This makes me sad, and more than slightly disillusioned about my daughter's generation. Can we really anticipate a day in the near future when a six-year old will have more use for the word "broadband" than "blackberry" (the fruity, non-electronic version)? What word will I use to describe the weeds taking over our front yard during the final days of summer, as the time between lawn mowings grows incrementally longer? Or the funny little nuts that Ms. Dunn hauls back and forth across Loring Park in preparation for another long winter? I have no doubt that technology will, as a necessity, be a part of Lili's life. However, I have already made it clear that there is no texting on her Fischer-Price musical cell phone while we are at the dinner table, and pounding on Mommy's keyboard until a spam e-mail is delivered to my entire address book is a big no-no. Limiting time in front of the television used to be the biggest technology concern among parents. Now we not only need to worry about that, but also exposure to the Internet (how much? what sites? should I friend my kid on Facebook?), whether or not to provide our children with Palm Pilots or iPhones, if Twitter accounts are appropriate for pre-teens, and the possible long-term social (dis)advantages of not owning Wii tennis. Frankly, it's exhausting. And, like most things technologically related, inspires me to take a deep breath and go back to basics. Dirt. Grass. Sun. Water. Skinned knees and blisters. Summer mornings and evening bonfires. Walking trails and long, long beaches. These are the things that I wish for my daughter. The voicemail can wait.
1 comment:
Ok, as someone who ADORES facts, no matter how random and seemingly inconsequential, I am appalled. Lili here are a few things that you should no:
The Dodo bird most likely got its name (it's believed) from the sounds that it makes. The Portuguese gave it its name. The Dutch originally colonized the island of Mauritius where the bird lived, and it arrived there via flight believe it or not. After a long time on the island, it evolved (or de-evolved as the case may be) to have no wings. This is strikingly similar to what happened on Madagascar and the Galapagos Islands...and Australia. Anyway, the Dutch were believed to have driven the bird to extinction during the 17th century because they hunted and ate them-not true. The Dodo in fact tasted horrible and instead met its demise at the hands of the predators that came along with the Dutch and Portuguese; such as dogs, pigs, and rats.
Lili, be sure and ask me about the passenger pigeon sometime, as it will also likely get deleted from the dictionary. Now please explain to me how to IM.
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