I must be old. That, or I just don't get it. At 41 I've hit my very first, surprising disagreement with my 7 and 9 year old sons about whether or not something they like and enjoy has value. I'm not sure if "value" is the word here. I value anything they enjoy, and do my best to wrap my mind around their perspective. I'm very good at putting myself in other people's shoes and it has helped me immensely with my children. Even though I don't enjoy most sporting events, I find something positive I can enjoy about it because I can see and feel what they are gaining from it.
My 9 year old, Andrew, kept asking me to sign into a certain website all weekend. He described it as "musical" and "so completely awesome". He was in awe, describing it in a way I found entertaining. My curiosity peaked by this morning, so I signed in. It's called "Animusic" and I know very little about it (I may be missing something that really does make it more awesome than anything imaginable). It's apparently a series of DVD's that can be ordered with music and animation that looks extremely space-age and robotic in nature. There are faceless, robotic forms playing various instruments, and I could only find myself holding attention for a minute or less.
I guess it's a personal preference thing, but I'd much rather watch a human being play those instruments, and that they be real instruments, not cartoons. The human element is lacking for me, and I think it's extremely important for children to have that in this age of computer & video technology. I said this to Andrew, and he replied "So, you don't like it, do you?!" He seemed disappointed, and I reiterated "I prefer human beings to cartoon machines." Maybe I'm a fuddy duddy, and it's just a way of getting children interested in music. I applaud and support that all the way. I just get concerned with all the impersonal stuff (video games, iPods, computers, cell phones, texting, etc) and I view music as one of the most beautiful, human, emotional, fluid and authentic things left. In my view, those videos place a cold and artificial quality to music. The music teacher at school introduced it to them, so there must be some sort of educational value I'm not seeing in my minute or less of viewing. I'm almost sure there is.
I'm not going to be one of those foagies who sits around complaining about this "modern world" and the youth of today. I won't let my kids see me that way (if I can help it), so I'm delicate in how I speak to them, and analyze my perspectives carefully. I think this is only the beginning of a clear, generational difference that I have with my kids and I will have to work at trying to slip myself into their time and age. It is completely different than my day when cable television, answering machines, and simple Atari games were the latest technological craze. We spent so much more time outside, talking to one another, engaging in imaginitive play and creating our own music while our parents played some awesome albums on their record players.
This is why we will never own a video game, and we keep our one family television in the basement for rare viewing. I'm not sure where I'm going with this, except to say that I dread the day when our kids see us as living in the dark ages instead of authentic and more natural, personal human beings. Andrew wanted to purchase an iDog with his birthday money, but when I took him to the store and played with it I just couldn't allow it. Boring, brainless, noisy, he'd easily and quickly tire of it, and probably take the whole plastic klunky thing apart after two measely hours! We're hoping they see the benefits of watching real musicians (preferrably in person), having human 1:1 conversations and time to reflect on life without all the modern distractions of today. I guess that strange website got me thinking a little too much...relax, Christine.
A Dear Prudence Dress
7 years ago
3 comments:
I have no problem stating that kids are missing out these days with their video games, texting, computer time wasting...remember when you and Stephanie would spend hours in the basement preparing to put on a "play" for us, or being outside swinging with the neighbor kids? I'm wondering what the kids today will miss when THEIR kids are growing up...that's kinda scary!
Growing up, my parents also avoided buying me those kind of toys and video games too... after much begging, we got a gameboy for Christmas one year, but we only had a couple of games and mainly used it for plane rides.
I am very happy that my parents were thoughtful about the toys we played with and steered us towards more creative and high quality toys!
In the neighborhood I grew up in, all the kids used to be outside riding our bikes, playing in the woods and all sorts of fun stuff... now, expect for one family, (who also very actively encourage their kids to play creatively) I HARDLY ever see any of the kids that now live in the same neighborhood. I feel so sad when I think of all those kids inside on the couch staring at a TV screen pressing buttons on a controller all day.
Oh how I love my childhood memories! Those plays my sister and I wrote and performed ad nauseum, week after week. And the ideas we came up with, the songs I wrote! Those memories wouldn't be there if I'd sat with my iPod in headphones, texting with a Wii in hand! I'm not against technology, just the overabundance of it, and the time-eating, harmful addictions that come with it.
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