Media Fasting

I truly thought I had seen it all, until I came over this book about a week ago. It is a variation of Good Night Moon, a beloved story by children-even today as they say goodnight to the world before their head hits the pillow. But with the rise in technology, most things that are pictured in that book can be no longer found in the rooms of today's youth. But instead are replaced with the technology of today: Ipods, headphones, TVs, computers, and must I go on?
The book Goodnight Ipad addresses this issue of the great culture gap. I see pro's and con's to introducing this book to our youth though. You see TV's, ipods, mp3's, computers-just basically any type of technology possible in the pictured room of the book, is the first issue to which I have. What parent in their right mind would allow a TV in their children's room. When thinking about having these so called 'cuturally enhancing equipment' in the possession of little hands, my mind goes back to a study that was done to find a correlation between the reading level of students and then amount of reading material present while growing up as opposed to technology in homes. There was a huge correlation between the two-in fact, it was found to be that the more reading material (hence less technology) children had in their possession during those young formative years, they higher their reading levels as the child grew. Based upon this ideal, then, I have come to my personnel conclusion that if we are to expect something great out of the next generation, do not put money for new laptops in schools-nor have a TV in your child's room. But instead infiltrate their their minds with written words.
A pro that I can find with the book comes at the very end. When the old maid throws all the technology out the window. Granted the children seem sad, and it could be said that it has almost a tragic lesson: technology does not help our body to rest. Sometimes we need to take these things out of our lives so that we may rest and rejuvenate.
I remember the spring of my sophomore year of high school. We were made to do a week long media fast. This meant absolutely no TV, Internet, Ipod, computer, or basically anything that entertained us that either needed to be plugged in or takes batteries. This drastically changed my life. I found that even after the fast, I found myself going to books instead of TV and then Internet or a television show. This is something that I think our culture needs. Even just 24 hours. We could spend it outside, chatting with a friend, reading a good book or even just taking a nap.
With all of this said, it saddens me to think where children's books will be in 15 years-10 even. With finals next week, I am hoping when I go home, to take a media fast. Even if it is just for a week. I hope you plan to do the same sometime soon.
Here is a link if you would like to listen to Goodnight Ipad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ouOwpYQqic