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THE first desktop computer I used 30 years ago was an IBM PC AT. The AT stood for ‘advanced technology’, and it ran at the blinding speed of 6 Mhz.
Now, of course, even the humblest cell phone runs at many multiples of this. In terms of the evolution in computing power, three decades is an eternity. This period has witnessed an amazing revolution in how we interact with screens, and how dependent we have become on computers.
My grandsons Danyaal and Suleiman, eight and nearly five respectively, have grown up with all kinds of gadgets. When he was three, little Suleiman suggested that we speak on Skype. Both brothers began playing with their father’s iPhone ever since they could walk.
On the one hand, I am pleased that they have this easy familiarity with technology; but on the other, I do wonder how so much screen time will affect their development. A number of studies have warned of the dangers of excessive exposure to video games. In the United States, a study found that a majority of the 8-10 age group spent as many as eight hours a day before one screen or another. Teenagers spend up to 11 hours.
Many grown-ups are no better. Growing numbers now do much of their reading on tablets, and are constantly engrossed in sending and receiving text messages. A couple in Jersey I visited now keep no books in their smart, modern house, having migrated entirely to their electronic readers.
Often on the London Tube, I see the majority of my fellow passengers either listening to music on their headphones, or playing games on their cell phones. Walking in the city, I see many pedestrians conducting conversations via Bluetooth wireless connections, or texting with their heads bowed, oblivious to the world around them.
Let me hasten to interject here that I am no Luddite, and try to keep up with scientific developments. I have used a computer for years, but strictly as a communications, research and writing tool. And while I play the odd hand of bridge on my iPad, I find immersing myself into computer games a waste of time, even though I do see the attraction.
An extremely bright young man I am very fond of spends hours every day playing the World of Warcraft. This is an online game that millions are hooked onto around the world, and players are rewarded for the foes they slay. As the points you win determine your online status, there are players who pay cash in the real world for them. Thus, there is a cottage industry where young experts make money from selling their points.
There’s a decrease in the sense of wonder about the world.
While all this sounds fun, the addictive aspects cannot be overlooked. When I think of millions completely immersed in this and similar games, I wonder how they interact with the real world. The answer is they don’t. For them, their screens are gateways to the world they are more comfortable in.
Although video games are supposed to enhance multiple tasking, they prevent players from thinking deeply about problems. And, of course, relationships either suffer, or do not develop. In one survey in England, a majority of male respondents in their 20s and 30s said they would rather do without sex than their cell phones and laptops.
Many parents use televisions and video games as babysitters, allowing kids to absorb often mindless entertainment so they don’t have to spend time playing with them, and telling them stories after a long day at work. But most child specialists agree that quality time with children is crucial to their development. I recall making up bedtime stories — many of them about Johnny Pilot — for my son Shakir when he was little, and it was probably the most rewarding time I have ever spent.
It is true that people often work longer hours now, and jobs are more demanding. Also, it is common for both parents to work. Nevertheless, screens are no substitutes for horsing around with the kids, and listening to them prattle on about what happened that day.
Violent video games immunise children from the reality of pain and blood. I’m sure at least some of the senseless killings carried out by young criminals have their roots in shoot-‘em-up games that are so popular these days. If they are still reading this piece, I’m sure younger readers must be convinced I’m a boring old codger with a bee in my bonnet. But the truth is that I am genuinely concerned that screen addiction is leading to a decrease in the sense of wonder about the world around us.
And while the internet is an infinite source of information, it does not foster analysis and critical thinking. So we get lots of facts without necessarily knowing how they connect. Like all technology, we have to pick and choose. The problem is that children are too young to be selective.
Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2015
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