Children of the Purple

...Please make a legal u turn ahead

Please make a u turn now

Please take the next right turn

Right turn ahead...

It goes on and on...the soft voice in the navigation system accepting us for what we are and continuously adjusting herself to accommodate our incessant failures to follow directions...

I always wondered what if that lady giving us instructions had a voice of her own. Will she continue to be that nice to us? (I understand that some of you might have a male voice giving you guidance. For the purposes of this rant, I am keeping it as a female voice. There is no other reason behind it)

I used to joke with friends about possible App ideas where we can make Snoop Dogg give the guidance or make Late Amrish Puri (in his Mogambo voice) do the guidance. Will we pay more attention then?

Though we shared a hearty laugh of the impact various emotions those characters can bring to guidance, I always wondered is it a good thing to rely so much on guidance. Is it making us dumb and over reliant on technology? Is it making us not pay needed attention knowing that we will get the route recalculated automatically?

I remember a road trip I took in 2008. It was using paper maps. That was the last time I ever did that. Navigation systems were becoming popular then and were costing as much as an iPhone, as it costs now.

Since 2009, I have been using navigation systems or such apps for my travels. No doubt it is very comforting to know that it will help me get home from wherever I am. But is it making me rely on it too much.

Given my new found interest in technology and its influence in our life, I thought it would be better to get off the fence on this purple line that guides us home.

What am I missing by not using paper maps? Probably a whole lot of headache when there is argument over which turn to take. Probably missing out on hours poring over maps to figure out where we exactly are.

Do I miss it? No.

As of the question of becoming over reliant on rerouting and not follow instructions properly, I would say it’s a personal choice. I have seen friends who are on the edge of their seat when they are driving through uncharted routes. I have also seen folks who do not bother where they are and they just let the voice guide them patiently.

To conclude, I would happily let technology take over this one task for me. Of course the key is still to know how to read maps. If technology has taught us one thing, it is this - Always have backup of everything!!

P.S: The title was inspired by a mention in one of the Podcasts of Note to Self. I heard the mention of Purple and decided to write a note of my thoughts on the same.

Kids and Digital Age

Since the advent of iPhones and iPads I have been having this nagging in the back of my mind, if this is the right thing for my kids. I have not held them back from technology, unlike a few of my friends who still believe that the best thing for kids is to keep them away from these gadgets and ensure they play outside.

One of my earlier posts was about this very topic. I don't want us to end up being the lost generation that knew how to have some outdoor adventure. But that did not convince me enough to keep my kids away from tech gadgets.  I was influenced by the most popular position that the kids in future will lack social skills because they are constantly texting and tweeting etc.

Before I move further, I wanted to step back and set it up for you. If you have ready my earlier posts, you have known that I do spend a considerable amount of time driving to work. I usually listen to podcasts while I drive and my playlist include "Radiolab" and "99% Invisible".

Very recently "Radiolab" introduced me to another podcast - "Note to Self". This podcast tries to address the question of how technology affect our lives and what we could do to be effective. More specifically, Manoush Zomorodi and her team have done a 3 part series on kids and technology.

I heard the series (binged them - I am learning to keep up with these new age terms) and found it to be very interesting. But did it give me decisive answer of whether technology is a good thing or a bad thing? The answer is no. I am still undecided on what I want to do about this with my kids.

Probably, I am looking for the wrong answer. The whole topic of tech for kids is not like a decision on an ethical or a moral topic where there is always an easy answer - the right thing to do.

The tech for kids is more like a decision on food that kids eat or for that matter, what we eat. Most of us know that chips are not healthy food. But does that stop us? I know for sure it doesn't stop me. Similarly, tech gadgets are difficult to say no to.

The trick then should lie in moderation. So how do we ensure that kids know moderation?

How did we ensure that kids eat their favorite pastry in moderation? By constantly reminding them that it has to be moderated. The only downside to that argument is this. When it comes to food, most kids' body will tell them when they are full with something. My little one loves sweets. However, he caps his intake by himself, of course after taking a couple more than what his siblings take. But he stops by himself. I think it’s because his body telling him to stop.

Does similar thing happen in technology? No. There is no cap imposed by the mind. He wants to get more and more of it. The only thing that seems to stop it is when there is an equally interesting alternative or a better alternative presented for him. Like a trip out to a playground or a trip to a museum or a zoo. All these alternatives make him forget his iPad.

So, who is to be blamed? It's me.

My parents did not have this challenge of presenting interesting alternatives to me. But I/we do. Kids will be kids no matter what the calendar year is. It is up to the parents, how they make life interesting for their kids.

Will I ever make my kid gets disconnected from all modern tech? NO. I want them to be competitive in this new digital age. So I am not going to deprive them of trying their hand on new age tech. But at the same time, I will try and make sure that is not the only option they get to spend their free time with.

This post is not meant to preach anyone. This is more like a reminder to self.  To draw from my favorite podcast of the month, this post is more like a "Note to Self".

Info about the podcasts referred in this post: Radiolab (www.radiolab.org) and Note to Self (www.wnyc.org/shows/notetoself) are podcasts produced by WNYC. 99% Invisible (www.99percentinvisible.org) is an independent production funded by listeners. Check them out.