Today’s children are the “Touch Generation”

Spend some time walking around some cafes or restaurants in the city and you might notice more and more kids these days have access to touchscreen devices be it their own or those belonging to their parents. A couple of decades ago, the same situation would have been completely different. Think back to when you were younger – were you playing with your parents’ beepers or cellphones? I think not. In today’s modern world, technology has become so accessible to people of all ages that Intel has even dubbed the kids of today the “Touch Generation.”

Many parents are now using their tablets or smartphones as tools to teach their kids their alphabets, to improve their hand-eye coordination skills or just as a pacifier so they won’t go running around all over the place and wreaking havoc in public. But is it the right thing to do? Should kids be playing with such devices in the first place? As of now, the verdict is still out there to whether letting kids access these devices at such a young age is beneficial but many parents have been pretty pleased with the results.

Like everything in life, letting your kids play with smartphones or tablets is fine – if it’s done in moderation. While it could greatly improve your child’s hand to eye coordination skills and make your kid tech savvy, too much time spent with those devices could also turn him/her anti-social due to the lack of time spent interacting with other people and actually communicating. Ever walked into a Starbucks and noticed a table full of people on their smartphones/laptops/tablets and not talking to one another even though they’re sitting together? I’m sure nobody wants their kids to end up like that but alas, it’s one of the effects that touchscreen devices have on today’s generation.

Here’s a question for your folks: how many of you let your kids play with your touchscreen devices?  If you do, has it improved their lives and in what way?

George Wong
Categories: Cellphones, Tablets
Tags: children, kids, Smartphones, Tablet