New Media Lifestyle (Word Count: 314)
My husband and I like the television and the VCR because our family watches them all together in the living room. TV was safe to watch because all my family members watched and enjoyed the programs together at appropriate times. I like the TV because it is family friendly.
The story of the computer was not the same. Our family bought a computer in the late 1990’s. The three of my children got used to the computer because they used it as an educational tool for their schoolwork. On the other hand, my husband and I were ignorant of how to use the computer. We only used it as a typewriter. Eventually, Daniel, my older son, began using the computer to play games later and later into the night. When my husband found out that he was staying up late during the weekdays, he went crazy. The family war began.
My husband thought that the computer was the devil. He broke several game machines that Daniel had received as birthday gifts. Daniel responded to his father’s actions by throwing a temper tantrum.
One day, my husband bought a lab top and started learning to use the computer with his friends. Even Daniel was helping his father to learn how to use the computer.
Both of us also realized how much Daniel knows about the computer. He can even fix the computer when it is broken. When I need help with the computer, he is an excellent assistant. I have come to realize that he is a model of this contemporary era. While it is hard for the older generation like husband and I to catch up to the pace of the new generation, we continue to learn from the new generation in the process.
The computer tore us apart, and then it brought us closer as a family.
Good personal story from the perspective of a parent which we don't often get. Also related in some ways to Johnson's book about children being IT professionals for their parents... If you can't beat them join them!
ReplyDeleteLike Shane said it is nice to get a different perspective. It is a very interesting view. Learning different things for the first time.
ReplyDeleteVery nice story. You do a good job of establishing and resolving narrative tension. You need to edit it down to fit the word count. This will push you to further focus in on the most important aspects.
ReplyDeleteI agree that you offer a fresh perspective on the issue of technology and the generation gap. I like how you begin with your relationship with the TV as an instrument of family togetherness before moving into the drama of the computer.