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?
The only cell phone kids NEED is a jitterbug. It comes with 3 buttons: Mom, Dad, 911.
But there's a distinction between NEED and having something that is now for better or worse a fundamental part of our society (at least where I live). They should at least be old enough to, as Matt says, know how to be reasonable and responsible with them and not lose them.
I'm all for kids having fun at meets. My kid is already sad that I didn't sign her up for an upcoming LC meet, but I'm getting meeted out and summer league is here. She's complaining she "won't see her friends." I was really just relaying some comments about distraction that I heard from parents and coaches. I agree that some parents are obsessed with their kids' times. Some have them on an excel sheet. I try not to do that with my kids. Mosts kids seem to know their times down the hundredth of a second anyway. If they forget, they can just check the computer, which hopefully is in a public area.
The only cell phone kids NEED is a jitterbug. It comes with 3 buttons: Mom, Dad, 911.
But there's a distinction between NEED and having something that is now for better or worse a fundamental part of our society (at least where I live). They should at least be old enough to, as Matt says, know how to be reasonable and responsible with them and not lose them.
I'm all for kids having fun at meets. My kid is already sad that I didn't sign her up for an upcoming LC meet, but I'm getting meeted out and summer league is here. She's complaining she "won't see her friends." I was really just relaying some comments about distraction that I heard from parents and coaches. I agree that some parents are obsessed with their kids' times. Some have them on an excel sheet. I try not to do that with my kids. Mosts kids seem to know their times down the hundredth of a second anyway. If they forget, they can just check the computer, which hopefully is in a public area.
