The Barber Shop

The philosophical discussion that occurs in a barber shop is oftentimes very humorous and yet there is always that one time that the discussion is thought provoking. Thursdays’ discussion was in fact one of those thought provoking sessions. It appears that our children now spend more than seven hours a day using the entertainment media. It seems that our youth spend approximately 4 ½ hours watching television and another 2 ½ hours on the computer or playing video games. Now you can imagine the responses of the adults (the patrons) who were engaged in this conversation. The solutions ranged from the total elimination of the entertainment media to various forms of restrictions. However, while riding home I wondered if this was actually too much time for our children or was it our fear of the social network. I remember a discussion that our district had regarding students with cell phones. The recommendations of most of the administrators were a total ban of all cell phones. I could not support such a ban for two reasons. The cell phone, when used properly, provides communication security for those young people who are waiting in the early morning or late evening for transportation to or from school. Secondly, it is the job of each adult to teach the young person the proper use of technology. In a similar fashion here are some suggestions that could assist parents with this technological phenomenon.
• Removal all televisions, computers, electronic games from the youngsters room
• Establish a specific time that their youngsters are allowed to use these gadgets
• Require that all cell phones are charged in one location
I realize that many would add other items to this list; However, I would suggest that regardless of media usage by our youths, it is the responsibility of the parents to establish the parameters for their children. Finally, I believe that there are three important questions that must be addressed. Is their behavior age appropriate? Do they have good relationships their parents? Are they performing in school? We cannot eliminate the technology; therefore, we must teach children how to use technology effectively.