We often crib that children are not wearing their thinking caps at all. For all they do is click on the mouse button to get information they want.
We express our remorse at the death of hand written letters and loss of warmth and bond. We are governed by technology. Its impact is not just in schools, colleges, media and workplace but also in our personal lives. It is affecting inter-family relationship, widening the communication gap and increasing cultural rifts.
Children are hooked on to the computers. Thus, reading habits and physical activities have taken a back seat. Kids as young as five, talk about Facebook, iPhone, and iPod. The e is now paring up with most means of our daily life. E-governance, e-learning, e-commerce and e-health have dominated our lives.
How can we overcome the fears and worries of advanced technology? Is this era reversible? These questions haunt us persistently. The limitless speed on the information superhighway should not turn our lives into e-dependent lives in which morals and values may evaporate. We should strike a balance between modernity and traditionalism.
The knowledge and values, technology and ordinary traditional values should form an amalgam and an integral alliance to help the changing world into responsible intelligent manner and learn to exist alongside each other.
Schools and colleges need to look into this as an important area for them to guide, coach and educate the youths on reading, speaking and listening.
It is going to be the largest challenge for the young generation. While no doubt that the young generation has huge talent but it is important that the institutions and parents focus on utilising the same for the future in a positive way.
KOMAL ATA
Lahore
