Some liken it to a modern day zombie plague. Hoard’s of people (many kids) staring blankly, moving forward, seemingly unaware of the world around them, completely focused on the screen in their hand. Billions are being made in downloads, accelerators and advertisements as more and more people join in to search for the “best” Pokémon they can find.
Central Park was recently inundated with Pokémon hunters in search of a rare Pokémon that was “spawned” there. The world appears to be have gone mad for this new game sensation, and parents seem confused and divided on how they feel about the gaming phenomena. Some feel that the “go” part of the game is refreshing. Finally, getting kids off the couch, onto their feet and into the world is much needed in this sedentary culture where playing outside with only your imagination has become rare.
Others feel this new obsession is a ridiculous waste of time at best, and a distracting, potentially dangerous activity at worst.
I am not sure which side I lean toward. My kids are 7 and 10 and they don’t have their own phones so they are obviously limited as to when and how they play. The times they have played I am playing alongside them and my experience with the game has been positive so far. I view it as more of a modern day treasure hunt and seeing kids active can’t hurt right?
What can hurt and will affect our kids isn’t necessarily Pokémon, or texting, or YouTube or any one type of technology at all. Since the beginning of time kids have played games of some kind or another and taking a break from reality from time to time doesn’t necessarily mean the end of days. The inherent danger lies in a lack of balance between reality and fantasy, between genuine face to face connections with other human being and not just screens. Our kids are digital natives and technology is simply part of 21 century living. We can’t go backwards and we can’t undo what’s already been done.
What we can do is be mindful of what actually makes us human, and this has everything to do with connecting with people and the world around us in a meaningful way. All humans have a strong desire to be needed, to belong and to connect with others. We are pack animals. Countless studies show the dangers associated with the human psyche when humans are isolated. Babies whose physical needs are completely met will still fail to thrive if they don’t experience nurturing and emotional connections with humans around them. No matter how advanced or engaging technology becomes it will never replace the need to connect to people.
The fear isn’t unique to Pokémon Go or any other game for that matter. The fear is that more and more young people are being consumed by technology and thereby losing their humanness through a deficit of real exchanges with real people. The ability to read facial expressions, emote feelings and empathize with others is a learned skill and it takes practice. Interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with others needs to become the focus. We need to strike a balance that allows us to use technology, without being used up by technology. As parents we need to model REAL communication with one another; we also have to acknowledge our own technology addictions and make sure that the exchanges we have with our spouses, our friends and especially our kids are real and meaningful. We all need to look up a little more often, see the real people standing in front of us and be “present” in the moment. We all need to be reminded that our connectedness to others is what truly makes us human.
Jodi Johnston-McNiven
President, Seedlings USA
Jodi Johnston holds a Social Service Work Diploma and a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a concentration in Psychology. She has over 15 years’ experience, working in 4 countries, as a facilitator/teacher in various capacities including life skills, corporate trainer and professional and personal development. Also a mother of 2, Jodi’s commitment to the Seedlings program and The Magic Coat workshops stems from a strong desire to provide young people with the Social/Emotional skills needed to succeed in life.
www.seedlingskids.com
jodi@seedlingskids.com
To host a Seedlings or Flourish workshop for your child or find a Seedlings or Flourish workshop in your area to attend, email jodi@seedlingskids.com
For more information about what Seedlings and The Flourish Program is doing here in the US, visit Seedlings Texas FB page or go to https://seedlingskids.com/ or https://flourishprogram.com.au/about/
Central Park was recently inundated with Pokémon hunters in search of a rare Pokémon that was “spawned” there. The world appears to be have gone mad for this new game sensation, and parents seem confused and divided on how they feel about the gaming phenomena. Some feel that the “go” part of the game is refreshing. Finally, getting kids off the couch, onto their feet and into the world is much needed in this sedentary culture where playing outside with only your imagination has become rare.
Others feel this new obsession is a ridiculous waste of time at best, and a distracting, potentially dangerous activity at worst.
I am not sure which side I lean toward. My kids are 7 and 10 and they don’t have their own phones so they are obviously limited as to when and how they play. The times they have played I am playing alongside them and my experience with the game has been positive so far. I view it as more of a modern day treasure hunt and seeing kids active can’t hurt right?
What can hurt and will affect our kids isn’t necessarily Pokémon, or texting, or YouTube or any one type of technology at all. Since the beginning of time kids have played games of some kind or another and taking a break from reality from time to time doesn’t necessarily mean the end of days. The inherent danger lies in a lack of balance between reality and fantasy, between genuine face to face connections with other human being and not just screens. Our kids are digital natives and technology is simply part of 21 century living. We can’t go backwards and we can’t undo what’s already been done.
What we can do is be mindful of what actually makes us human, and this has everything to do with connecting with people and the world around us in a meaningful way. All humans have a strong desire to be needed, to belong and to connect with others. We are pack animals. Countless studies show the dangers associated with the human psyche when humans are isolated. Babies whose physical needs are completely met will still fail to thrive if they don’t experience nurturing and emotional connections with humans around them. No matter how advanced or engaging technology becomes it will never replace the need to connect to people.
The fear isn’t unique to Pokémon Go or any other game for that matter. The fear is that more and more young people are being consumed by technology and thereby losing their humanness through a deficit of real exchanges with real people. The ability to read facial expressions, emote feelings and empathize with others is a learned skill and it takes practice. Interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with others needs to become the focus. We need to strike a balance that allows us to use technology, without being used up by technology. As parents we need to model REAL communication with one another; we also have to acknowledge our own technology addictions and make sure that the exchanges we have with our spouses, our friends and especially our kids are real and meaningful. We all need to look up a little more often, see the real people standing in front of us and be “present” in the moment. We all need to be reminded that our connectedness to others is what truly makes us human.
Jodi Johnston-McNiven
President, Seedlings USA
Jodi Johnston holds a Social Service Work Diploma and a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a concentration in Psychology. She has over 15 years’ experience, working in 4 countries, as a facilitator/teacher in various capacities including life skills, corporate trainer and professional and personal development. Also a mother of 2, Jodi’s commitment to the Seedlings program and The Magic Coat workshops stems from a strong desire to provide young people with the Social/Emotional skills needed to succeed in life.
www.seedlingskids.com
jodi@seedlingskids.com
To host a Seedlings or Flourish workshop for your child or find a Seedlings or Flourish workshop in your area to attend, email jodi@seedlingskids.com
For more information about what Seedlings and The Flourish Program is doing here in the US, visit Seedlings Texas FB page or go to https://seedlingskids.com/ or https://flourishprogram.com.au/about/
