What Color is Your Smart Phone?

Electronic devices have changed a lot in just a few years.  Smart phones with touch screens abound, and rare is the person who has a mobile phone that functions primarily as a phone/awkward texting device.  Netbooks almost got a foothold, but the launch of the iPad two years ago introduced the tablet revolution.  E-readers were a novelty three years ago, and now, in many households, there are multiple e-readers. There is plenty to talk about regarding these devices and the evolving technology and media millieu.  Think for a moment about what electronics were in your life four years ago and what you have now.

As a Waldorf elementary and middle school, BWS does not have computers for student use.  We have media guidelines, and cell phone policies, and preferences, procedures, and pleas.  We have conversations in parent meetings, bring speakers in who talk about media use and the education of young and adolescent children, and offer parents books, articles, and more.  But the reality is, we get in our cars and drive home with a GPS on the dash, or a screen that pops down from the roof in the back of the van, or attaches to the seat.  Our kids are on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.  So are we.

'Screens' have been prevalent in American public spaces for a long time.  They're at the airport, in restaurants, and in libraries.  They can't be avoided.  Which is why a Waldorf school is a wonderful oasis.  The majority of students today are going to schools that are dominated by screens.  This can begin in preschool.  By grade school, most students are using computers during and after school for their work and for fun.  Technology and screens are used without hesitation in the overwhelming majority of schools.

As a person born in the early 1960's, I remember three channels of TV, an occasional trip to a giant movie screen, and a film strip in class now and then (my favorite days!). I spent my teenage years in England, where TV actually went off the air at night, and morning
 television wasn't instituted until the early 1980's.  In fact, the BBC used to go off the air at the dinner hour so that families could eat undisturbed!

I traveled as an 'untethered' child when I wandered around my neighborhood with my friends after school and on the weekends.  There was no cell phone for parental check-in.  I had freedom to roam, get into trouble, and figure out how to get myself out of trouble.  I had to plan things, such as where to meet people and when.  I couldn't call my mom from the check-out line at Macy's and ask her to meet me by the back door.  What good was all of this inconvenience and freedom?  I built skills in problem-solving and organization.  I developed independence and learned how to use public transport.  I learned how to think things through and plan what I might need later ('Mom, I'll meet you at the front entrance at 3 pm.).  These are valuable skills that children need to develop.  They are just as valuable as developing an inner imagery, which is facilitated by limiting or eliminating 'screen time' for young children. 

'Screen time' is not so simple any more.  It's not just a case of 'turn off the tv'. It's really about technology in general, and so the list to consider is now longer than just tv, movies, and computer time.  It's also worth considering whether your child should have a cell phone and when.  What about an iPod, DS, or e-reader?  What are the benefits of the devices that are available?  What are some of the drawbacks?  There can be interesting discussions about our technology choices and uses.  About why, when, what, and how much. 

It's undeniable that the list of postives regarding technology is long.  My favorite form of internet 'art' is the creation of songs and pictures that are pulled from other sources.  Just do an internet search for The Gregory Brothers and you'll see some things being done with newsclips that couldn't have happened without technology.  So virtual public spaces can be very fun and creative.  This aspect of group creation, of living art, whether it's LOLcats or the Princess Beatrice 'Hat Meme', can be clever and social. 

If you're a parent in a Waldorf school, sometimes the message can seem like all screen time is bad.  I think the conversation is wider than that these days. What types of technology do we have today, and what is appropriate for children and when?  How can we help older kids with technology when they do use it?  What do we, as parents, know about what children are doing with their technology time?  How can we model a healthy 'technology lifestyle', and how can we help children develop one for themselves?