Professor Sharon

100 Day Project – Day 44 – 9:30 p.m.

This evening I had occasion to have dinner with three other very bright, and devoted women: women who have worked for years with young children and their families.  Discussion ranged from jobs and families to the state of politics, and about children.  This recent study was one of the topics we discussed: the harm  done to young children when they are exposed to excessive television.

My question this evening is this:  who will be the leaders thirty years from now when all of the children who have been raised surrounded by technology all are showing the effects of too much technology?  Or will it matter?  We know what’s best for children: there’s a plethora of research that shows us that the outdoors, being read to and playing with toys and pots and pans and friends are what make for healthy and happy adults.  But, apparently we’re willing, as a nation and individual families, to take a risk that too much technology won’t do much damage.  Especially when technology takes the place of play and the outdoors and social interactions with friends.  Today I’m thinking about taking the wrong kind of risk.