My oldest graduates from middle school tomorrow. I’m very proud of the progress he’s made and all the projects he’s done. Tonight the school had an awards ceremony. My husband stayed home with our nine year olds. We’d been warned that the ceremony was two hours long. We have had talent shows, recitals, and orientations in the last few weeks. We are all tired and we didn’t feel like everyone needed to come to the ceremony. Several children wiggled through the lengthy program. Some played on game boys, some colored and drew on the program, some giggled and clapped for each of the award winners.
At a recent high school orientation, many of the younger siblings had game boys too. I’m not sure how I feel about the use of game boys or other electronic games at events like this. It does keep the kids busy, happy, and quiet. That’s all good. But it seems like they are also missing out on something. I remember going to events like this when I was a child. I noticed the lights in the gymnasium. I read all the signs around the room. I watched the people I knew receive their award or diploma. I won’t claim that at seven or nine that I was actually paying the best of attention, but I was still present.
The electronic games claim attention more than doodling on a piece a paper, or sucking on a lifesaver, or kicking your feet. I’m not judging anyone here. I didn’t even bring my younger children to the program tonight. I just sometimes wonder that maybe it is in children’s best interests to be a little bored sometimes – to notice the kids getting awards and plan on achieving something big when they are older, to read the program, to watch the clock and calculate how many minutes are left. To daydream or make up stories.
I just wonder about a generation that has to be occupied every waking minute.
Any thoughts from the blog readers?
Also see: