf School.

So, while most public schools are having kids on Chrome books and iPads throughout the school day, the technology leaders of the industry are going the opposite way with their own children.

Hmmm, I wonder what that is telling us?

(To read more about Steve Jobs and other low tech parents of Silicon Valley, click here: Steve Jobs Was a Low Tech Parent)

(More to come on children and their devices  in later posts.)