Is technology producing automated children devoid of expression?

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Children nowadays, owing to passive technology,  are given fewer opportunities to use their voices expressively and find socialising increasing difficult.
Children from Bergvliet Primary in South Africa act out how children in the future have lost the ability to communicate

 The facts in the Canada for example are staggering as researched Cris Rowan, a Pediatric Occupational Therapist

  • Infants watch 2.5 hours per day of TV and 25% have TV‟s in their bedrooms
  •  Children use 7.5 hours per day of entertainment technology, and 75% have a device in their bedroom
  •  30% of children will enter kindergarten developmentally vulnerable
  •  25% of children are obese in Canada, 30% in the U.S.
  •  14.3% of children, have been diagnosed with a mental illness
  •  Half of grade eight students do not have job entry literacy

Cris says: 'The past decade has seen a profound increase in use of entertainment technology by children, some as young as one year of age. Critical milestones for child sensory, motor and attachment development are not being met. Developmental delay, obesity, mental illness, attention deficit, and illiteracy are now becoming the norm. Attachment to technology is “detaching” children from humanity, with consequent increased incidence of childhood psychological and behavior disorders, often accompanied by prescription of psychotropic medication.”

Drama helps children to socialise and develop communication skills
The Helen O’Grady Drama Academy’s latest play, performed this year, ‘A Trip in Time’ particularly highlights the problems with how technology is making children less able to communicate with confidence. The play follows three children as they venture through time to the year 2116 where children only communicate through iPads and have lost the ability to express themselves with passion and feeling. The time travellers help these children to laugh and play just as children should.

Whilst this is just a play and may seem farfetched, the reality is that Helen O’Grady Drama Academy encounters many children on a day to day basis who find socialisation and communication very difficult.  In our world which is technology mad, it is even more important that children are given opportunities through drama to play, learn about themselves and interact with each other.

Bergvliet Primary in Cape Town saw this need many years ago and started the Academy’s drama programme taught by experts. The results have been amazing. It has led to a school were socialisation has become the norm and children enjoy communicating with each other. This approach to holist education has lead Bergvliet Primary to be one of the top performers in the Western Cape. 

Children who are confident communicators and socially adept will definitely be much more prepared for our fast-paced

Performance is inculcates good communication.

. Leave the computers for a few minutes and get acting!

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