Stubborn Old Father Time

By G. Gregory Tooker

Try as we might, we have not been successful in engineering the elasticity of time. Perhaps we have done so in terms of our perception, but in actuality, the opposite is true in this era of burgeoning technology. The striking irony is that tech, which seemingly has the capacity to increase our efficiency when used intelligently, can sometimes subtly tempt us into a valley of quicksand. Once in that neighborhood, before we know it, we can be sucked into its grip, sacrificing otherwise productive hours. Sadly, our youth have been more vulnerable than any other age group, especially when it comes to social media.

Although it has taken some school administrators years to step up to the plate, a concerted effort is now being made to control the extent to which cell phones are weakening student performance. Disturbed by the significant declines in reading, science and math scores, school systems are taking measures to restrict their use during school hours. Concerned parents too, are acting on the home front to keep the distraction of easily accessed and sometimes damaging social media under reasonable control, salvaging countless wasted hours on screen time.

Actual physical exercise as opposed to tech-induced armchair activity has reintroduced youngsters to the joy of group play and the value of friendship cemented through in-person social interaction. Classroom performance also improves when a good night’s sleep facilitated by healthy exercise prepares the mind to efficiently soak up knowledge.

We live in a hectic, challenging world, one in which we cannot afford to let wasted time steer us away from achieving our greatest potential. Technology is a two-edged sword;  it can be a tremendous asset or, when ill-used, draw us away from our treasured goals. As individuals, and especially as parents, we must make the effort to navigate efficiently each day of our lives.

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