British pediatricians and school principals are saying the current crop of kindergarten kids are too weak to grip a pencil, thanks to their spending most of their time as “the touchscreen generation” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5435015/Touchscreen-happy-children-weak-hold-pencil.html).
They claim 58%–yeah, 58%–of children under two years old have already gotten into iPads and smartphones: and that their hand muscles, unable to develop normally, are weak. Too weak to wield a pencil. And they lack the motor skills needed if they’re going to learn how to write or draw. The tots don’t play with crayons, paintbrushes, scissors anymore. Just touchscreens. They aren’t playing with Play-Doh, either: but that comes later, in college.
I just had a horrible thought! What happens when these kids grow up and go to college, and they’re too weak and clumsy to play with Play-Doh?
Aw, well, motor skills, schmotor skills, who needs ’em? Bots are gonna do all the work, anyhow, and all the thinking, too.
I was born into a world of men and women. Real Smart People are destroying it.
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
This is astounding. Basically, we are raising children that literally are not coordinated enough to write?!?!?!?!?! Balls, building blocks, a bit of play involving physical exertion or even a pencil and a tablet would come in handy about now. I don’t know if this is true, but I’ve heard that the Army no longer trains in grenade throwing, because most recruits can’t throw worth a darn. How about some Little League, while we’re at it?
Good heavens, not Little League! Organized sports brings out the worst in both adults and children–believe me, I’ve seen it: in spades. Much better to have the kiddies playing pickup games all day.
And yes, it’s true about the grenades.
Outrageous, ridiculous, even unbelievable – but the truth is, it’s very sad. At least it’s happening at a time when much of the physical/manual work needed is being taken over by robots (she said sarcastically).
Linda, were you able to get in touch with Marlene? Did my cross-forwarding attempt work?
Yes, and thank you so much, Lee, for being willing to act as the middleman 🙂
I see toddlers in grocery baskets at the store playing with an iPad as their mother shops. When studied for my degree in Early Childhood education we learned that children who don’t go to Pre-school do just as well in kindergarten as kids who did. Let children be children by home-schooling them with a Bible-based curriculum.
Double amen!