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?
Former Member
LOL! That would never fly...ever. Considering that most parents and coaches carry these deivces, I think that meet would have attendance issues.
Maybe; but if they know it up front and its a standard swim rule, I bet most would comply. Tell them to lock them up in the locker room (C-phones not iPODs I can see the swim meet vs. Tri distinction) until the meet is over. I'm not talking about parents and coaches, just competitors.
IMHO
The news anchors on our local station were commenting today about rock concerts...then and now.
Back then the audience held up lighters and candles. These days they all wave cell phones.
Things certainly have changed.
The news anchors on our local station were commenting today about rock concerts...then and now.
Back then the audience held up lighters and candles. These days they all wave cell phones.
Things certainly have changed.
But Keith Richards looks just as wasted. Some things don't change.
BTW, when my daughter was three, after much debate, we bought her a TV with a VCR so she could watch Disney films. Now sixteen, she has a cell phone, a TV with a DVD player, and a laptop. It is a slippery slope indeed. On the other hand, she gets good grades and still talks to us (respectfully, most of the time).
Leslie- even as a Luddite, you would still lead your village in number of smoke signals sent.
Oh, thanks Peter. LOL. I can type fast and take pictures. Other than than, I'm technologically challenged. I don't own a blackberry. I do have a cell phone, but I screen calls. I don't chat on it at meets. Who can hear anyway. I usually watch the swimming.
Except for the big meets, where I occasionally see kids concentrate, most USS meets have an almost party atmosphere. Why stretch when you can chat and text?
BTW, when my daughter was three, after much debate, we bought her a TV with a VCR so she could watch Disney films. Now sixteen, she has a cell phone, a TV with a DVD player, and a laptop. It is a slippery slope indeed. On the other hand, she gets good grades and still talks to us (respectfully, most of the time).
This is exactly what I am talking about. You have given her some great technology for purposes of entertainment as well as education. Given the direction that our world is moving in, every day that our kids spend immersed in technology puts them at an advantage in the real world, when that post college day comes. In exchange for what you have provided, your daughter has been responsible enough to be respectful of her parents and to put forth a good effort in school. What more can you really ask for?
While my eldest is only 7, 8 on July 14th, she has been quite responsible with her iPod as well as the time she is permitted to spend using a computer at home. Assuming her responsibility and upstanding conduct continue, I have no intentions of withholding any type of reasonable technology from her in the future.
It's remarkable that the primary digit for kids under twenty has become the thumb rather than the index finger.
My primary digit is the next finger down ;)
I usually have my cell on me to update mom on my swims, or to check in on the team's (or my personal) records during the meet. Mom's usually the only call I ever get during a meet, aside from the random friends who are looking to go out later.
The text message phenomenon is a little puzzling to me. Why can't you just talk to the person? I guess I'm just too old :)
I talked to a masters swimmer friend at a meet last weekend about his daughter (12) being distracted. She apparently sits with her computer on with a video link, thus "talking" to friends, simultaneously IM-ing, listening to itunes and texting. I guess simply talking would interfere with multi-communication.
Also, I've heard of kids texting in bed after lights out when they can't be chatting. My son did this once. I heard the beep. Now my kids have to charge their cell phones downstairs at night.
I also think they just think texting is cool and they develop their own little language so they don't have to type actual entire words.
hey how long before we get a swimphone, so you can take those calls mid lap?
For me the answer would be "when hell freezes over."
About the "multi-tasking" thing. Yes, sometimes you have to juggle several things at once, but in my mind multi-tasking is never something you want to encourage. Anyone familiar with "lean" manufacturing, etc. should know that multi-tasking is best avoided whenver possible. So the idea that texting, IMing, etc. helps kids learn to multi-task seems a little specious to me.
to your original question, Leslie, I'm not sure that the whole texting phenom at meets is a really big deal... I recall playing tag, eating hot dogs, checking out boys at USS meets... there was always distraction, just maybe not the electronic variety. and as you know, summer league meets are infinitely worse than USS meets for screwing around instead of focusing
on the bright side, other than tiring their thumbs out, at least the kids are physically resting, ya know?
