from w
This article comes from Fiji, written by a padre who's been studying in South Korea where the author is warning people about the over-use of smart phones, ipads, laptops, tablets, and the isolation as each person is in his or her own world.
It's relevant to our young people in Geelong certainly.
Our digital
dilemmas
Off
The Wall With Padre James Bhagwan
Wednesday, July 03, 2013
MONDAY'S The Fiji
Times carried a story which made for very serious discussions between my wife,
our children and I. Titled, "Digital Dementia," the story by Timoci
Vula highlighted a South Korean study that found increased use of digital
devices such as smart phones and tablets can contribute to the deterioration in
cognitive abilities in children.
If you missed the
article, the study conducted by the Balance Brain Centre in Seoul noted the
following:
o Teenagers, who had
become so reliant on digital technology, were no longer able to remember
everyday details, even simple things such as their phone numbers;
o Overuse of smart
phones and game devices hampers the balanced development of the brain, with
heavy users likely to develop the left side of their brains, leaving the right
side untapped or underdeveloped;
o The right side of
the brain was linked with concentration and, when it was underdeveloped, could
affect attention and memory span; and
o In 15 per cent of
cases, this can lead to the early onset of dementia. In addition to messing
with memory, digital overuse is also connected with emotional underdevelopment,
with children more at risk than adults as their brains are still growing.
Having just returned
from two years of living and studying in South Korea and with my family
undertaking a whirlwind tour of Seoul prior to my return, the social impact of
new technology was obvious the first time one travels on the
subway/metropolitan railway. Virtual silence as row upon row of bowed heads,
with earphones blocking everything out, peered into the world offered to them
by their smart phones or tablets — watching movies or television shows, playing
games or chatting on social media or surfing the internet.
Hardly anyone
communicated to anyone else.
I assumed that this
was part of the culture of silence and respect for the other person's space and
while this may be partly true, an older member of my congregation told me that
chatting with your neighbour on the bus or subway was common, until the advent
of the smart phone. Now people are becoming more self-absorbed or perhaps
absorbed with the virtual reality that the physical world and physical relationships
are being ignored.
Sitting at a
coffee-shop, I would notice couples on dates, sitting opposite or next to each
other and ignoring each other while they chatted online with friends (or maybe
each other) or played games. I heard that neck strain from the constantly bowed
head when using smart devices was becoming a common problem and that there were
numerous accidents caused by either drivers using their smart devices or
pedestrians so focused on theirs that they weren't watching where they were
walking.
As a communicator by
profession, I am very interested in the tools that enhance communication and
information gathering. As someone living away from his family, the cheap
communication opportunities afforded by the internet and social media were
important in maintaining relationships. However one cannot really maintain a
relationship or be a virtual parent for too long.
When I returned to
Fiji for my first visit with a smart phone, I found that the children got
addicted quite quickly to the games and applications on the phone. Tears and
tantrums followed withdrawal of the gadget from their small hands.
The fact that our
children sometimes are more technologically savvy than the grown-ups does not
mean that they are fully aware of the implications and effect of using these
devices.
Just over a week ago
as my family walked along the banks of the river Han in Seoul, on our way to a
picnic (see last Wednesday's column), we noticed many people enjoying being
outdoors in the South Korean summer. People were, playing, riding bicycles,
having their own picnics. There were also many people out enjoying the fresh
air. Some however, were simply physically there, their attention — their minds
were focused on the gadget in front of them. Perhaps they were looking for the
picnic "app".
There is a false sense
of reality that comes with the digital virtual world that we need to be
cautious of. There is no personal time unless these gadgets are switched off
and one disconnects. An attitude of instant gratification is connected to a
loss of patience. Sometimes our children cannot differentiate from the virtual
or imaginary world and the real one.
I see the use of smart
devices as tools of communication. But like all tools, sometimes, they just
have to be put in the shed until they are needed.
My children, on
reflection of the issue of smart devices by our family, have agreed to not use
any smart devices and to use the family computers only with parental
supervision for the month of July.
I am packing away my
smart phone for the month and trying to convince myself that after two years of
instant communications and near lighting speed internet, I can disconnect from
the grid and just enjoy our wonderful environment and face-to-face,
heart-to-heart and tanoa-to-bilo communication.
"Simplicity,
serenity, spontaneity."
* Reverend James
Bhagwan is an ordained minister of the Methodist Church in Fiji and has won
awards in print, television and radio. The views expressed are his and not of
the The Fiji Times.
