I’ve never doubted that our world is moving faster and faster. Digital technology is behind most of it. One of the most telling symbols may be our impatience when a computer takes just a few seconds longer to boot; we’ll upgrade just to avoid that. And it spreads to other parts of our lives. In Denmark, people talk 20% faster than they did 10 years ago. We’re even walking faster than we used to. In 2007, researchers studied pedestrians in 34 cities around the world. The average person scoots along at nearly 3.5 mph. That’s 10% faster than a decade ago.
It’s hard to argue against people having some extra spring in their steps. But I have to wonder why we feel the need to be in such a hurry all the time. I particularly worry about what the trickle-down effect means for kids in school, and the early signs are dismaying.
Instead of digging in sandboxes and concocting imaginative scenarios, kindergartners in many schools are now having to “prepare for a life of multiple-choice boxes by plowing through standardized tests with cuddly names like Dibels" (pronounced 'dibbles'). The pressures of No Child Left Behind—and its ill-placed faith in educational testing—may leave childhood behind.
This, in turn, has led to a new cottage industry: test prep firms for three- and four-year olds. For instance, Bright Start in New York City charges $145 per one-hour session as part of its Boot Camp series. Parents who want an extra edge also can purchase $90 workbooks.
Is it worth it? While debate rages about whether or not doctors can accurately diagnose depression in a young child, many have begun to see more signs of stress and anxiety in younger patients. Throughout my career I’ve seen plenty of kids who, pushed early on, burn out and give up on their once-favorite activities. For years colleges have been begging high-powered high schools to stop sending them exhausted kids.
A few days ago I was driving home from school, moving at right about the speed limit. A black SUV tore past me. At the next light we were right next to each other. The light turned green, and the SUV raced off. Next light, same thing. Finally I lost sight of the SUV—until I saw it on the side of the road, along with a police car. I wonder if the driver will learn the lesson.
5 comments:
Dear Mark,
Another great set of points! Having grown up in Europe (which in some respects is now caught up in the quickened ratrace that is the malady of our time), I revere the mid-afternoon culture of having a cup of coffee, relishing a good conversation, and at least temporarily losing myself in thought and contemplation during what the Germans call "Kaffeestunde" or "coffee hour." Starbucks or any variety of coffee houses that have sprung up in the recent past here in the United States attest to the fact that Americans desperately need to unwind and take time to smell the roses before they (and you) fade and disappear from the scene. However, one of the saddest phenomena of our time is the idea of a drive-through Starbucks, canceling out whatever contemplative musings may be brought to the forefront in the rage to get another five things accomplished that could, if the world were sane, be relegated to the back burner. When will the trend to do a few things well instead of accomplishing a thousand things in a slipshod manner take hold? Once burnout occurs, the individual becomes a mere automaton, fit for nothing but the following grave marker: "He worked like a demon. Requiescat in pace."
Dear Mark,
Your points are wonderful. The time of backyard play involving knights and princesses, cuddling on the sofa with a stack of picture books, and even watching some zany cartoons allow young children to develop the imagination that is so vital to both career success and personal happiness. The workforce in the U.S. is valued globally for our creativity and ability to push the envelope to creatively solve problems and build products. That creativity begins in early childhood, and should be nourished in the K-8 school environment. Using a wide variety of creative assessments, teachers should be able to enhance creative student learning options while assuring that students are also building the key reading, writing, math and discernment skills necessary for a well-educated human. Teachers must remember that creative child that longs to learn, and structure school experiences that encourage that student (and teacher) to use the creativity that God gave to humans.
Parents can encourage creativity in sudents by delaying or refusing
the "select" athletic and arts programs in order to allow children the time to create and play- without the judgement of a coach or teacher coloring,and perhaps, mitigating the true joy of a young athlete, artist, student, or child creating something desparately loved and uniquely own's own.
Sylvia, I remember the first time I saw a drive-thru Starbucks. I thought, "Isn't that against the very point?" And it may be coincidence, but when I've gone to a Starbucks with a drive-thru, I felt the atmosphere and service were not up to the usual standard. It's a reminder not to forget the core of one's mission.
Lynn, great points. It's such a sad irony that at a time when we need to be helping kids become as creative and innovative as possible, too much of our larger education system emphasizes standardization.
Dear Mark,
Point well taken! You perceived that the usual quality of Starbucks had waned. The scaffolding of ambience had been eradicated--the atmosphere of Starbucks, the artwork on the wall, the chic and sleek machinery used to create caffeine concoctions, the smile and greeting of a psyched Starbucks employee, the little imaginative maquettes on the bags of coffee suffusing the whiff of distant lands where coffee is raised and harvested, and the very experience of having a chat with someone near and dear at a table. When those markers of civilized camaraderie are gone, Starbucks and coffeehouses like it are relegated to the status of a fast-drink (instead of fast food) establishments, and you might as well have the coffee thrown in your face. The loss may seem trivial, but is palpable nevertheless to anyone who cares to think about the fact that they are racing through life.
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