Aeon - Effects of Technology to our children

Remember the time when there is no internet, no mobile phones, no gadgets.
The time that we need to go home or hit the booth just to make a phone call.

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Indeed God will not change the condition of the people until they change what is in themselves.
-Qur'an 13:11

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Technology
Technology means a lot to each and every one of us nowadays, and it changes how we live our daily lives. But can you ever imagine the effects it brought to our future generations? BEing a child raised during the 90's era makes me say that we are lucky to have witnessed how technology transcends each following years.

I was born in a simple family of four but the simplicity doesn't mean that it's easy. I have to work hard like helping my mom with the chores or my dad doing his carpentries before I can get what I want and that is just to play, We don't have those Playstations or iPads to play with. We would rather go out the house and play Traditional Filipino Games.

In my own experience, life is a lot easier now compare to what we have back when. We already have the access to automatic equipment such as Washing machine, Vaccum cleaner, Dishwasher, and many more. We used to do everything manually back in those days, wash my own clothes, do the dishes, scrub the carpet, even cars were all in a manual transmission.

As time passes by, bit by bit technology starts to emerge as fast as a child learns how to speak. New equipment has been introduced each year as our country progresses. Gaming consoles start to pop out one by one like a mushroom, and one thing is very beneficial for me that comes out of the market is the washing machine with dryer. Basically, it washes like the old same washing machine but now you don't need to put your clothes in the sunlight too long. It was very helpful when I need my school uniform ready the next morning. There is also an automatic dishwasher wherein you'll just put the dishes inside and the dishwashing soap. This is my favorite cause I really hate washing the dishes.

Many new pieces of technology emerge almost every year like cellular phones, beepers, and computers performance became faster, portable types of equipment became a trend during the late 90's. A mobile phone was introduced. Unlike the cellular phone, mobile phones are a bit handy and user-friendly.

But does it affects the children of what we called the millennials?

I observed today that kids don't know the real meaning of "fruit of your own labor". You will rarely see them go to the library and research for their paper works cause they can just google, copy and paste, then print it. For me as a student before, I think that working hard for your homework is essential for everyone, to be able to read, study and learn some knowledge that we might get into use as we go to the next level or as we reach father time.

Kids today rarely go outside to play and socialize with their fellow children they are becoming misanthropists and chose to play with their iPads, phone, or computers.

Aside from that, they are lacking in physical activities that can help them develop their body and avoid illnesses. They also lost the value of sportsmanship, friendship, and camaraderie. I've also seen their attitude towards people and it shocks me knowing that this is the kids of this generation. Our national hero in the Philippines Jose Rizal once said that "Ang Kabataan ang pag-asa ng Bayan" or simply means that young children are our nation's hope but very few are on the right track.

Kids are also exposed to explicit contents all around the internet. It actually poisons their curious minds and thinks that all the acts they saw in the cyber world are acceptable in real life. All information is available for them to browse including inappropriate acts like drugs, sex, criminality and so much more. It is either they found it wrong and stay away from it or think it was good and try to imitate it. Way too hard to gamble, right?

source

They are also prone to such activities that can harm them. I heard the news that many acts of criminality are being done thru the world wide web including prostitution, and the most common is cyberbullying. Many children nowadays also talk back to their parents when scolded, and because of the availability of those foundations or institutions that offers anti-child abuse or anti-bullying programs children today tend to sue their parents for punishing them because of their own unacceptable behavior. But what is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is just the same as bullying but instead of physical and verbal harassment this type of bullying is done using communication devices such as iPad, Computers, and Mobile Phones. Usually, it is done thru chats and it attacks the child's emotions. You can consider this more dangerous than bullying cause it causes a lot of things like distress, anger, a decrease in self-esteem and may also lead to suicide.

Prostitution

Ever heard of cybersex? Yes it is happening, are you aware if your kids are victims of this? Many cases of cyberprostitution are recorded in the Philippines alone. Not just that, this is organized groups who abduct or offer a large amount of money to the teens just to give what their client's paying for, a peek at their body. Can you imagine how many psychological attacks your child is experiencing?

Those are just two of the worst things that can happen to kids of the new millennium, and there is a lot more available for them on the world wide web. Exposing your children to technology that much can cause them harm in the near future. As grown up we are responsible to give limits to them everytime they are on the internet. Children also build up attitude in some online games such as **DOTA** wherein I can hear them trash talking each other and cursing that sometimes leads to a fight.

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Technology progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backward.
-Aldous Huxley

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What can we do for the children of this generation?

As grown-ups, all we can do for the children is teach them all the values that we learned from our own experience. We cannot stop them from exploring this great new world especially cyber world. It is our duty to answer and explain all their questions and to guide them how to face all the adversities in life. Just remember that they have the right to decide whats right or wrong for them, all we have to do is to show them the right path and not control them. Parents should learn how to blend modern and traditional ways of raising a child. Teach them how to look back cause it is the easiest way to move forward.

My conclusion is, It is not bad to let the millennials adopt this modern world but we as grown-ups should be here to guide them and teach them what we learned thru out the years. We are the ones who saw everything emerges and we are the ones who know how harmful and how helpful technology is. We are all born without it and we learn how to value the old ways from our own era and put it to use in this modern era.

We should act as an example to our children. It is our duty to guide and teach them what is right from wrong and how to stay away to it. Let us make sure they understand that going back to old ways is beneficial for them to grow as a good citizen and most important is for them to be a good example to the generation next to them.

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