Addiction to Technology: Are We Too Dependent?

With the never-ending flurry of modern technology becoming more common than ever, we have to wonder if most everyday tasks, if not all will be replaced with a touch-screen function. For the sake of convenience and cost, most people these days would not argue with the idea of instant access to “apps” that help us keep track of our favorite celebrities or download the local newspaper. Why read the paper when we can take a quick glimpse at our phones or tablets during the morning commute? Perhaps the world will certainly see a dwindling of newspapers in the near future.

Not only are newspapers slowly losing their appeal, but books as well. Last year countless book stores were put out of business because of the recent marketing of the Kindle E-Reader, which is a super thin, lightweight device that allows someone to download any book on the market without having to deal with the weight and girth of a real book. Although it is great that people still want to curl up to a good book, what does this mean for the next generation of children? By the time they grow enough to develop reading skills, books will have become a thing of the past. To make things worse, what if touch screen devices such as the Kindle or I-Pad replace the use of textbooks in schools.  

In my opinion, I find this epidemic very alarming knowing that in the future I would like to have a family of my own. A few weeks ago on the internet I discovered the latest technology in educational toys from VTech. The V.Reader Interactive E-Reading System provides a new and fun way for children to learn how to read and write with the help of interactive characters such as Disney Princesses and Elmo. I grew concerned when I discovered that the target age was meant for children between the ages of 3 to 7 years old. This will probably not affect how they use a pencil or read a book, but if more and more children become familiar with these devices, I fear that they will have no desire to physically write on a sheet of paper or flip through a book.

It is not always true that nothing is authentic anymore, but libraries and schools will have no hope if no one takes the effort of learning traditionally.