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Sunday, August 15, 2004

Family values and "electronic stuff"

Asia Business Consulting wrote a similar piece a couple of weeks ago that outlined, how new technology is spoiling traditional weekend trips with the family .
Another study, just published, comes to similar results, only that this one talks about the living room. British kids apparently prefer to be in their own room to play with all kinds of gadgets - communicating with friends via mobile phone texting or e-mail. The Daily Telegraph writes that "Seventy-seven per cent of children aged between 11 and 14 have a television in their bedroom, and 64 per cent have their own DVD player or video recorder, it found. One in four also has a computer in his or her room.

Computer game consoles also prove popular, with 66 per cent playing computer games in their rooms and as many as one in three only ever playing computer games on their own. At least one in four boys spends more than 15 hours a week playing with computer game consoles."
But have things really changed? I remember from my own time that it was fun to be in my own room away from my parents and - but instead of playing with gadgets (non-existing at that time), I played with cowboys and red Indians, which allowed me to follow my own imagination. Or similar. I once spoke to a CEO of a large Malaysian corporation who said that he enjoys playing PS2 with his son and that he would connect with him while playing. Talking the same language and learning from each other.

As such, may be it is the initiative of the parents that is to blame here, or, better, the lack of it. May be they are just happy to have a peaceful weekend, with "disturbance from their kids". And complain in a survey about a breakdown in communication - again, interpretation of findings is needed.