Have you heard of a SMART TV or a SMART phone? What is it to be a SMART young person in this modern day and age?
Does it mean you have a high IQ?
Does it mean your physically capable, healthy or happy?
What is the mind of a modern Young person like? and why is this different to previous generations?
Each generation seems to have unique challenges that shape and develop the people and culture in that generation.
For thousands of years in this country wisdom has been passed down through generations via traditional verbal stories. Each generation could then walk backwards into the future more safely with the knowledge of lessons learned by previous generations under their belt.
In my Grandparents age people survived wartime, financial depression, the industrial age and the beginning of the information age. My Parents grew up and parented through an emerging information age which has continued for me and my children.
These days every child entering Primary school needs an ipad, a laptop computer, access to the internet and by high school a mobile phone device. This has never been part of everyday life before. Kids have access to more digital information now then the previous generations had over a lifetime.
How does a young mind process this? It adapts.
Our culture and society has adapted. Instead of playing on the streets and socialising in real physical life outdoors, in nature and over the neighbour’s house, our kids often are inside on the digital screens communicating and absorbing information. Now the concept of a cyber bully exists. This modern bully did not exist in my childhood. It was impossible for them to even be real. All bullying teasing and meanness was either in person or behind their back amongst other real people. Been a bully in person is surely a lot more scary than flicking texts, comments and blogs. Acting like a bully in public meant people other real people would witness the bullying. You would be personally, physically and in the moment accountable for your actions and words. But in digital social interaction what would previously been common sense humane based thinking can be missed and ignored.
In this modern world, people, especially young people, are vulnerable to what they read, see and interact with on their SMART devices. In a way that previous generations haven’t been exposed to.
A young developing mind has a body attached to it. And this body is experiencing hormonal changes, growth and physiological challenges that are inherent with the age. These precious years for previous generations have often been very physically active years. These activities often required focus with or on a physical body in a simple natural environment without much disruption. Hence, mental focus and physical health were a more likely outcome for young people.
If you watch MTV you’ll notice each picture frame is held from 1, 3 or up to 5 seconds. That means your kid has to change their focus 30 -40 times in a minute of tele. Obviously, this done enough would develop a hyper active mind. The same goes for intense Video Gaming. The young mind can become a quick information assessing machine able to keep up with high tech gadgetry that flickers information at the brain at super high rates. This seems to be a common aspect of modern life. But is it natural? Is it good for your kid? and Is it making them happy?
Knowing that not all things digital are bad, but that times they are a changing. It seems important to get interested in and have a perspective on the digital health of our children and teenagers as they are growing up in this unique digitally enhanced environment. Also to remember children and teenagers love being active and love playing in nature. So lets get out there, be physical and keep things real in the digital age. Hopefully then any weirdness, overload or bullying that shouldn’t really exist can be dealt with an empathetic, meaningful and real way. Such issues can then become ‘un-tabooed’ and communicated through.
I hope you had a lovely Valentines day and that you and your Family enjoy keeping it real in the digital age ~ Luke Paten, Acupuncturist.
