Is technology dumbing children down?
Friday, January 4, 2013 (0)
I'm confused: should my project be to encourage children to read, or to help parents encourage their children to read? Right now I'm leaning towards the latter, but either way the endgame is the same -- promote a love for reading. Period.
On my first consultation with Mr Rene, though, he wanted me to dig deeper. Why do you want to promote reading, he asks? He points out an example: say, his head itches. Why does his head itch? Dandruff, head lice, wrong shampoo, poor hygiene, some scalp disease, the list goes on. If he were to make a senior project about that, it's practical that he choose only one cause and build his research around it.
Okay. Factors that may hinder some children from reading books:
1. Illiteracy
2. Absence of reading material at home
3. Short attention spans or weird disorders
4. Other hobbies
5. Lack of parental guidance
6. Gadgets and technology as distraction, etc.
I'm interested in the last one. Some children are too preoccupied with apps and websites to bother opening a book. Oftentimes this is because there is a lack of parental supervision over the kids' reading and leisure habits. Many claim that technology dumbs people down. But as I've rambled on in the previous entry, the world is moving towards a more technological landscape. The younger generations need to catch up with formats or things that fit their generation. Who says technology can't be both entertaining and educational?
So...maybe I can build a thesis on how technology affects children's reading habits? Or, Is technology dumbing children down?
It's the most plausible idea I've come up with all Christmas break.
I'll research about the time children spend online everyday, their parents' and teachers' role in their reading habits, what types of books they read, which gender gets "distracted" by technology more, the level of English proficiency of my target age group, how many parents buy interactive or audio books, etc.
Okay. That's all I have right now.
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