Check out this story:
Children as young as five are turning their bedrooms into multi-media ‘hubs’ with TVs, computers, games consoles, MP3 players and mobile phones all within easy reach.
The trend triggered warnings that the next generation will struggle to compete in the adult world because they lack reading and writing skills.
Before computers, didn’t you know that children always read and always had SUPERB writing skills?
This is such nonsense. Children don’t care to read or write in any generation. Every generation of kids also saves their homework to do at the last minute, I know I did.
What is the purpose of reading and writing? Is it not communication? They are doing a fine job of that on computers.
This is why I like to make fun of wannabe writers. “I am making ART!” they insist. No, I say, you are making a story. The entire purpose of your writing is to communicate the story. Words are merely the transmission of the content.
So a writer’s true talent is his way with words as it is his way with generating content in the first place.
This article is scared to death that children read and write using the computer since it means traditional book publishers and newspapers have zero chance of surviving. This is a good thing. I consider there being better content on the Web than in most ‘books’. I laugh heartily when I think of the death of those textbook companies. You college kids know how much you are being ripped off buying ‘new books’ every year that has nothing new in it.
Also, I am the typical ‘Nintendo Uncle’. When I babysit, I ask the kids what they are doing. “Homework, Uncle Malstrom.” I yell back, “You need to stop doing that immediately and come play Mario Kart Wii.” As you can tell, they like it when I babysit them.
I went through the NES Era. I know what is important to children and more importantly, what they will remember. It is fun to introduce them to all these cool games. A decade from now, I will be a demi-god in their eyes!
Their parents think I am corrupting their childhood. I tell them I am giving them memories they will love forever.
If I saw a parent who demanded their child read books and write by hand as well as have nothing to do with the computer, I would seriously think that parent wanted the child to fail in life.
Children who grew up with computers in the 70s and 80s, as parents, now readily give computers to their children. The future has spoken.