Is too much of technology bad?

[Roh_Chris]

While I was going through the news during my lunch break, I was shocked to read a report which said that Steve Jobs never let his kids use the iPad. Jobs told the dumbfounded journalist (Nick Bilton) that he limits the amount of technology that his kids use at home. In the Jobs family, having dinner at the big, long table was an everyday affair when the family discussed topics like books, history and other things.

I am not an avid tech-geek myself. But, I was shocked to read that Steve Jobs, the late CEO of the company which gave us the iPod, iPhone and iPad had restricted his own kids from using the very products he promoted! Did Steve Jobs himself know the adverse effects of unrestricted technology on the social skills of children? Were we, the consumers, being tricked by the media into buying 'yet-another-genius-of-a-product' from Apple? And while the tech-geeks, nerds and some wannabes spent nights camping outside iStores to lap up Apple's latest products, was Jobs probably laughing at them?

I have not been a fan of the iPhone and the iPad. Apart from the Mac and iPod, I feel that Apple is a hype and their other products are over-rated. But what do you guys feel about this revelation from the journalist? Were we tricked into buying products that would severely affect our kids later on? If this was all a big con, do Jobs and Apple truly deserve the adulations that are pouring their way?

Here is the original article from Nick Bilton the journalist who spoke to Steve Jobs, on the New York Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/fashion/steve-jobs-apple-was-a-low-tech-parent.html?_r=0.

 

[arwen-undomiel]

There are learning tools that are helpful on Apple tablets for children as well. Apps designed for children/ adults with disabilities. It's a suitable communication device for people who are non-verbal as well. Not all bad. Quite useful for certain things. Depends on what the child uses it for, what the parent allows. It all comes down to the parents, if, what and when they allow their children to have these devices.

 

[Tintin]

I just think Steve Jobs knew that there needed to be a balance between use of technology and everything else in life. Sounds to me like he was a wise man, even if he was a Buddhist. Personally, I think it's bad parenting to give young children too much technology and to give it early on. Yes, there are educational apps etc. but they should be learning through touching real world things and experiencing them. That should be the first port of call.

 

[wisebeardman]

technology will be our downfall as a society. it has made people stupid. stop in a station if the computer ain't working can't buy the simplest thing like a 85 cent fountain soda cause the idiot behind the counter can't make change in his/her head. Seen the registers that the McGarbage uses its all pictures cause people are too stupid to look at the board or remember the price and enter it into a keypad. and it just gets worse from there.

 

[Blain]

technology will be our downfall as a society. it has made people stupid. stop in a station if the computer ain't working can't buy the simplest thing like a 85 cent fountain soda cause the idiot behind the counter can't make change in his/her head. Seen the registers that the McGarbage uses its all pictures cause people are too stupid to look at the board or remember the price and enter it into a keypad. and it just gets worse from there.

hmmm interesting statement.... Because of technology I didnt become stupid I learned so much from it and gained understanding in many things. However it does make people lazy

 

[biscuit]

While I was going through the news during my lunch break, I was shocked to read a report which said that Steve Jobs never let his kids use the iPad. Jobs told the dumbfounded journalist (Nick Bilton) that he limits the amount of technology that his kids use at home. In the Jobs family, having dinner at the big, long table was an everyday affair when the family discussed topics like books, history and other things.

I am not an avid tech-geek myself. But, I was shocked to read that Steve Jobs, the late CEO of the company which gave us the iPod, iPhone and iPad had restricted his own kids from using the very products he promoted! Did Steve Jobs himself know the adverse effects of unrestricted technology on the social skills of children? Were we, the consumers, being tricked by the media into buying 'yet-another-genius-of-a-product' from Apple? And while the tech-geeks, nerds and some wannabes spent nights camping outside iStores to lap up Apple's latest products, was Jobs probably laughing at them?

I have not been a fan of the iPhone and the iPad. Apart from the Mac and iPod, I feel that Apple is a hype and their other products are over-rated. But what do you guys feel about this revelation from the journalist? Were we tricked into buying products that would severely affect our kids later on? If this was all a big con, do Jobs and Apple truly deserve the adulations that are pouring their way?

Here is the original article from Nick Bilton the journalist who spoke to Steve Jobs, on the New York Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/fashion/steve-jobs-apple-was-a-low-tech-parent.html?_r=0.

Absorbing technology is like drinking alcohol !!! know your limitation.

 

[Roh_Chris]

There are learning tools that are helpful on Apple tablets for children as well. Apps designed for children/ adults with disabilities. It's a suitable communication device for people who are non-verbal as well. Not all bad. Quite useful for certain things. Depends on what the child uses it for, what the parent allows. It all comes down to the parents, if, what and when they allow their children to have these devices.

You learn a lot by interacting with your environment. A child's first teach is its mother. And then the family. Whatever be the disability, the child can learn much more by interacting with a healthy environment. This is why a positive family is important. This cannot be substituted by technology, irrespective of how it is packaged. What is happening now is that parents think kids learn a lot through these tools but they are actually poor substitutes.

