Media literacy on cell phones

There was a time when only medical doctors carried pagers in case their expertise was needed in an emergency. That seems like ages ago as the ever changing culture has everyone, children included, carrying around cell phones. Why? ‘In case of emergency’, is the rehearsed response. But how often are there emergencies? It seems as though just having the cell phone creates the tension of an urgent matter. Even in the most appropriate circumstances where a cell phone comes in handy what are children learning from this techno-accessory? Do they really need one?
Children have a barrage of incoming messages from parents, teachers, friends and the community at large on a daily basis. A cloud could captivate a youngsters’ imagination for a significant amount of time before they’ve realized it. Picture what technology does to a young mind every day. Cell Phones were not designed to educate children nor are the cell phones marketed towards children educational. So are cell phones bad for kids?

The reality is that cell phones are more than just a portable phone but rather are a constant distraction from a child’s inner voice. Amongst speed dial, tracking and parental control cell phones have games, texting and all sorts of features to entertain the young but what would they do with their time if they didn’t have cell phones? Perhaps they’d be writing in their diary, playing a board game, climbing a jungle gym or riding a bike. Maybe they’d be picking flowers, chasing butterflies, or sitting under a tree. Regardless of temperament, a child needs downtime to process all that is conveyed. A bright kid might be inquisitive. Another might be introspective. But all children need quiet time to think.

Ultimately cell phones are a tool for communication. For children, that translates into a toy to communicate with. For all the potential dangers that children may face in an emergency, cell phones seem to create more disturbances during ‘peace time’. The temptation to develop impulses for communicating with others creates in our youth a nuisance culture. Never mind the warped English language of texting. Teaching a child how to read their own emotions and how to be in touch with the person they were born to be is the most pressing instrument in their childhood.