The contemporary adage that our squared-eyed kids spend too much time in front of the television may be wide of the mark, according to new research, which shows modern children may have mastered the balance between tech and play.
A study of boys aged 6-12 found that although they spend a shocking total of 29 days and nine hours a year playing video games, they will spend five days,16 hours playing sport, will play outside for two hours each day and spend 103 hours on their bike over the course of 12 months.
And if you think tech is impacting their education, the average boy receives 143 pieces of homework in a single year, reads 42 books and puts aside one hour and 47 minutes to do homework every day.
The research, commissioned to celebrate the new series of Ben 10 on Cartoon Network, found that the notion of lads not getting out of the home is also a complete misconception. The typical lad will get in to one or two scrapes a year and wear a hole into at least two items of clothing every term, so best to keep that sewing kit on hand!
In our ever critical ever observant society we have an obsession with what is normal and how much time we spend doing things. One area we love to fret about is how much time we spend with technology. When it comes to kids we fret even more. The reality however is that kids today can look forward to an ever increasing technical world. To limit or ban the time they spend with technology will actually hinder them in the long run.
What this report shows us is that kids today actually do have a good balance and as exciting as technology is to them kids have an inherit ability to get bored and to crave variation. Kids will never stop playing outside or reading, it’s part of our culture and it’s in our nature. Going forward I think we do need to remember that when it comes to technology letting our kids have phones and play on online games is not only okay it’s important.
We can’t raise our kids in the style of 1940’s because they aren’t going to grow up in a 1940’s world. Technology will set this generation apart from any other and in 20 years’ time we may all be obsolete in an employment view. Our experience in the field will mean nothing if they can walk in to a company with an idea for how to advance digital and technological resources to work in a more efficient way and generate more profit. The world has changed, has our attitude towards parenting and technology?
