WHEN BOON BECOMES BANE
Tech-savvy kids should put down their smartphones, learn to interact with real people instead
ISTILL remember the day when I held my first mobile phone in my hands. I was just done with my Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examinations and took up a job as a sales assistant at a retail chain.
Upon receiving my first salary, I purchased a mobile phone, a Nokia 3310, which back then was a big deal.
I was proud of myself for being able to earn it.
At the age of 17, I had already learnt how to communicate with people well.
I knew the difference of having good and bad manners whenever I was put in a situation where I had to interact with others around me.
I most definitely did not rely on my mobile phone, or any other gadget for the matter, to be competent in communication skills.
Unfortunately, I’ve come to realise that this isn’t the case with the youngsters of the present generation.
When I was in class some weeks back, I realised that one of my students had a worrying problem with communication.
He is not quite capable of having discussions with his peers in class, but is able to come up with thought-provoking status updates on social media.
He has a lot of trouble holding a conversation with others in a social setting, but has no problem coming up with solid arguments on a computer screen.
I have marked many of his essays and journal entries, and he has mentioned about having many friends online, but hardly a handful in real life.
He revealed that he finds it easier to talk to his “friends” online because he is able to be himself and not worry about being judged.
He added that it was nearly impossible for his friends at school to understand him, and that real people make him uncomfortable.
It frightens me to think of what has happened to that student, and if this is a trend with many more youngsters out there.
I know for sure that this is not an isolated case.
Almost every time I go out for a meal at a restaurant, I see things that I wish were not happening with the generation today.
I see children of all ages with their noses buried in their gadgets while having a meal with their family or friends.
I have seen 3-year-olds playing games on their tablets while their parents are either having a conversation or busy with their own devices at the dinner table.
I have seen a group of teenagers sitting on one table, but no one does any talking because everyone is busy typing or tapping something on their smartphones.
What has happened to youngsters who go out and get themselves dirty with mud at the playground?
What has happened to youngsters who are able to hold proper conversations with their friends at school?
What has happened to youngsters who do not need to rely on their smartphones and other gadgets to live a normal life?
It is no wonder why the generation today seems to be lacking quite a bit when it comes to social conduct and etiquette.
Communication is out the window because the child isn’t really taking part in any form of interaction in real life.
Manners are down the drain because the child isn’t aware of what is right and what is wrong in a social setting.
A gadget can only be there to keep you occupied for a short time. At the end of the day, you can only rely on your own realtime communication skills to ace that presentation, or work on that group assignment, or make that project at work a success.
If you hide behind the screen of a smartphone or computer, you will have a lot of trouble when you enter university, and the problem gets even worse when you land yourself a job.
Put down your smartphones, and look at the world around you.
Stop typing on your gadget, and start talking to people around you.
Quit trying to come up with arguments behind a computer screen, and learn to exchange ideas with others around you.
Communication is out of the window because the child isn’t really taking part in any form of interaction in real life.
Manners are down the drain because the child isn’t aware of what is right and what is wrong in a social setting.