Generation TECH “aka – GenTech”
No conspiracy theories here, just factual observations. We now have a generation (perhaps two) that have become defined by the very technological environment they live in. This is perhaps the first generation that did not have a choice of what “earmarks/defines” them. They were born into it. We threw it at them with no restrictions or hesitations in the hopes of greater personal development. Little did we know the power tech has in numbing the “common senses” of a growing young person. Generation Tech or GenTech, as I like to call them, grew up with technology right from the crib.
Tablets before primary school begins is where we allowed technology to define their learning experience and gain a foothold in these young lives. Tech became the new pacifier. To silence or occupy time, which could have been spent developing relationship(s), we became completely complacent with “throwing” a tablet or phone at young persons where they learned to navigate frames, tabs, and a variety of other insensitive systems (Apps) which quickly took over their mental focus. We rejoiced at the numerous hours on end of “silence” and “well behaved” children while ignoring what was slowly deteriorating their social skills.
Heaven forbid that we cannot communicate with our children when we want to. Therefore, we need them to have a cell phone in elementary school. Don’t think it’s controlling your or their life? We have just turned over our responsibility to communicating discipline to technology. Just look at your monthly bills. Worse yet, try disciplining a child or young person by taking away their phone. Let me know how that goes. They are literally “lost” without their tech. This has paved the way to begin dominating one’s self-worth before the age of curiosity and exploration, those teenage years. Just prior to the teens, an individual’s identity now begins to be formed like no other time in history by what we “perceived” as truth, right at our fingertips. GenTech can ever so quickly become excited and depressed (sometimes within minutes of one another) simply by visiting their tech device over hundreds of times each day. This emotional roller coaster can’t be good for the heart (both physically and emotionally).
And if all this tech influence (techfluence) was not overwhelming enough, “reality” TV complimented this age of confusion of personal identity, because we all know that reality TV is anything but reality. Yet, hours of recorded or streamed TV has driven home the firm and deeply held belief that “good is never good enough” unless technology says so.
When you blend together all the elements of today’s technology, we can reflect back and realize that we failed to properly gauge the amount of input into the lives of our children. What began as their “toys” to pacify developed into super fragile self-esteem along with a diminished capacity to communicate with others or think for themselves. Technology, as with anything else, can be a blessing or a curse. In this case, too many years have gone by where we created this curse. I call it a curse because we got lazy and placed our faith in technology to make our lives easier instead of developing strong individuals who embrace the value of hard work and learn from owning and admitting their mistakes.
I firmly believe in the old saying “work smarter, not harder.” Yet, ignoring relational growth, personal responsibility, and healthy identity formation is not smart at all. Balance, moderation, and healthy parenting must become our focused priority again before GenTech becomes Generation Lost.