Many years ago I talked to a local teacher about his thesis on the importance of play for children. Physically playing, crawling through or up onto a frame and throwing a ball into a defined area all develop certain parts of the brain. If a child is not involved in physical play, the brain will not develop important neurological connections. These connections could involve certain learning or mathematical ability or it may deprive a child of abstract thinking like, which way up do you hold a hammer? Which way do you turn a screwdriver?
Today most children carry cellphones or other electronic communication tools with them wherever they go. When they are at home, they are either sitting at the computer, talking or texting on their cellphone, or watching TV.
Psychologists are now noticing that many children lack abilities that were previously taken for granted. This coincides with the common practice of sitting children in front of TV to keep them occupied, and now introducing them to computer games, cellphones, iPods, etc. Now modern electronic technology does develop some parts of the brain, but at the expense of losing other more important skills.
Recently it was noticed that children are lacking common social skills. This is attributed to the fact that there is less interaction between children and adults as they all sit quietly involved in their own game, viewing TV, listening to music, talking or texting on cellphones. Many children are not learning how to be considerate of others, how to help at home, handle conflicts or participate with others effectively.
In this electronic age, speed is important: instant response and instant gratification are expected. There is no time to consider alternatives outside the new technology. The satisfaction of spending time outside watching a bird, watching the wind dance in the trees, growing flowers, helping make a meal — these all have their benefits beside the actual actions involved. Apart from electronics, modern city lifestyle and ordinary technology have an impact on children who have no opportunity to work physically outside with their parents. One company that oversees apprentices in welding, machinist and millwright trades began noticing some applicants who could not figure out basic repairs or how to remedy simple problems, nor did they have good work ethics like turning up for work on time. This made it difficult to train them. Those with basic mechanical skills usually came from rural areas, where they had basic responsibilities like feeding animals and figuring things out.
An occupational therapist in Toronto believes one explanation for some difficulties begins with babies who aren’t allowed to crawl as much, resulting in less hand development. Push-button toys don’t allow development of the intricate co-ordination between hand and brain. Some kindergarten teachers complain students can’t use scissors or hold a pencil. Some 13-year-olds can’t do up buttons or tie laces.
Dr. Frank Wilson, neurologist and author of The Hand: How its Use Shapes the Brain, Language and Human Culture says the hand-brain conversation may or may not be able to be learned later. He talks of teens who couldn’t intuitively use a screwdriver.
MIT and other schools have had to implement remedial building classes to better prepare their graduates for the real world jobs like designing bridges, airplanes. Engineering students they found could not estimate solutions to problems without computers; they could not visualize and intuitively solve problems on their own. Architectural schools are finding similar difficulties.
Living in the country, therefore, has its benefits. Modern society has its downside along with its marvelous advances. Retirees are finding they have many skills that young people find difficult. Here is another value to being a grandparent or senior. Interaction between children as they grow up with their grandparents or older friends is invaluable. It creates a win-win situation for both young and old.
We all need meaning in our lives and maybe we can now honour a marvelous resource in our seniors. They have become quite ingenious at finding unique solutions to difficult problems throughout their lives. Maybe now they are about to be recognized as changing our outdated view of the “old ways”.
Christine Munkerud is a volunteer with the Therapeutic Activation Program for Seniors.