I have four children in age from 5 to 17. They all use the tools and technology in the house. We have PC learning games, Shoot em up games, flight simulators, Reader Rabbit, the whole gamut. The older boys have been given iPod Touches. This has cut down on how much time they use the PC as they can do so much from their slacker slouches on the couch.
The problem begins with the 5 and 7 year old. They have used the older sibling’s I Touches and the kids have been super nice to the little ones. They’ve downloaded games and apps that are age appropriate. On the home PC we have Icon’s for the youngsters so they can (when allowed) access their favorite site, Starfall, Nick Jr etc.
Watching the older kids was interesting but seeing the two younger ones just accept and absorb this technology has been amazing. They have no limitations. They don’t know they can’t or shouldn’t do something. They watch and learn as well and attempt things older people wouldn’t. They think nothing of exploring and tapping on the iTouch. A trip to the mall now, requires us to navigate carefully around the Apple store, else we are there for ½ hour as the kids just soak up any time they can on the iTouch’s.
Driving to Cape Cod recently, I heard my blackberry ping with the sound of a text message. The 7 year old had taken a picture of him and his sister in the last row of the minivan with my wife’s iPhone and wrote on the picture….are we almost there?
When I asked them why they did that they giggled and said they were playing and weren’t sure I’d get it but it was fun to do. It is to the point now, if my wife leaves here iPhone unlocked and available the two gremlins scroll through the pictures and constantly change the wallpaper for her home screen. It won’t be long before they put a password on it and really cause havoc. (you will recall if you are a regular reader my wife was the subject of the Technology and Toasters article).
So here at the start of the second decade of the second millennium I face a challenging question. Do I enable the kids to just consume technology as fast as they are able?
I don’t want to hold them back and I want them to be able to digest the technologies as fast as they are able.
BUT, On the other hand, I want to make sure they have time to be little. To play dress up and make believe. To play with their friends , physical toys, dolls and trains.
Their little friends have Nintendo DS, everyone has a Wii, Xbox or PS3. Technology is all around the young people today. Thus it is a struggle to give one’s children a balance between childhood and technology. What is the right mix? How much is too much and at what age do you let them tackle the technology freely?
What do you think?
This post was prepared by John Manning, Associate Partner at Harvard Partners. 
He can be reached at john.manning@harvardpartners.com