Last weekend, I was at a USS swim meet and heard parents and coaches complaining about the "distraction" of many swimmers now. They blame this distraction (in addition to the rise of the boy/girl crazy period) on the advent of cell phones and IM-ing, etc. Apparently, at meets, and I've seen it, the kids spent scads of time on their cells phones, phoning friends, phoning kids across the pool, texting constantly (even to kids 5 feet away). Then they go home and IM for hours, checking and gossiping over the instant meet results and who beat who. Now, all the swimmers seem to know each other because, even if they're not on the same team or live in different states, they now can communicate easily via IM-ing and texting. I heard one coach say he's not sure how to get his swim kids to focus in this new techo-age. Obviously, some kids are focused like lasers, but I see an abundance of chatting and cell phone use too. Would kids do better without cell phones at meets? And is technology distracting them? Some seem to be swimming blazingly fast, but are others not swimming up to their potential because of this?
Sigh, but it's the world we live in. Back in the old days, kids passed notes in class or threw spitballs or carried around what I remember being called "personality books" (the low-tech "my space" I think).
Still, I sympathize, b/c my classes of college students don't always listen to my reminders to turn off and put away cell phones. (I'll even make a point of turning off mine and stashing it back in my bag.) Fortunately, I never had the experience a friend did: a student took a cell phone call in class and just began talking in his normal voice, not even quietly.
They're learning young.
Sigh, but it's the world we live in. Back in the old days, kids passed notes in class or threw spitballs or carried around what I remember being called "personality books" (the low-tech "my space" I think).
Still, I sympathize, b/c my classes of college students don't always listen to my reminders to turn off and put away cell phones. (I'll even make a point of turning off mine and stashing it back in my bag.) Fortunately, I never had the experience a friend did: a student took a cell phone call in class and just began talking in his normal voice, not even quietly.
They're learning young.
