Response to letter in Guardian

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debbie
Posts: 2596
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:28 pm
Location: UK

Response to letter in Guardian

Post by debbie »

First you need to read this letter to the Guardian -headed up by Sue Palmer, author of 'Toxic Childhood':

https://amp.theguardian.com/education/2 ... f-children
Screen-based lifestyle harms children's health

A decade ago our first multiple-signatory “toxic childhood� press letter described how children’s health and wellbeing were being undermined by the decline of outdoor play, increasingly screen-based lifestyles, a hyper-competitive schooling system and the unremitting commercialisation of childhood.
And then read this response:

http://www.dart.ed.ac.uk/guardian_letter/
A response to “screen based lifestyle harms children’s health�
… [the writers call for]… National guidelines on screen-based technology for children up to the age of 12, produced by recognised authorities in child health and development.

This call is utter nonsense unless the monolithic notion of ‘screen-based technology’ is broken down in meaningful ways. One of the biggest problems we have with efforts to demonise screentime is the ignorance of those who undertake to do so. History is crowded with examples of people writing new inventions off as worthless, or damaging, due to ignorance of their potential.
Without concerted action, our children’s physical and mental health will continue to deteriorate, with long-term results for UK society that are frankly unthinkable.

Rubbish.

In particular, this kind of call utterly ignores the huge benefits that the internet, online gaming, social media networks, active games, tangibles and robotics can deliver. In particular, the ways in which these technologies can level the playing field for people in remote communities, from disadvantaged backgrounds or those with disabilities is utterly ignored by these authors.
Sue Palmer is also leading the call to have a kindergarten, informal education up to seven years old in Scotland.
Debbie Hepplewhite
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