I was planning on having an early night tonight after a busy day out today and another to come tomorrow, but then I found myself reading about some new research that suggests children are spending too much time in front of 'screens': tv screens, computer screens, games screens. Somebody mentioned 5 different screens but I've run out of ideas at 3. That may suggest how much 'screens' are part of my life - and probably yours.
Some professor of something or other has got money for research to prove looking at screens is a BAD THING. He apparently wants to stop parents parking their weans in front of screens in the UK.
Just a few points:
* Who says parents are parking their weans in front of screens? I would guess that parents watch things on these screens WITH their kids so there's interaction going on all the time. Show me the evidence that's not the case.
* Supposing the prof is right and parents are parking the weans in front of a screen, show me the evidence this is a bad thing.
* Who says reading a book - a real book - is better for you than reading off a Kindle/tablet screen? I do both. Does that make me a bad person or a good person or 50/50?
* The prof looks to be about 50. He is definitely not a digital native, as most kids now are. Is he suspicious of IT because he's had to learn all about it? While kids just grow up with IT these days, adapt to it and adapt it to do what they want. Kids are much more adaptable than we think: I'm reminded of a Skype call to Chile which all us adults thought was wonderful but during which 7 year old Tito announced he was fed up with all this yakking and was going out to play footie.
* How much time in front of screens is too much? Prove it.
* If this is really part of the 'let's beat obesity' campaign, can we just say so instead of trying to scare parents who really just want to do what's best for their kids?
* If you pass a law restricting the length of time kids can spend using IT, how on earth are you going to police it?
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