MOST OF US remember what life was like before smartphones, high-speed fiber, and on-demand television.
At the same time, we’re also tech-savvy and Google smart. We were there for the birth and boom of social media, the rise of e-commerce – and the fall of the tickey box.
We have navigated life both with and without the internet, before robots and virtual reality went from fun fantasy to matter of fact.
Our children, on the other hand, will never know what it’s like to wait patiently for their favorite TV show to air once a week.
They’ll always be able to delete a selfie they don’t like. Social media will forever remind them when someone is celebrating a birthday and, as long as they have an internet connection, they’ll never need a map book to find their way home.
Sceptics worry that the digital age will have a negative impact on the base intelligence of the next generation – our children’s generation. Should we be worried? Are our children getting dumber, or should we view this as an inevitable consequence of evolution?
“It’s a bit of both,” says author and human potential expert Nikki Bush.
She highlights that, while technology has made the human race infinitely more effective, efficient and able to do things faster, quicker and easier, in many ways, it’s stopped us from using our brains the way we have in the past.
“Many of us today use Waze or similar navigation applications. These apps are amazing. Not only are they digital maps but also crowd-sourced pieces of artificial intelligence that help us enormously.
But, if you’re a child or even an adult, and you don’t know how to find your way around town, you’re not creating the neurological pathway in your brain to develop a sense of direction, because you’ve never had to,” Nikki says.
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Denne historien er fra January/February 2020-utgaven av Your Baby.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Who's The Best Mother Of Them All?
We all want the best for our kids. It’s easier when we have the support of women trying to do the same. So, why do we compete against each other all the time? Lori Cohen investigates
Where Is Dad?
More and more children in South Africa are being raised by single moms, leaving them with the burden of having to answer the many endless questions from their children about their absent fathers, writes Kate Sidley
When Chubby Isn't Cute
Those round cheeks in babies and toddlers are very cute, but with the childhood obesity epidemic on the rise, paying attention to those few extra kilograms is more important than ever, advises registered dietician Lindsay Archibald-Durham
What's The Buzz On Baby Groups?
A regular gathering for the littlies can have great benefits for your baby – and for you. Kerryn Massyn finds out why and what kinds of classes are out there
Self-Care For Mama
Taking regular bits of time off for ourselves should be one of our top new year’s resolutions for 2020. Here are some super ideas to take care of ourselves…
Parents I-C-E...
There have been many shifts in the traditions of what it means to be a godparent. Make sure you and the chosen godparents see eye to eye on the role, writes Genevieve Swart
Mommy Wine Time?
The wine-mom culture has become a symbol for the modern mother’s idea of selfcare. However, it has since been reduced to puns about pinot noir and knowing when to pump-and-dump, making it more destructive than one can think, writes Samantha Herbst
Get A Head Start On School
A new school year is exciting, but it can also be daunting to get back into the swing of things. Here’s how to tweak your routine, so you’re both ready and prepped, writes Lori Cohen
Generation Next - Tech-Savvy Geniuses Or Illiterate Dumb-Dumbs?
Our children are being born at the peak of an unprecedented technological revolution. Samantha Herbst explores how growing up in a digital world may help or hinder our children’s future
Don't Be Rash
While nappy rash is a common complaint, it’s important to know exactly what you’re dealing with in order to know how to treat it, writes Tori Hoffmann
