According to a story on news.com.au by Jackie Sinnerton, technology is making us smarter. This is apparently due to being exposed to more information and a wider vocabulary. I do agree the more things you are exposed to the greater chance you have of learning more and absorbing the information, this is especially so for little kids who have been described as sponges due to the fact that they soak up everything around them.
I do question the person or family that cannot afford all the gadgets and technology and doing things the old fashioned way. Reading books, exposing their child/children to the same things but not via a computer tablet, or an iPhone (note, I have the series 4). I do agree if you can afford the technology all the better, however it is expensive to make sure that you have what your kid needs in this technology age. We would love to give the kids an iPad each, but we are not made of money. It does not need to be an iPad, it could be a Google Nexus each or something similar. Maybe the Microsoft Surface (release date for 26th Oct 2012 – not sure what the cost of this product is as yet, waiting to see) when it comes out. We are not picky but it really all does come down to money. We cannot purchase one we will need to get two, so every cost is doubled.
In this age of technology it is a must to expose your child/children to computers and any technology that will help them with their future and of course school work. No computer skills will be a negative in the future, everything is computer driven and related. I must say that the iPhone that I was lucky to get for my birthday this year was very easy to use and with no lessons the twins are using it like masters.
My girls have done most things early, but not sure if that is a sign of genius or just smart little girls. I do know they have been told they are advanced in some areas, but also in some areas they need to do more. So in regards to advancement who knows really. In the news.com.au article there is a link to a Mensa Test. I never do well at intelligence tests, not that I am dumb but my brain does not do well with these type of questions. I like more creative things, I tend to find that I lean towards to the arts more than the maths and sciences. Maybe this is why I don’t do well with an intelligence test.
Why not test your smarts and take the Mensa Mini Quiz, answers are listed as well just in case you want to know if you are getting it right. Not everyone can be geniuses or have a high IQ. I do think my kids are smart but it does not bother me as long as they are happy. When they are older the girls find something they like to do, and manage to make a living out. You can only wish for happiness and that they do well. If they are clever at some subjects or certain areas, I do hope the school sees this and pushes them to do more, although hard to know until they are in school as they are still in pre-school. Why is it everyone has to have advanced clever kids, why can’t they just be average? I know it is more interesting if they are smart and excel and everything, however many successful people were average and have done very well.
Many kids that are very smart give up trying as they think it all comes naturally to them. When they go to a selective school with all smart kids they find it hard to keep up as they are now not the smartest person in the room. This is a big shock to some kids. The average student tends to try harder and achieves while some over achievers and high IQ kids don’t want to pursue a career as a doctor, lawyer or politician and some decide the pressure is too much. I have seen this happen. While this is just some things that I have witnessed and is not indication for all, so don’t think that average is bad, it sometimes can make you try harder and do very well at life.
Do you think we are getting smarter? Is it due to more information or that parents are teaching more things to their children and in turn the kids are learning more? As a stay at home mother I find that the kids benefit by me being here and teaching them, but vice versa, if I was working they would be learning things at care and also to pre-school so maybe it is much of a muchness. Send in your comments, and why not continue the discussion on our twitter or facebook pages.