For them it’s keyboard karma—a legacy of the times they are born in. Ahead of Children’s Day on November 14, Ajay Kumar Shukla reviews how computers have impacted our kids.
It’s an irony of sorts: The Anti-Terrorism Law to scrutinise anti-national activities in India had to be brought into effect in Uttar Pradesh to check cyber-activities (not of the pleasing kind) indulged in by the 11 to 21-year-olds! Actually! Believe that or not! The State had no other way of keeping tabs on teenagers at the Internet cafes who were increasingly indulging in ‘cyber-vandalism’.
Somehow, computer use (mostly for surfing the Web) has taken over the younger generation. A school dropout mechanic working with LML scooter repair division at Askok Marg is at ease when handling a computer as compared to reading a book. This cyber-chat addict, Manu hastily explains that computer use is only a hobby for him, though, it is obvious that is not enhancing his personality in any way.
Dr Anita Srivastava, a child psychologist, says, “I’ve been teaching children for three decades now. But the perception gap in children ten years ago in my class and now, is more perceptible than between the former group and their seniors.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Anita Srivastava, a child psychologist, says, “I’ve been teaching children for three decades now. But the perception gap in children ten years ago in my class and now, is more perceptible than between the former group and their seniors.
{{/usCountry}}This computer revolution has changed everything in just the last seven years.
It’s like an evolutionary leap for our kids. These kids are definitely more intelligent but then, they’re more cut off from nature. Also, the 11-20 age-group assumes that mastery over gadgets and a techie-mindset is a matter of superiority. Less attention is paid to other skills like say playing carrom or, scrabble. Earlier, if you were good at scrabble, you were a hero in class… today, it means how many levels you have crossed in Tomb Raider.”
Amrita Shukla, a thirty-year-old parent, says, “I have two kids in school and both are crazy about using the computer. However, their addiction was affecting their physical fitness and I have now, started regulating both the time and purpose of computer use.” All parents, naturally, agree that technology should be used to ease work but not hamper learning and social interaction.
She says, one must monitor these video games. “Most of them are highly violent with all that shooting and I almost locked the home computer when my children were shrieking in sheer joy at having ‘killed’ someone on screen,” she says with deep consternation.
Incidentally, computer giants are using the children’s group as a key target segment for their advertising. More often than not, kids pester their parents to buy computers because classmates have a PC at home.
Also, according to Dr SC Tiwari, Head of Department, Geriatric Mental Health, King George’s Medical University, “it is commonly found that the latest tech-fashioned children suffer from different mental drawbacks. Although no formal research has been conducted on how technology affects the social psychology of the modern children but observation reveals that logical and abstract intelligence among children is being affected.” He feels children hooked to modern technology are emotionally callous and socially illiterate.
Computer use has particularly become a menace because of increased Internet availability. Only last year, the Government had to order that cabins be removed from cyber cafes. More often than not, children don’t even know if they’ve committed a cyber crime for example, when hacking into a prohibited organizational site or sending off spoof emails to Government officials or politicians. Even minors have been held for illegal cyber use in the state.
Surely, like the caveman unearthed fire, our generation has inherited the computer. We, as adults, need to draw the line for our kids.