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In my household when we talk about that "soft glowing light flickering in the night" we are not talking about candles. We are talking about the various technological gadgets that our teens- and we as parents- are plugged into every day. My teen and my tween both have a cell phone, an MP3 player, a Nintendo DS and other various hand-held games and portable DVD players. Those are just the electronics they have that are portable. We aren't even mentioning the gaming consoles, computers and laptops that are a part of everyday life.
It is not uncommon to find the faces of my children buried in their cell phones or other electronic gadget when I look at them. And? More times than not, I have to do more to get their attention when I want them. They are completely plugged into their outside world- their circle of friends. But to the exclusion of what? Has it impacted family time? Are we all so busy with our various Blackberries, iPhones, MP3 players etc that we have tuned out the world around us or is that just life today so suck it up and deal with it?
I was first introduced to a photography project by photographer Evan Baden titled "The Illuniati" by Anastasia Goodstein on her awesome, must visit daily site, Ypulse. (Sidenote: This site in and of itself should be and will be its own entry. All parents of tweens and teens need to have it bookmarked and sign up for the Ypulse Daily. It has a wealth of insight and knowledge. I know it is a must read for me!) She says:
Photographer Evan Baden just published a gallery of snapshots capturing tweens and teens in their element -- in front of the omnipresent glowing screen. Cleverly titled "The Illuminati," the fascinating series captures a diverse group of kids entranced with their gadgets in the comfort of their bedrooms, cars, even swimming pools.
We are all guilty of it sometimes, but when I looked at these pictures-- and don't get me wrong because these are beautiful photographs-- they made me sad. Probably because I see how tuned out my own tween and teen can become to their immediate surroundings when they become so tuned into a conversation or communication coming from friends.
Baden explains his project to File Magazine:
In Westernized cultures today, there is a generation that is growing up without the knowledge of what it is to be disconnected. The world in which we are growing up is always on. We are continuously plugged in, and linked up. We take this technology for granted. Not because we are ungrateful, but because we simply don’t know a world without it.
From our earliest memories, there has always been a way to connect with others, whether it is Myspace, Facebook, cell phones, e-mail, or instant messenger. And now, with the Internet, instant messaging, and e-mail in our pocket, right there with our phones, we can always feel as if we are part of a greater whole. These devices grace us with the ability to instantly connect to others, and at the same time, they isolate us from those with whom we are connected. They allow for great freedom, yet so often, we are chained to them. They have become part of who we are and how we identify ourselves. These devices ordain us with a wealth of knowledge and communication that would have been unbelievable a generation ago. More and more, we are bathed in a silent, soft, and heavenly blue glow. It is as if we carry divinity in our pockets and purses.
The question has been asked: Do we own our electronics or do they own us? I think that raises a valid point for families.
Do you have a vacation away from your electronics? A day? An evening? Some time set apart where everyone puts aside their various gadgets and just spends time together as a family talking? We recently started doing this when I realized that I barely recognized my children without the glow of some handheld technology shining into their glazed over eyes. (No. It is not that bad. However, I am going to ensure it does not become that bad.)
In the words of Ms. Mac, Library
