However techno the name sounds, it just refers to the kids of our generation. It’s rather simple, these kids have all the technology they need or not need them and are almost as savvy as any of us as soon as they are even an ion size. Thus the ‘I-generation ions'(‘I ‘as in ipods, iphone, ipad etc, ofcourse there can be a debate on this, generation Y, Z etc, but I prefer my simple explanation).
So though we are producing and rearing a tech-savvy generation, we are also making them more and more depended on all the technology around them. My kids Eeshan, eleven and Ahaan, six are either at school or watching TV. If it’s not the television then it’s the Ipad, if not the ipad then my Smartphone. Otherwise, it’s music on our Bose music system. So much so that playing with friends has also become timeshare on X box or PSP. Increasingly, physical activity is decreasing in this generation.
I agree between trying to multitask, manage our homes, working (or not working); managing our social lives and various classes that we want to attend, we are unable to allocate sufficient times to our kids. But what about weekends? When we have to entertain them we take them to a mall, teach them to shop or take them to a gaming zone or a movie. Whatever happened today picnics and family times? When we were kids, fun meant meeting cousins on the weekends.Playing carrom board with dad. Playing ‘kabbadi’, ’kho kho’ and badminton with friends. Slowly, we are creating a race which is lazy, spenders and not savers and not so physically fit.
One weekend trip we took our kids to Bandardhara, close to Mumbai, which has beautiful waterfalls. While driving down the valley, around the most beautiful view around, my hubby out of the blue, asked Eeshan what he thought of the beautiful valley and waterfalls. He looked most disinterested and his reply was another question “When can we go to Oberoi Mall?”It’s at these times we realise, how wrong we are going in our ‘parvarish’.
A new study has found a third of parents regret giving their children gadgets because of fears they will stunt their creative and social skills, while two-thirds blame new technology for reducing family time with their kids.
Although six-month-old can’t ride a bike, throw a ball or even talk, he can already use an iPhone with the help of the Fisher-Price Laugh&Learn Apptivity Case, which protects the device against bumps and dribbles. Such is the captivation of technology for the ‘I generation ions’.
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