January 9th, 2016
You may or may not have noticed that I missed a post on my blog for the first time yesterday. It wasn't because I was at a loss for things to say and, it had nothing to do with the seven 9 year olds partying at my home, celebrating my daughter's birthday. The problem was technology. My husband was contacted by a Bell representative and decided to upgrade our router. What we didn't know was that they disconnect your existing router and mail out a new one. We received our updated router yesterday but none of our devices worked despite the fact that all of them displayed full bars. My husband called Bell after work to complete the set up. They were progressing really well until they got disconnected. He looked at me and announced: "I've been disconnected from Bell", to which I replied: "Bell is the connector, how can they lose their own connection?" When my husband tried calling back, a recording informed him that the office was now closed. He was cut off because Bell's office was closed whether he was in the middle of a conversation or not.
We eventually got things sorted out and now I am able to post today's blog. What is ironic is that my post was about technology. It struck me yesterday, as I hosted a group of 9 year olds, how technology changes the way we live and interact. Most of the children showed up with an iPhone, usually their parent's old but still functional model. They used them to take photos. They pulled them out each time their was a few moments of free time (as I cleared off the table for art or prepared the cake). When I asked who would like to call their parents to say good night, some of them opted to text instead. When I said it was lights out, much to their chagrin, they were looking for outlets to plug in their phones. They also used their devices as a source of light so they could read or chat. They all noticed that we had no WiFi.
I have been lobbying to get into schools in order to offer art therapy workshops which promote pro-social behaviours. Our children learn to read, write and add but there are so many skills involved in living a full life that are taken for granted until you realize that they are lacking or underdeveloped in the next generation. I will give you a few examples. Looking at someone when they are talking to you is a given, right? Yet, you see so many couples out for supper, each checking their messages or texting. I even saw some of my college students texting each other at the library, they are sitting next to each other. Spelling is a skill that has been lost in an age of abbreviations and spell check. I once met with a student who wanted to discuss her assignment. She brought her computer and typed in ideas as we spoke. She would type in what she thought the word would look like and highlight it for spell check. She did this automatically and for most of the words.
Critical thinking and creativity are at risk. When assigning work as a college professor, I asked my students to pick a cause they were passionate about and answer a list of questions. I wanted their opinion. This assignment was not complicated but they needed to come up with the information on their own. You can't google your opinion. What I found was people would ask each other what they had picked for their topic and they would ask others for ideas.
Now I want to clarify, I am not anti-technology. I used my iPad when I was tutoring at-risk children who were struggling with the alphabet. They hated reading and the first time I called them over for tutoring, they dragged their feet. However, I played "Endless Alphabet"with them on my iPad and they were hooked. They got to recognize letters, hear how they sound, learn what the word meant, see a short animation about the word and watch monsters destroy the word on the screen. I use Facebook to connect with friends and relatives who live far away and to promote my business. I love that someone in Australia can read this blog and that I can offer a Skype art therapy workshop for women in a shelter at an undisclosed location.
What worries me is seeing young children who don't know what to do when they feel stressed, who try to think and act like everyone else, who stand at a regular sink and wait for the water to start automatically, stymied, who feel bored if they are not entertained even for a few minutes. They have lost their imagination, the concept that they can make things happen in the world around them, not just on Minecraft. What is frightening is witnessing this transition, as I have through volunteering in my children's classes. In Grade 1 students are excited by a box of art materials and can't wait to jump in and create. By Grade 4, students examine what others are making, venture a few ideas to check if others approve and ask for more assistance than they need.
I'd love to teach stress management, healthy emotional expression, boundaries, positive communication, creativity, community involvement and self-care, just to name a few. These skills will foster a generation of children who are self-aware, creative, confident and involved in the community. That sounds good to me! What do you think?
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
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