An attempt to pacify that urge…..
From someone who is a voracious reader….to someone who is motivated to write!!
It is always good to diversify as the era is for the multi-taskers, multiple ambitions, enhanced productivity that proclaims most of our diurnal hours. Working people who made it someplace get a lot of satisfaction from their success after years of monotonous struggle. They reach the most sought success in terms of money and then self-actualization. We are lucky. We made it. Then most probably we die, what else is left? Or we plan further and raise the expectations we have from ourselves, push ourselves further and achieve more?
We are success addicts. The tribe like us. We have experienced both the monotony, the enjoyment and have discovered the ways to carry forward our learning for even more of stuff. Then we diversify.
The digital world is encroaching upon one another. There exists no demarcation, all can do anything they like. I may suggest an antibiotic but the web tells that steam inhalation is enough in exacerbation of chronic bronchitis. There is a plethora of knowledge available to everyone and we usually choose what suits us, but be sure if it really suit us? It should!!
I read an article recently, on the importance of online gaming in improving the intelligence of people and its effect on building concentration. The recommendation in the article is enlightening but in my vicinity, I find children spending 6 hours in school, allocating 3 hours for home work, 2 hours for television, 2 hrs for ablutions and food, 4 hours for socializing with friends and family, leaving 7 hours in a day to sleep. If we deduct time from socializing, we get 2 hours of gaming. No television. Of course, Sundays can be utilized but where is the time for physical activity? Mostly saved for summer vacations!!
The multi-tasking requires a routine with slots of time arranged to make things work for us. Our world is not yet much digital mostly when it comes to child development. To become professionally equipped in future, gaming is not an answer, especially after considering the needs of the majority in not so developed countries. Students must pass difficult exams. Things are changing. Parents are bringing up their children with loads of innovations. Even a 4 year old knows how to play with gadgets. The pros and cons are many. In such a scenario, gaming brings instant gratification, something like pleasure of flirting that many resort to, to combat the stressors of modern life. When it comes to children, it is innocence that we must spend on. There is pleasure in fishing, hiking, picnics which cultivates cohesiveness and less of ambition and more of routine work. Work if done religiously is gratifying. For a personality like me, gaming is mind boggling. I prefer to read whenever I can. But I do know a smart cousin who is very good with video games and has superb concentration, yet he failed in a subject in his high school. So what is the motive of this over ambitious sharpness? I am not saying that it is wrong to indulge, as sometimes our reflexes become super strong and we end up more successful than our counterparts. We become mindful, and certainly more industrious, through our sharpness. The digital world for me has been a mode of relaxation. I read through the calmness of other people writing health, life-skills, education and the like.
Some researches have been published against the video games in the past. Many children have faltered and faced nervous breakdowns. Parents have a role to play here. They can incorporate 1 hour gaming in their child’s schedule and make sure they enjoy the outside environment everyday, like playing in parks. If supervised, might be their mental strength be enhanced by gaming as is evident according to new studies.
A good mind is the one that is under our control. Irrespective of indulging in sports or online or food, we must not become addicts, not dependent on instant pleasure. This can happen if we teach our children to not respond to urges at an early age. Young children must be taught to negotiate the healthy and not so healthy urges that they possess. If they want an ice cream every other day, we must explain everything to them, much about its cost, calories and tell them about equally better options like hot chocolate at bed time. It improves sleep and anxiety. Being factual does not mean that their innocence is deprived. We want our children to be able minded. We want them to innocently analyze and not blindly follow the crowd. I am sure that they will learn good things and become successful if they prepare with lots of hard work to reach a happy life’s goal or family goal.
