An iPhone Holiday?

Growing up, I remember my father would tell us to stop watching the "boob tube".   Can anyone else relate to this comment?  Television was supposed to be the demise of our society.  On a radio show, someone recently asked what  happened to the "good 'ole days", where families would sit around  watching television together.  What was once the judgement of yesteryear, some are now craving the simplicity of once was.

Will this be the experience of today's generation when it comes to technology use?  Everywhere we turn, there are opportunities to be plugged in, and just when we think we have a handle on what's happening, there's new technology waiting right around the corner.

National Public Radio (NPR) published an Apple generated story about a near 14 year old boy that appears to be disconnected from his family as they are celebrating the Holidays.   I won't spoil the "ending" since the clip is shared at the end of this post.  What I'm sure we all can ascertain is television, iPhones, iPads, personal computers and all other technology yet to be discovered, are here to stay.  This is how the vast majority of today's teens choose to connect (and stay connected) in the world.

When my oldest was a toddler, he loved Superman.  He would dress in a cape laden with red, blue and yellow and run around the house jumping from couch to couch.  Instead of missing out on what consumed most of his day, I bought a large book all about this super hero.  There we were, reading all about him.  Superman swoops down from a building just in time to save the world.  Superman defends himself from numerous rockets.  Superman even flies into the sunrise.  And there I was, watching the engrossed eyes of my son, as he soaked in every word.   By connecting with him without judgement, the love between us flowed even more.

Yes, there can be limits in our homes around technology use.  I've made a conscious decision to refrain from use when our family is all together in the evening.  What's missing is the opportunity to join and learn from the younger generation; how they think and interact with technology may build some forms of intimacy and connection that are not in our scope of practice.   Today I will use the experience of Superman and apply it to my children's thirst for technology.  I promise not to yell, "Get off the boob tube, or iPod!" and first see how I can join them in their world of wonder.

Maybe, if I'm lucky, our family will create our own version of an iPhone Holiday.

Wish me luck.