The information is starting to pile up. There are more children diagnosed and ultimately medicated for attentional problems than ever before. More children seem to have social issues than ever before. Multi-tasking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And everyone you know complains about feeling stressed all the time.
What happened to technology easing our lives and giving us more free time?
It sort of hasn’t, has it?
A few things to keep in mind
Multi-tasking is actually a misnomer. The human brain cannot perform two cognitive (thinking) tasks at the same time. Yes, you can walk and talk; but walking doesn’t require thought, talking does. When you, or your child are texting and reading, and watching a YouTube clip and answering your phone all ‘at the same time’ your brain is actually switch-tasking very, very rapidly because the brain tries so hard to accommodate the person using it. It’s exhausting. What’s more, the information you or your child is trying to receive and process is going through the shredder of broken concentration.
Meanwhile, the bluish light that is the backdrop of televisions, computer screens and phone screens is the same light that is radiated by dawn. When your brain sees that light, it gets the message that it is time to get up and start the day. So children and adults, who watch TV or use their computers to wind down at the end of the day, are actually giving their brains the very opposite message of “Wake up! It’s time to start the day!” Read full article in North Jersey.
i manage to text and listen in class at the same time really well……….
why in the world do our teens have phones in school?? or more so, why are they having phones at all?? does the kihilla understand how dangerous and harmfull they can be??
I always wondered why TLS has a black background. Thank you TLS for not waking us up!
this is what the world is coming to-sadly-as we go from generation to generation & coming up with new technology as things that we NEED & CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT. this is lowering the Kedusha of Klal yisroel & separating us from Hashem & our REAL avoda (job) in this world (to serve Hashem & do his mitzvos…). We don’t need to be learning to serve Hashem, a person can work from 9-5 & still serve Hashem better then someone who learns a full day.
If we don’t stop now & return to Hashem AKA. DROP THESE YETZER HARA’S soon especially when we know we can-a person knows he can manage without internet every hour & can limit it to once a day…-klal yisroel will Chas Vshalom sink to a level unimaginable. NOW IS THE TIME TO DROP THESE EVIL NEEDS WHEN WE KNOW WE CAN LIVE WITHOUT THEM (OR AT LEAST MAKE A LIMIT TO THEM) & RETURN TO HASHEM
It’s not the devices that are hurting, it’s the importance that is lent to them and how they are used.
Forget the kids for a moment – how often do you see adults glued to the phone while with their families? How often do you see adults checking emails on their cellphones during davening or at a chupah? How often do you see adults texting repeatedly (even while driving)?
It’s the adults in the frum community that are teaching the kids how “important” the devices are.
Want to limit the effect of a cell phone in your child’s life? Don’t eliminate it – it can be very useful. Turn it off. Don’t check email when you’re with your family. Limit its use by your kids by actively parenting them (teach them when it’s OK to use it, and when it’s not).
As indicated by the fact that this site exists, “even” the Internet can be put to good use. Heck, my son learns over the Internet b’chavruta, increasing his social interaction rather than decreasing it. It need not be condemned or eliminated, just controlled – by adults for themselves, and by parents for their children.
Condemnation only serves to whet the appetite of the curious. Education allows for use in a constructive manner.
having a phone as a teen is an important thing it gets me nervous when schools make up stupid rules that you cant have cellphones but i totally understand a school for saying that one shouldnt bring it to school anyways who is there to txt so urgent in middle of class what the girl in front of you also that you have to have a good balance like when going out to socialize jst use your phone to call your mother or wtvr and any other calls or texts answer when in your own rooom or wtvr
i totally understand teen who loves kishka that is the way to go about it good job
I wish you would better research cognitive functioning in people before making claims as to what is the cognitive capacity for a person. IT actually is 5-6 tasks at once – read the book the disorganized brain – the issue with games is our brain learns from movement which is inherit for our survival – take away movement you loose “brain cells”. RESEARCH – actually REAL RESEARCH is crucial
It’s even a major problem for the yeshivaleit who all have cell phones and who text many many text messages a month. recently i added up the hours of texting at an average of 1-2 minutes a text of someone i know and it comes out to 13 hours a month. for someone in yeshiva full time who is supposed to be a talmid chochom, all i can say is that the yetzer harah is rejoicing. there should be a ban on cell phones in BMG – only beepers for emergencies. Enough is enough!!!!
how else wuld we communic8?!?
of course it is completely disrespectful to be texting in some1s face or even in class! in my school u hav 2 give ur phone n the morning its a good idea!
to all those parents out there that are complaining why kids have phones or other electronics, first of all how in the world are you posting on this website without internet? shouldnt that mean something? shouldnt the dangers of the internet be a bigger problem than cellphones?