The Winter of our Disconnect - Susan Maushart (2010)
With three teenagers and living in Perth, author Susan Maushart takes up the challenge of banning all screens from her home for six months. All ipods, iphones, laptops and tvs are not to be used, and instead the family must learn to reconnect with each other and fill in their time.
After spending just a 36 hour period with my nephew and his two mates, I was frustrated that I was paying money to take them places and show them things, while their heads were down and they were busy playing competative nintendo like it was an Olympic sport. So busy, that life was passing them by, and the kid who'd never been to Welington before, never actually saw it cos he was too busy scoring points. I am pleased though, that this year my nephew is more likely to be out on his bike with friends, than wearing out his thumbs in front of the xbox.
I despair too when I talk to the the 18 year old students who have started with us, who must be clever to get into the programme, but who have limited street smarts and even they wonder what they actually learned while at school.
So, if you have teenagers yourself, or wonder how your own family would cope it certainly makes an interesting read. 3/5.
2 comments:
Interestingly, I posted comment just recently to a friend's facebook status,questioning whether european education is too loose comparing to the Chinese education where kids from 6 to 18 years old go to school from 6am to 9pm... as a chinese born and raised in china till 18, personal witnessed this, it was pretty appalling indeed. I think most of us are trained very well academically, but hugely lack in creative thinking, critiquing and artistically expression.
Sorry, sort of off the topic, but as a 29 year old, married to IT geek, I feel what you said, really. On my daily journey to work, I observe all the bus and train passengers with their heads on their iPhones iPad the entire way. I think in general, people are obsessed in occupying themselves, in anything, so we don't go insane, the more occupying the better. Not just the teenagers.
Yep scary gizmos for kids - they are missing out on soo much with heads looking at tv/computer screens. They have their place but moderation like all things.
You might have to be the mean aunty & say gadgets away or left at home for Poppy q to look after.
Love Leanne
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