COMPUTERIZED BABIES?

I saw on world news with Diane Sawyer last night that babies are using iPads, iPhones, and laptop computers already. They showed a computer-savvy one-year-old unable to figure out what to do with a paper magazine when they got her to let go of the iPad for a minute.

I've seen my grandkids scribble in books & rip out the pages so what difference would knowing how to turn pages make? They can use scissors too. They even run with them and don't manage to kill themselves like our parents told us we would when we were little.

Some people will always love books. I just gave away and donated about 500 books (more or less) and still have too many. I've still got seven book shelves full plus boxes in the attic to sort out. (I've lived in this house over 20 years and I'll probably let my heirs clean out the attic.) 

Paper books weren't very abundant a hundred or 150 years ago. My grandma had to learn to write by practicing the alphabet on a chalk board, so I heard, because there was not much paper available in schools back then! No mimeograph or xerox machines either so I've been told. 

I'm not really shocked at kids using computers at younger and younger ages. Maybe we'll find infants someday sending emails when they want a bottle or need their diaper changed instead of just crying.

My youngest grandson could play elaborate video games when he was three. He had to stand on the sofa to play because he was too short to aim the signal high enough.

He recently told me a lot of guys were dead. I asked him "WHAT?" And he said he was playing "James Bond." OH. 

I'm concerned it's not the same as reading Huckleberry Finn or the Hardy Boys. His mother says playing video games increases kids' imagination. If it's okay with her, I'm only the grandma and my vote doesn't count.

But it really is amazing to me when I consider video games didn't even exist when my two oldest kids were born.

Neither did disposable diapers for that matter. I used to wash diapers and hang them on clothes lines to dry.

Where am I? Oh yeah iPods or iPads, whatever. Who can actually afford those things? I got an HP from WalMart.

Wait a minute.

I forgot I have an electronic "book" so I can't criticize babies for learning to use iPods. I like getting ebooks quick, free or cheap but some ebooks still cost as much as the paper versions or more. And they don't have used a book section like the Salvation Army Thrift store.

I love my Kindle but really like having real books too. Especially when the battery runs down because I forgot to plug it in and recharge it.

Same with my cell phone running down but I can charge it in the car. 

I also love having the bluetooth in my car so I can call from the steering wheel.

Good-bye from cyberspace from this blogger. See you on facebook.