Back in the day TV was a big issue — how many minutes/hours of watching makes you become a “vidiot”? In this day and age technology is the big issue — how much technology is too much before it starts impeding our development?
“Hay gurl! Wassup? Wan gt 2getha n chill b4 skool?” “Y SYS!” “G8!”
If you’re not a tween or teenager, you’re probably scratching your head and asking what in the heck all of that means. Someone should tell this texter than Hay is for horses. Translated:“Hey girl!” What’s up? Want to get together and hangout before school?” “Yes! See you soon!” “Great!” This is what’s wrong with today’s youth.
(ABC Hobart, “Textisms”. Photo. http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2012/08/07/3562570.htm)
When cell phones first came out people typically used them for emergencies. Very rarely did people use cell phones for social reasons (that’s what the home phone was for) or to avoid an awkward situation. Things have changed. A lot. For some people the main purpose of a cell phone is no longer making phone calls because texting is easier – you can type a quick and concise message without having to deal with the other person hemming and hawing. As kids got cell phones at younger and younger ages texting language changed. Kids would be in a hurry (or lazy) and quickly type a message whose content looked similar and when read sounded like the original word. Kids also started using acronyms like never before. Instead of taking the time to type out “how are you?” and “nothing much, just chilling”, it would read “HRU” and “NMJC”. On average teenagers (13-17 age group) send more than 3,000 texts per month (Mashable).The average young adult (18-24 age group) send 2,022 and receive 1,831 texts per month (Business Insider). When these teens are texting this much they get in a habit of using texting lingo. Before they know it, or they don’t even realize it, their texting lingo spills over into their school work and they “creatively spell” a few words on a test or in a paper.
My childhood was before the time of laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc. I played outside with friends and my sister until it was too dark to see, and we would talk to each other while we played. My mom’s schedule allowed for her to be with me and my sister before and after
school, and my teachers encouraged talking (when appropriate) to expand our vocabulary and acquire a better grasp on English. Kids nowadays don’t have the same exposure to interpersonal communication I had growing up. Family dynamics are different, meaning in some cases the parents aren’t able to be as active in their kids’ everyday lives. When I was younger my mom would have an ongoing dialogue with me about whatever she was doing (I’m washing the dishes. I’m folding the laundry. Which pair of socks will I wear today? …).
Every night my family would eat dinner together and we would share about our day and anything we had coming up. Whereas today parents are rushed to fit more into their day, so the parents are sticking their kids in front of the iPad/TV to keep them quiet so more can be accomplished. Parents have referred to the iPad/TV as an “electronic babysitter” (Mail Online). Some families do not have a family dinner every night because of the full schedules and they “just don’t have time for that”. Early and constant exposure to language is crucial to language development.
(Photo Above: The Guardian, “TV Time”. Photo. http://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/oct/11/children-computer-television-psychological-problems)
Parents need to take advantage of the little moments with their kids to have conversations with them. Instead of putting on a movie for a car ride have a conversation with the children, play a game of I Spy or 20 questions, ask them to give you the 411 on school or their sports team. Parents should do anything to help their child develop instead of a quiet drive.
A study conducted in the United Kingdom saw a 70% increase of children with speech difficulties in a 6 year period, and approximately 1.2 million school-aged children had speech difficulties. “Half of pupils in some areas start school unable to put sentences together.” The study found that with increased screen time came an increase in speech problems. “Screen-based technology – including TVs, game consoles, smartphones and computers — was increasingly used to occupy children instead of traditional family activities such as learning nursery rhymes and eating together.” (Mail Online)
Sadly this issue has become so widespread that it warranted its own study, and it helps prove my point — too much technology can hurt. So next time you think about putting your child in front of technology for your own sake step back, take a breath, turn off whatever type of technology you chose, and go have fun with your child. You never know where a fun conversation with a young child can go, because sometimes as adults we forget what its like to have the imagination of a child.
That’s the ramble for now.
The Journey of a Speech-Language Pathology Student 
