Remembering+My+Childhood

The Use of Technology In my elementary and middle school days, technology in my house was something that was heavily monitored with a fear of what would happen if it were to be abused. Television, video games, and the Internet were all completely separate subjects with complete different rules and guidelines to go along with them. Although I had some of the main technologies that adolescents have today, I feel the media has had greater effects on more recent generations. Because of this greater effect, children today are more tech savvy and computer literate but lack the social skills needed to be a child in the 1990’s As a kid I loved to watch TV. I had so many different favorite shows including //Fresh Prince of Bel-Air//, //Power Rangers//, and //Family Matters// that I felt the need to watch. Although I had a love for these shows, because of my schedule, there was only a few hour window where it was even possible to be exposed to TV. I would get home from school around 3pm. I usually would get a snack and finish my homework around 4pm. After that my mission was to get outside and play before my mom yelled down to me “Alex! Before you leave I need you to…” From the time that I returned from playing with my friends until I would go to sleep for school the next day is when I would watch TV. My mom would help get my clothes and supplies ready for school the next day while, Will Smith and the Banks family depicted their everyday life on WB17. Video games in my house were used as strictly a last resort. The only reason I would play my video games is if all of my other friends were grounded or there was a hurricane outside. I would typically play my Dreamcast or Nintendo 64 once or twice per month. Because it was something that was so rare I generally really loved playing and my parents were ok with me playing for hours on end because they knew that the next day I would be right back outside again. My friends and I usually had a few games that we loved to play and we mostly stuck with those when it was time to play. There really was no need to buy new games. I can remember for a good 1-2 years where MarioKart was all we needed to occupy our minds on a rainy day. By the time I became a teenager, the internet was fairly established but my parents did not know too much about it. What they pretty much knew was that it was useful, but not to be used by a pre-teen unaccompanied. The computer was located in my parents’ bedroom so because of proximity it was always monitored and I was never allowed to just surf the web for fun. Every time I would try to sneak and explore my mom would say very quickly “What are you doing?” to startle me. My mom actually worked at the school I attended and was friends with my teacher so she always knew when my work required the internet. If the use of the internet was not mandated by the school, then there was no reason for me to use it according to my parents. My parents loved me learning and exploring new things, but in their mind there was nothing on the internet that I couldn’t find in a book or encyclopedia. The restrictions that I had to mediated technology, although is completely unheard of now-a-days, was really not a problem for me. Unlike kids today, my main priority was to go outside and run, jump, and play. Staying inside on a nice day, and hearing other neighborhood kids play was probably as much torture to me as it would be if a 2010 adolescent were to be stripped of his Xbox. I guess the question we will have to wait to answer is which childhood will produce the most success adult? From playing outside, I learn invaluable lessons dealing with relationships, people, egos, problems, and the art of competition. These things I, 10 years later, still use every day. No, I was not as proficient at the computer as I should have been. No, I did not have my own laptop and new out to download and upload videos to the internet, but I knew how to talk to people. I knew how to manipulate people and no matter how much technology you have access to, those skills will always be essential and irreplaceable.