Children, Computers, and Education
Note of Caution: Hopefully we are taking a frequent review of the CIA Report in order not to forget the many ‘changes’ coming into our lives and the cause behind these changes. For instance, in speaking of crime in our United States, we could have taken a broader view and commented on the destruction of our traditional family life via the computer craze. You see, what the computer did was to take Mom and Dad out of the moral and ethical training of the child. Before being more specific with this explanation, let’s go back a few steps farther. When our great United States became world leader in the industrial and technological revolution, emphasis was placed on a materialistic and mechanical growth of far-reaching expectation. To accomplish such an end, the political authority would have to enter our educational program and restructure that program to embark upon an Elaborate Business Training Enterprise (EBTE). Thus, the computer was given the EBTE in our educational program. Reading, writing, and arithmetic were no longer the focus. Therefore Mom and Dad could no longer sit down and assist their son or daughter with homework or to have that regular chat on how to conduct the child’s life at school. More importantly, only a few parents ever learned how to spell ‘computer’ and fewer still know how to turn it on and off. Simply put, the child, with his or her computer is an outcast from family life.
Now back to the child and his or her computer minus family life -- the EBTE in our educational system includes everything to captivate and fascinate the mind and attention of the student. Whatever you want to do, the computer is there to do it -- wherever you wish to be, the computer will get you there in the snap of a finger -- or you can play all kind of challenging games on the computer. When you are not in school, go to the library and the computer awaits you. Do this until Mom or Dad buys a computer for you. Then, with your door closed, have a field day on your computer. Of course you already know that neither Mom nor Dad know anything about your one and only right hand, the computer. Yet, I guess it does feel somewhat rewarding when maybe once or twice a week you get a chance to say, “Hi, Mom,” or, “Hi, Dad.” (It is understood that some of you parents do have knowledge of the computer and are constantly working with your child, but you are a small minority.)
The fact remains that in the world in which we live, for the past many, many decades, it has been young, inexperienced computer-minded technicians who have paved the way. We are talking about minds who know nothing about the fork in the road, or what lies around the bend or the curve. We are talking about young minds whose attraction to the computer found them short-changed of the moral and ethical standards so necessary to the role of leadership.
