blame technology
I read in the newspaper today that around 50% of the Swedish youngsters, around 7-9 years old, have mobile phones. I can’t remember what I was like at 7 and how I communicated, or what need to communicate I had, but I assume I would have liked one. Seen as I know very little about kids and children’s development I should probably keep my mouth shut, and I will. I’ll just write some instead.
There was a children’s psychologist who did not understand at all why children at that age had a phone at all. Apparently it serves as a prolonged umbilical cord which in turn gives the children a false feeling of safety. They call their parents about anything and hence can’t develop a sense of self-confidence and harmony. And she really thought mobiles were to be blamed. I think that’s a load of bull crap. That’s a parenting problem I think. Technology shouldn’t be blamed for that.
In the article there was this mother and father who gave their 8 year old son a mobile phone after having looked for him for hours this summer without finding him. He was safe, playing with a friend, but his parents where really worried of course. Now he’s with Sony Ericsson.
I hate when technology and innovation is blamed, which happens quite often, when it’s really (as usual) people who should get the blame. If a kid calls and bothers his mom at work when he can’t find his he-man or whatever action figure is in right now - let them know that it doesn’t fly with mom. It’s parenting isn’t it? When you can’t find your kid at night, who wouldn’t want them to have a mobile? Dumb psychologist!
All the technological innovations we’ve done - that have been used to do evil - is because of people. It’s always been that way and always will. I might be extreme thinking it’s always up to ourselves, and we’re always to be blamed, but I really think so. Friends of mine who don’t like advertising or anything that’s pro consumption know that I disagree but I don’t consume much my self. My TV is 20 years old and my couch is second hand (and my bed isn’t really that comfortable, but it works. I like good music and good sound so I invested in a good amp and good speakers. Other than that I own nothing and I don’t buy much. And I’m in advertising. No one is forcing anyone, and people who say otherwise are entitled to their oppinion but my oppinion is that their weak and obviously don’t think highly of people. Or perhaps they’re just communists…
And then on CNN I saw that a man who has made great use of technology and new(ish) media can’t use it anymore. Poor Mr. Obama won’t be allowed to use his Blackberry and mobile ones he’s the president. Security issues. Fucking hell. I feel for him.
A lot of shit all this technology is causing. Children getting messed up and countries and presidents being threatened, maybe we should just go back to smoke signals and everything will be alright again.
