Parenting in this technological age

It seems as though the more advances made by technology, themore we come to rely on it. I can barely imagine living without a computer, orthe Internet, or a cell phone and its handsfree car kit. Yet we owned none of thosewhen our oldest was born, just 18 years ago.

I sometimes wonder how different my parenting would havebeen without all the tools at my disposal. How much more nervous would I havebeen leaving a babysitter in charge, knowing that in some places I would havebeen unreachable without a cell phone? How uncertain would I have been withoutmedical websites to look up symptoms or illnesses with which I was unfamiliar?For that matter, how would I ever have relaxed when my teenagers starteddriving out of my sight, if I didn’t have the comfort of knowing their chargedcell phones and Bluetooth interface could get them through most emergencies?

Of course, when I try to point out to my children howfortunate they are—that their research can be conducted from our study, thatthey don’t need to wait for me to complete a call in order to use a phone, orthat their revisions on long papers merely require a backspace button—theysimply roll their eyes. (Kind of the way I looked at my parents, who, I was ledto believe, walked 5 miles in the snow to and from school, uphill both ways. Ormy grandmother, who I thought studied by candlelight next to Abe Lincoln.)

In some ways, growing so dependent upon technology haslimited us. My children don’t attach much importance to learning how to changea flat tire or read a map, not when they can simply call the motor club throughtheir Bluetooth interface or program a destination on the GPS. I believe theverdict is still out as to whether the tools available to us keep us moreinterconnected or more apart. On the one hand, we can inexpensively keep intouch with friends around the country. But on the other hand, my daughter ismore likely to text her friend next door than to go over and ring the doorbell.

Yet for the most part, as a parent I welcome the advantageswe have. The problems presented by technology are ones I can address directly,while the solutions make my job much easier.