I have started research on the next phase of musical productions, which will explore the impact, both good and bad that handheld technology, social media and virtual reality has on the lives of children and young people.
Tablet ownership has more than doubled in the past few years – and as many parents are finding, children are highly proficient at using them. Understanding the connected world of children today can be challenging because they don’t communicate and learn in the same way anymore. Even more challenging is the reality that there’s always something new coming around the corner and where it will stop, nobody knows.
It’s a worrying fact (or is it) that most children have smartphones, tablets, computers and gaming console these days, use some form of social media and have a profile on a social networking site. Many visit these sites every day. According to the UNICEF study ‘The State of the World’s Children 2017: Children in a Digital World,’ one in three people surfing the internet is a child.
This is a huge topic and it will take more than one production to even begin to scratch the surface. I will be talking to groups and individuals of varying ages, including educators, students and parents.
It’s a controversial issue but one we need to address and explain to children and adults, by children the advantages and disadvantages of living in a connected world and how to keep up with technology without it taking over you.
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