Why I was shocked after talking with 1st through 4th graders
We had the wonderful opportunity to speak in front of rising 1st-4th graders at a UNCC Summer Camp however the experience left me surprised.
When I walked into the classroom I immediately noticed arts, crafts, and 25-30 kids staring right at me. The kids were excited and filled with questions!
The goal of the day was for the kids to learn about different occupations and our goal was to hopefully give them a little glimpse into the wonderful world of radio. I’ve come to expect certain questions from kids during these Career Days. Questions like, “Have you met Cam Newton?”, “Do you talk to celebrities?”, or “my parents listen to you”. Which isn’t much of a question, but they still raise their hand to share.
What caught me off guard the most was Fortnite. Every single child not only knew what Fortnite was but plays the game. Typically in the past, it was older kids that knew what Fortnite was. It was the 5th graders through high school that loved the game. Now, this blog will not be about how the game is dangerous, or how the game has violence and that’s what’s wrong with America (even though the game rating is for 12 year olds+ when there are 6-year-olds playing). This blog is me simply putting my thoughts to paper on how quickly things become different.
I don’t want to sound like an old man and say “Well back in my day” however I now understand what my grandparents were feeling! I’m only 26 years old and I can see how technology has a dramatic impact on children, and they are now living lives very different from the way we were raised.
Smartphones weren’t really a thing until after 2010, so we aren’t even a decade into this technology, yet my 3-year-old niece knows how to pull up YouTube and find her favorite video. She’s THREE YEARS OLD. Granted she’s reacting solely based upon video thumbnails and her familiarity of the buttons, but still, that’s quite an accomplishment at such a young age. This, of course, opens a whole new world for kids. Some people may claim it’s bad, some may claim how great it is that kids have more power to learn, I personally am amused at what the future holds. I truly wonder if within 5 years it will become acceptable for 5-year-olds to be on Instagram. That may sound shocking to you, but when I was talking to that classroom, every child ages 6-9 knew what Instagram was. In the future will 6-year-olds know how to install the latest iOS software? And at this rate, how does this impact the workforce for when the kids become of age. Are we currently teaching more “Steve Jobs” type of minds at a rapid rate thanks to the way technology has a direct impact on kids? Will homeschooling be a thing of the past and kids will remotely view lessons on an iPad? We already do it for college, will that trickle-down?
I have lots of questions, and I’m very interested to see what the next 5 years hold. Luckily we have a front-row seat to what the future holds.
