KIDS AND TECHNOLOGY

Today`s electronics can impact kid`s grades and health in negative ways. Computers, video games, televisions...all of these forms of technology provide entertainment for kids...yet they all impact their behavior in a way that is ever-increasing. Dr. Michael Ramsey of Dothan Pediatric Clinic, says kids are affected by what they see, and they are constantly exposed to adult content. According to a recent "content analysis", many of those media outlets do contain large numbers of violence, sexual imagery and innuendo, and references to cigarettes, alcohol, and illicit drugs. What is even more alarming, is a three year national television violence study, it was found that children`s shows contain the "most" violence. Dr. Ramsey sees correlation between violence of video games and violence in reality. He says that sometimes they can`t tell the difference in between real and fake. Judy Thomas, Guidance Counselor at Honeysuckle Middle School says, "they see violence and try it on other students...it plays a role on how they interact." Patsy Slaughter, Principal of Honeysuckle Middle School says, "video games are violent...they bring it to school." Lovonda Gosselin, a parent, says, "after TV or games, it takes a while to re-enter the speaking world, they become more agitated...it`s better when we monitor." Dr. Ramsey said that there is an increased amount of aggression in kids since Columbine. But it`s not just the violence they are exposed to through technology which influences how they act. Ms. Thomas says that they see more on TV that affects them...cursing, intimacy, things parents aren`t teaching them...she sees this on notes from boys to girls. Ms. Slaughter says that she`s seen social obstacles in kids from an unlikely high-tech source and there is also a problem with emails...it is used for good, but they have also seen emails about others, and they`ve had to solve these situations. Mother and grandmother Sue Mathis says, she, too, sees a difference in the generations from her kids to her grandkids..."it`s made them grow up faster than ordinary...faster than myself and my kids...it`s kinda sad." Now remember all technology is not bad, as it can have many positive affects on children...in the end, it all comes down to how they use it. Dr. Ramsey says his best advice to parents is simply to be mindful of what their kids are playing with, and monitor their activity as much as possible.