Kids are technology and SMS mad. Texting is essentially a British word, but it’s increasingly becoming a part of the South African lexicon, as SMS and Mxit take over our children’s lives.
This is the scene in many households today. It’s dinner time, the kids have been doing homework, or working/playing on the computer, or keeping in touch with their army of friends on Mxit or via SMS, or Facebook. Mom and Dad want to have an orderly and communicative family meal, but little Johnny’s having none of it, and bluntly refuses to put down his cellphone, fiercely resisting his parents’ efforts to get him to put the blaming thing down.
What do you do?
This is the modern day battlefield for many parents, regardless of whether their children participate in extra-murals or not. Staring at a computer screen/cellphone for hours on end while relentlessly pressing buttons on the thing cannot be good for any young person. The problem is (and this is what worries many parents), there is no escape from the pressing cauldron of young life, the information overload, the constant “social networking” . . . the need to fit in and not miss out on all the cool stuff the other kids are experiencing.
Perils of the technical/digital age
When I was a child there was no “social networking”, other than the odd telephone call and face-to-face interaction. Consider these stats from Parent 24: In America, girls between the ages of 14-17 send up to 100 texts a day! Boys are a little less talkative as the same age group, only sending up to 30 texts a day.
South Africa’s most popular alternative to texting, Mxit, is a growing beast. It boasts 28 million registered users, of which 20 million are South Africans. Up to a third of these are active making it the most important social network in South Africa.
Up to February 2010, 18.8 billion messages were sent and received over the Mxit platform.
At this stage of the day – “family hell hour”, we call it – parents fed up with the constant multi-tasking and blatant antisocial behaviour often lose the plot, I know because I’ve experienced it myself. Is texting an addiction? One thing’s for sure, they’re not keen to let the device of choice go without a real scrap.
Claire Veitch from Salt Rock said while her teenage children had always read a lot they were increasingly using technology, particularly Mxit. “I’m not too fazed by it, except for when we have guests. Then the phones and gadgets are banned. It’s extremely antisocial to sit there texting when you have visitors at your house.”
Journalist Peta Lee said her daughter didn’t have a phone and didn’t watch much TV. “She prefers to be outdoors, riding her bike or jumping on the trampoline. She loves anything outdoorsy, so it’s not an issue for me.”
Doody Adams of Mount Edgecombe commented: “My eight and five year olds are too young to be texting, but TV is certainly a problem. I find myself in a constant battle about TV time, but I have to admit that at times it serves a valuable purpose, like 5am in the morning, or when I’m exhausted after a long day at work.
“It’s a difficult one because on the one hand TV is the best babysitter, and on the other hand the passive interaction is very unhealthy. My answer is, the TV only goes on when the sun is not shining.”
Send us your comments: Are your children addicted to texting?
Cellphones, gadgets, laptops, “pads”, smartphones etc are going to become more and more affordable in the coming years, so this battle is not going to go away any time soon.
One thing that children often throw in their parents’ faces is, “But you do it too”. Which leads to the next point – and without trying to sound holier than thou – in this war it’s vital to set a good example.
We’ve all done it: sitting in front of the TV with the laptop going, or SMSing that crucial soccer score to your mate. Resist the urge! “They’re watching, and if it’s okay for you, then it’s okay for them.
“Fight the good fight.” – Garth Johnstone
Reference: Parent24 – Article by Robyn Addinall