 

[Jimbone]

I know this will be a popular post, but for me personally I feel it ALL is a distraction from God. For example, "I" cannot stand cell phones anymore at 34 years old, and even though the world looks at that as just plain irresponsible these days I refuse to carry one anymore. I work an office job and sit next to a phone 40 hours a week (so anyone can get ahold of me, I'm not on it that much) and I have one at home of course, but what "I" can't stand to see is a group of 6 people sitting together talking but never once making eye contact because all 6 are on the phone at the same time texting. Even worse is the line of moms (and/or dads) with there kids trying so hard to get there attention while they are on the phone. I just personally can't stand them, but I'm not saying anything about the people who do use them. The biggest technology argument is medical tech, and while saving people can never be argued to be a bad thing, the thing that happens when men get hold of it is it's driven by greed and corruption. It's about treating not curing, and selling drugs for profit, period. I feel technology could be very good if used to bring God glory, but it's not used for that. It's been used to kick God out completely of the picture and at the same time make us all brainwashed slaves to our own sin, and greedy man's tyranny, as I see it. Of course when someone says "what about the child that was cured from cancer", and "what about the technology used to help save your life and put your wrist back together, and the surgery they did later to transplant a nerve from your ankle to you brachial plexus, in an attempt to maybe restore some of the function back to your right (was dominate) arm"? I would have to say I liked that technology and I wouldn't ever want to take that from anyone who's ever benefited from or kept loved ones because of these things. On the flipside I do have over 700,000 dollars of medical bills out there I'll never be able to pay off, and If I still only had the world there for me would have ruined my life. It did ruin it before He saved me. I could have never made these statement about the world around me this time last year, I loved it all too much, but I think technology as a whole is a distraction from Him today. Now grab the pitchforks and torches, just give me a little head start at least.

 

[Roh_Chris]

I know this will be a popular post, but for me personally I feel it ALL is a distraction from God. For example, "I" cannot stand cell phones anymore at 34 years old, and even though the world looks at that as just plain irresponsible these days I refuse to carry one anymore. I work an office job and sit next to a phone 40 hours a week (so anyone can get ahold of me, I'm not on it that much) and I have one at home of course, but what "I" can't stand to see is a group of 6 people sitting together talking but never once making eye contact because all 6 are on the phone at the same time texting. Even worse is the line of moms (and/or dads) with there kids trying so hard to get there attention while they are on the phone. I just personally can't stand them, but I'm not saying anything about the people who do use them. The biggest technology argument is medical tech, and while saving people can never be argued to be a bad thing, the thing that happens when men get hold of it is it's driven by greed and corruption. It's about treating not curing, and selling drugs for profit, period. I feel technology could be very good if used to bring God glory, but it's not used for that. It's been used to kick God out completely of the picture and at the same time make us all brainwashed slaves to our own sin, and greedy man's tyranny, as I see it. Of course when someone says "what about the child that was cured from cancer", and "what about the technology used to help save your life and put your wrist back together, and the surgery they did later to transplant a nerve from your ankle to you brachial plexus, in an attempt to maybe restore some of the function back to your right (was dominate) arm"? I would have to say I liked that technology and I wouldn't ever want to take that from anyone who's ever benefited from or kept loved ones because of these things. On the flipside I do have over 700,000 dollars of medical bills out there I'll never be able to pay off, and If I still only had the world there for me would have ruined my life. It did ruin it before He saved me. I could have never made these statement about the world around me this time last year, I loved it all too much, but I think technology as a whole is a distraction from Him today. Now grab the pitchforks and torches, just give me a little head start at least.

I agree with one point that you mentioned - about people being busy texting/talking on their phones without socialising. I have seen it many times. I am not criticizing the ones who are doing it because I don't know what they are going through.

I have tried this experiment when I am with my friends. When everybody is animatedly discussing something, I pull out my phone and fiddle with it. I do it in a way that people know that I am texting someone on my phone. Within a few minutes, the entire conversation breaks down. People switch off and go back to their mobile phones. These days, it is so simple to break down a social circle. You only need some tech gadgets to do it. Imagine the damage it can do to a family if everybody is hooked to a gadget.

 

[Jimbone]

I agree with one point that you mentioned - about people being busy texting/talking on their phones without socialising. I have seen it many times. I am not criticizing the ones who are doing it because I don't know what they are going through.

I have tried this experiment when I am with my friends. When everybody is animatedly discussing something, I pull out my phone and fiddle with it. I do it in a way that people know that I am texting someone on my phone. Within a few minutes, the entire conversation breaks down. People switch off and go back to their mobile phones. These days, it is so simple to break down a social circle. You only need some tech gadgets to do it. Imagine the damage it can do to a family if everybody is hooked to a gadget.

Yea, I really wanted to make the point these are the things I feel personally, totally between me and God. Like I said 1 year ago I was doing the same thing thinking nothing of it, in between video games and the TV shows I "had" to watch. So I wasn't trying to say what I feel anyone but I should do, just to reinforce that MAIN point.