Blog #1 by Aly Miller

  Blog #1

We were always told “Do this, do that”, as children. I often find my parents telling me to get off my phone or my laptop. But why should I if they’re doing the same? It’s situations like that that make me very annoyed! In our digital age, we depend on technology to keep us informed as well as connected with other people. Even at the young age of 11, I used to rely on my old school phone to text my friends or look things up that I was curious about. Currently, I find myself checking my phone constantly, whether it be to check Snapchat, texts, emails, or to ask the all-knowing Google what the answers to my homework are. Our phones provide endless entertainment if we’re bored for even a minute, and we have learned to fully rely on this amusing resource. My parents are genuinely apprehensive about the amount of "screen-time" I get, particularly right before I go to bed. They are understandably concerned about the quality and the quantity of my sleep, but I know for a fact that my Mom is definitely up at 11 p.m., sending emails and checking Facebook. Can you spell hypocrisy? Why should I get off my phone/laptop when my parents are constantly on theirs? Lots of people speak about this subject, but who will actually take action? I believe it should start with the parents. I am part of a generation that is brought up on technology, and it is the parents who bring up these children! So many of the standards we hold, the behaviors we have, and the actions we take, are taught to us by our parents. Why should technology habits be any different? As we grow, we learn that most of what our parents are doing is the right thing, and so we continue to copy their actions. Therefore, if my parents are regularly checking their phones, I will most likely do the same.  One area where they seem to be falling short is how to get a grip and stay on top of all of the advantageous and new technological resources at our fingertips. But, we just have to acccept that parents can often be hypocritical!