http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Children-should-see-less-screens-more-scenes-in-3650071.php
Children should see less screens, more scenes in summer
Charlotte Adinolfi
Published 06:20 p.m., Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Yolander Harper doesn’t mind her son using the computer during the
school year to help with homework, but as a summer approaches, computer
usage becomes a bigger concern
Harper, of Stratford, would rather her son, who finished sixth grade,
would get some fresh air instead of getting an eyeful of Facebook.
«It [social networking] distracts kids from the real world,» said
Harper, of Stratford, whose son attends middle school in Bridgeport.
«They need to get out and play ball instead of forgetting what they
learned in school since they have been on the computer.»
More than 90 percent of teens aged 12-17 are Internet users, according
to a 2011 Pew Internet report. The report found that 95 percent of teens
that age were on the web, 70 percent go online daily and 46 percent go
online several times a day.
With the summer months right around the corner, many parents say they
are concerned their children will spend too much time surfing the Internet.
Janet Sternberg, assistant professor of communication and media studies
at Fordham University, said that this extra time spent online is
dangerous and parents should take the opportunity to change their
children’s habits.
Children who are spending a lot of time on the computer and social
networking sites are growing up with less interaction with others, which
affects their conversational skills and ability to read others’
emotions, she said. She said it also takes a toll on their physical well
being such as vision problems.
«The conditions are ripe for kids to go nuts with this stuff in their
down time and it is a terrific idea to take some proactive steps,»
Sternberg said.
Sternberg said one step parents can take is simply initiating a
conversation with their child about time spent on the computer. «People
have much more power than they think,» Sternberg said. «You can start
small and you can start today.»
Getting children to do chores such as sweeping the front steps, raking
leaves, setting the table and getting them to play sports outside are a
healthy alternative to computer time, she said.
Camps are also a good alternative, she said.
New England. Lucy Norvell, director of public information for the
American Camp Association, New England said camps encourage little to no
use of technology during sessions.
Norvell said this allows for campers to grow independently, focus on
individual and group decision-making skills and foster responsibility
for oneself.
«Summer camp is becoming one of fewer and fewer places where children
can practice and develop their people skills, which are critical to
thriving in the 21st century,» Norvell said.
Summer camps offer scholarships or other alternatives to ease finances
but towns offer less expensive options as well. Nonprofits such as the
Cardinal Shehan Center and the McGivney Center in Bridgeport offer
summer camps as well. Local libraries also provide programs that get
kids thinking and interacting during the summer for little to no cost.
«Our huge focus is fun first,» Takeia McAlister, marketing coordinator
for the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich said.
While changing the habits of children is beneficial when it comes to
Internet usage, utilizing social networking sites and spending time
online is not always bad.
Donald Roberts, a professor of communication at Stanford University,
said that people have been worried about new forms of technology for the
past 60 years. «You can go back and realize people were very concerned
with print,» Roberts said. «With every new medium, people said `oh my
god, it is different therefore it is bad.'»
Students who are online develop researching skills and certain sets of
social skills. Students can connect with one another through video chat
to study or finish homework.
«It is never either or and never either good or bad,» Sternberg said.
«It is always both good and bad.»
Sternberg said video games can increase hand-eye coordination and social
networking can allow children to talk with friends more frequently.
Still, she said, adults need to monitor children’s time on the computer.
Some teens say they spend less time in the summer on the computer.
«I use it [social networking] less often in the summer,» Francesca
Farruggio, 15 of Fairfield said. «It is more something to use when I am
bored and home alone.»
Lisa Summerfield, of Westport, said she monitors her daughter’s use of
social networking and feels it helps her daughter avoid detrimental side
effects.
Experts said parents can set a good example for children by watching
their own usage. Encouraging children to spend a day without technology,
emphasizing and discussing what else can be done besides time in front
of a screen or parents keeping their own cell phones and social
networking sites logged off for a day are ways to change children’s habits.
«It is a wonderful way to start a conversation by asking children about
technology and you may discover kids have many insights and suggestions
about what to do,» Sternberg said. «Don’t wait for the school to do it,
don’t wait for the government to regulate cell phone use in cars, talk
with young people.»
© 2012 Hearst Communications Inc.
Read more:
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Children-should-see-less-screens-more-scenes-in-3650071.php#ixzz1yNP0iui5
Blog de Octavio Islas 
Excellent article. I am going through many of these issues as well.
.
Me gustaMe gusta