To Tech or not to Tech?

Written by Shala Hainer Wednesday, February 01 2012

It's not a question of whether to use technology these days; it's a question of how much and what kind of technology you allow into your life. In your professional life, you may not have much of a choice about the gadgets and tech tools you use, but you have control of your personal technology choices. With technology, what seems like a pro can quickly turn into a con, so it's important to set clear boundaries for yourself as well as your family.

Working from Home
Smartphones, laptops, and Wi-Fi have certainly made working from home a possibility for many people. The lack of commute and the flexibility of working from home should mean you spend more quality time with your family – but does it, really?

In the book “Alone Together: Why We Expect More Technology and Less From Each Other,” clinical psychologist and Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Dr. Sherry Turkle interviewed 450 people – children and adults -- regarding technology use. A surprising finding is that children often get frustrated at their parents' use of technology, rather than the more common idea that parents are upset with the amount of time their children spend plugged in. She reports that teens complained about parents entering the “BlackBerry zone” during traditional family times such as dinner.

	Dr. Sherry Turkle

“[Parents] serve as the greatest role models, but we're not perfect,” says Dr. Shaelynn Buck of Atlanta-based Prescription to Thrive, a health and wellness solutions provider that works with organizations and leaders to maximize happiness and productivity.

“When I was a corporate executive, my daughter wrote a letter to me and included a picture of a BlackBerry with an 'X' over it,” she says. “It was a powerful message. I actually left my corporate job as a result of that letter. I know where my priorities are. It's a radical step I took, but I knew how important it was for me to model positive behavior to my kids.”

She adds, “Sit down and talk with your children. Have face-to-face conversations. Disconnect to reconnect by creating digital-free zones during the day. We are allowing digital devices to distract us from having meaningful communication with our kids.”

Dr. Shaelynn Buck

The Stats
According to a study by the Barna Group out of Ventura, CA, two-thirds of parents and almost half of the teens surveyed said they don't have specific times or days when they choose to take a break from technology.

Nearly half of both groups said they emailed, texted or talked on the phone while eating in the last week, and half the students said they had checked email or text messages in bed during the last week.

	Tony Anscombe

While 32 percent of parents surveyed said they felt technology made a positive impact on their families, half the parents worry about technology wasting their children’s time.

In a 2010 study by Internet security company AVG Technologies, results showed parents are introducing children to technology at very young ages, raising a digital-driven generation. Although learning computer skills are important, so are basic life skills. In this study of 2,200 mothers of children ages 2 to 5, 9 percent of the children can tie their shoelaces, while 58 percent know how to play a basic computer game, and 19 percent can play a smartphone application. Less than half of the mothers surveyed said their children could ride a bike.

"Because [adults] are so connected, maybe what we don't understand is what we're actually doing is connecting our children the same way, and it's becoming normal for them and maybe we're ignoring some of those life skills as well,” says Tony Anscombe, the ambassador of free products for AVG Technologies. “As parents, there is a digital responsibility to be had. We need to look at making sure that we give our children a balanced life and a mix of both life skills and technical skills."

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Based near Atlanta, Shala Hainer has been writing and copyediting since 1995. Beginning her career at newspapers such as the Marietta Daily Journal and the Atlanta Business Chronicle, she most recently wrote and edited articles for several nonprofit organizations before purchasing a flower shop in 2006. She earned a bachelor’s in communications from Jacksonville State University.