Over the past few decades, several changes have happened in society which greatly affected families. Firstly, the shift from male-breadwinner to dual-earner couples and single-parent households have caused growing concern for balancing work and family responsibilities (Jacobs & Gerson, 2001, p. 40). Too much time at work can limit personal family interactions and social welfare while too little time at work or work in a low earning field can endanger a family's financial security and lifestyle (Jacobs & Gerson, 2001, p. 40).
The average age of marriage and age at birth of first child has increased while the number of children per household continues to decline (Jacobs & Gerson, 2001, p. 45). Today, American workers spend more time away from the home for work related reasons than their parents or grandparents (Jacobs & Gerson, 2001, p. 43). A cultural transformation exists where home has become work and work has become home and families are feeling pressured since work commitments are threatening family life (Jacobs & Gerson, 2001, p. 41).
Society expects parent(s) of child(ren) to keep them free of harm (Hymel, 2006, p. 1296). Inadequate supervision is a contributing cause of injuries and harm in children of all ages (Hymel, 2006, p. 1296). Misunderstanding the amount of supervision children of different age groups needs varies, the attention or attentiveness the supervisor and the proximity to the child are all factors in "supervisory neglect"(Hymel, 2006, p. 1297). Based on these new demands on parents with increased hours at work and technology to distract them from supervision responsibilities in the home, we wondered if grade 11 HPC 3O students would feel that overuse of technology in families (both parents and children) could be determined neglectful parenting?
Public health agencies have warned parents to cut back on children's exposure to screen time and recommends a safe quantity for children 3-18 is 2 hours per day while no screen time is considered safe for children under 3 (Summers, 2014). Agencies have been working to educate parents that screen time in children is both sedentary and solitary and as a result, less time is spent engaging in social activities that involve language (Adamski, 2014).
There is reason to be alarmed as serious repercussions exist for children who are exposed to technology. 25% of students who frequently use smart phones and tablets are starting Kindergarten with language difficulties and they lack the social skills to directly converse with others (Adamski, 2014). Research shows that children who use or overuse technology from a young age inhibit their ability to recognize emotions in others while even a short break (such as 5 days without screen time) can significantly improve these skills (Summers, 2014).
The increased stresses from the workforce accompanied with societal pressures to keep children free from harm leaves parents stretched thin. Additionally, it is not only workforce expectations that are changing for modern day families. Busy families are relying on technology to entertain children and to communicate. However, the need for human interaction does not end with infancy, and increased use of devices in families leads to lower face-to-face interaction.
Families struggle with technology and parenting because....
-the Internet seems intuitive to children and they experience mastery of technological skills in a rapid amount of time (Tate, 2014)
- parenting experts have not thoroughly researched the long term effects on children who were raised with technology (Medline Plus, 2014)
-parents who are currently parenting only have parenting models from prior to the technological era (Tate, 2014)
- increased personal responsibilities of parents to use technology to increase their productivity at work limits the amount of time they are physically and mentally able to disconnect from work responsibilities such as replying to email or preparing a presentation on home time.
Activities to investigate Neglect in a HPC 3O classroom are:
* Investigating the reporting process for neglect or abuse in Ontario
* Investigating the community resources available to parents for both education and support for abuse or neglect in their family
*Debating adequate vs inadequate supervision of various parenting situations
*Society expectations of parents and caregivers to care for children and keep them safe from people and situations that could bring them harm
* Do cultural differences exist in what qualifies as neglect?
* Can overuse of technology used occupy their children be considered “supervisory neglect”?
* Do increased demands on families lead to inadvertent “supervisory neglect”?
* Can it be considered a form of neglect if parents are educated about the dangers of overexposure to technology or “screen time” and still choose this path for their child(ren)
Bloom's Taxonomy challenges teachers to prepare assessments and learning opportunities which encourage students to higher level thinking skills.
I thought a new Family Studies teacher might decide to use a debate in the classroom to handle controversial or sensitive issues where students pick at random which side of the debate they are on. Students could also create a "how-to" guide for families to balance technology use.
Being able to debate requires use of all levels of Bloom's Taxonomy and allows students to work in groups to gain insight on not only the topic at hand but also how to sift through the expansive amount of literature available on any one topic.
Knowledge- students would have to call on information from textbooks or notes, list own experiences or sources where they could find more information about the topic
Comprehension- students begin interpreting new information to check for understanding
Application- students look at previously learned information and look for connections between existing knowledge and new situations they are studying
Analysis- students begin to explain and compare information they are wanting to apply into easy to understand categories or parts
Synthesis- combine elements of prior learning to the new parts and categories they have developed
Evaluation- students judge or debate on a set criteria
References
Adamski, K. (2014, October 8). Children losing language skills due to large technology use. Retrieved October 23, 2014, from The Daily Telegraph website: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/northern-beaches/children-losing-language-skills-due-to-large-technology-use/story-fngr8hax-1227082801978?nk=3d2e0caa082f9164f0a78f4a3711a2a7
Hymel, K. P. (2006). When is a Lack of Supervision Neglect? In Pediatrics official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (pp. 1296-1298). http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-1780
Jacobs, J. A., & Gerson, K. (2001, February 1). Overworked individuals or overworked families? Retrieved November 8, 2014, from Sage Journals website: http://wox.sagepub.com/content/28/1/40.full.pdf+html
Screen time and children. (2014, November 7). Retrieved November 9, 2014, from Medline Plus website: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000355.htm
Summers, J. (2014, August 28). Kids and screen time: What does the research say? Retrieved November 9, 2014, from nprED How Learning Happens website: http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/08/28/343735856/kids-and-screen-time-what-does-the-research-say
Tate, A. S. (2014, September 29). Parenting in the age of iEverything. Retrieved October 31, 2014, from The Washington Post website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2014/09/29/parenting-as-a-gen-xer-what-its-like-to-be-the-first-generation-of-parents-in-the-age-of-ieverything/
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