In the past, when a couple visited friends or family members, they would naturally bring their children. These meetings, beyond the pleasure of reuniting, were true moments of social learning for the younger ones.
When Children Gathered Around the Cooking Pot
At that time, screens did not exist. No television, no tablet, no smartphone. So, while the adults were conversing, the children would gather around the kitchen, around the cooking pot, to share stories, tales, and songs. It was here that the first friendships and first life lessons were born, in a warm and human environment.
An Education Passed Down by the Elders
Parents did not hesitate to send their children to their grandparents’ house during the holidays. This was not just to occupy them, but to allow them to receive an education rooted in wisdom, patience, respect, and humility. Despite the lack of technological means, these children, now adults, were able to build strong values, which they are trying to pass on today.
The Arrival of Screens: A Break or Evolution?
With the rise of new technologies, habits have changed. The modern child communicates more with their screen than with those around them, especially their parents. When they visit other children, they often arrive equipped with a smartphone or tablet. And once there, instead of playing or talking together, each child stays in his corner, absorbed in a cartoon or a video game they enjoy. As a result, these children, who were supposed to form new relationships, sometimes leave without even knowing the names of the ones they came to visit.
Screens and Personal Development: What Impact?
The time a child spends in front of a screen influences their way of thinking, communicating, and learning. When used properly, digital tools can stimulate intelligence. But when poorly utilized, they promote isolation, reduce attention, impoverish creativity, and diminish the ability to interact with the real world.
Family relationships are affected. Moments of exchange become rare, discussions are minimized. Slowly but surely, a gap forms between parents and children. As a result, the child begins to view their parents as strangers.
Parents Facing Their Own Responsibilities
An eight-year-old child cannot buy a tablet or smartphone on his own. It is, therefore, the parents who make this decision. But on what basis? Is it truly to familiarize the child with new technology, or is it to follow a social trend, or even compete with other parents?
These questions are worth asking. Because giving a child a screen is not just about making them happy, it is also making an educational choice. A choice that can have long-term consequences on their sociability, mental health, and human relationships.
And what do the institutions say about it?
International organizations such as UNICEF and the WHO recommend limited screen time based on age. They emphasize the importance of human interactions for the overall development of the child. The goal is not to ban technology, but to introduce it in moderation, at the right time, within a clear and precise educational framework.
Towards a Balanced Education
Modern education should not erase the legacy of our traditions. On the contrary, it should teach how to blend the best of both worlds: the human richness of yesterday’s education and today’s learning tools. It is in this balance that the key to successful education lies, one that is adapted to the challenges of the present and the demands of the future.
