Talking to my granddaughters is like finding a box of surprises. They name series, characters, and singers that are completely unknown to me. In our conversations I realize how quickly our times have changed.
When I was their age, some fifty years ago, I used to sit with my grandmother and my parents and watch the same TV channels on the only TV in the living room. In my country there were only three or four channels that everyone watched. That TV did not separate us because we could talk about the same topics, the same programs; we loved and hated the same characters and watched the same advertising...
But with the arrival of the new technologies things have changed radically, now my granddaughters are not very enthusiastic about the things I watch on TV, it is increasingly difficult for me to find something that is attractive to them and that we can watch together. For them, the cell phone opens up an infinite and new world, so absorbing and invasive that it isolates them. Step by step they lose contact with their friends, with their family, with everyone...
This isolation worries me, I know it is not something good for them; nothing that separates us from others, that breaks the coexistence with family, friends and neighbors can be good.
Whenever I can, I try to talk to them about the things that seem important to me. And although I am aware that what I tell them may not make much sense to them, I am convinced that if we throw seeds into the air some of them may germinate. Maybe the time will come when they will remember something of what grandfather used to say...
I often talk to them about the importance of gratitude. It often happens that we are not grateful enough. That is why sometimes we become unhappy. We long for what we lack instead of focusing on what we have. If we look closely we can realize that in most cases we have more than enough. Just the fact that we were born into a family that protects us, loves us and provides us with a roof over our heads should be enough to be grateful for.
I always tell my granddaughters that they are privileged. Unlike them, millions of children in the world do not have a home where they feel safe and secure, they have no one to keep them company. Learning to value our families, even if they are not perfect, can give us a lot of peace of mind in life.
I often comment on how important it is not to compare ourselves. At their age, they are very susceptible to media manipulation.
All over the social networks and the media they are invited to compare themselves with the so-called influencers. They are the ones who set the references of how the body should look, how to dress, the objects to have, the habits to practice.
It is easy for a young person to fall into the comparison and they may even feel bad because their reality is very different from the one proposed by the influencer... Maybe that is why there are so many young people who feel dissatisfied and depressed.
To my granddaughters I tell them to move away from imitation, that each one has enough to value herself, each one has her own talents, which they can learn to develop as they want to make their own way. If they stop comparing themselves, it is very likely that they will be happier and learn to see life in a kinder way.
In the few times we have the opportunity to go to the mountains or the sea I take the opportunity to tell them how happy we can be if we look at all those things that life offers us for free. The colorful flowers, the light touch of the breeze on our skin, the embrace of the sea wave... These are simple things that nourish our senses, calm our spirit and fill us with joy.
Whenever I have the opportunity I try to do my best to raise the self-esteem of the youngest. I have no doubt that the more aware they are of their potential and the value they have as human beings, the further they can go.
Each child and each young person is a promise for the future, they are the possibility that we have to make our world a better place... That is why they deserve to be cared for with dedication and care...
Thank you for your time.
I am publishing this post motivated by the initiative proposed by my friend @ericvancewalton, Memoir Monday, in its third week. For more information click on the link
Images edited in Photoshop.
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I am sure that those words are planted as seeds in your granddaughters, I tell you this because I carry many of my mother's teachings with me, although at the time she gave them to me I did not accept them or did not understand them, they were engraved in my subconscious and as I matured I adopted them one by one, because I understood that it was the best, it is like that little voice that tells me what is right and what is wrong.
Greetings, it was a pleasure to read you.
That is the hope. Maybe at some point when they are adults, something we talked about will resonate with them. I think we all later remember the things they told us as children. Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting, dear @syllem . A big hug from Maracay.
You sound like an excellent grandfather. I, too, worry about how the real world is going to effect this younger generation. Some of them seem so fragile and never hear the word "no" from their parents or experience anything in the way of discipline. I sometimes fear that life will be more difficult for them but, thankfully, there are many of us left who were still raised "the old way" to whisper in their ears and help guide them. Hopefully they listen. Another excellent entry, @irvinc. You write really well!
In my country it is difficult to keep in touch with family when they are far away. My granddaughters visited me in December, I hadn't seen them for almost three years. I would like to spend more time with them, but it is not possible. It is something I regret many times.
Thank you so much for stopping by, for the support and for your generous words. I love to participate in the initiative. Happy day dear @ericvancewalton . A big hug from Maracay.
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Thank you so much.
Dear @irvinc, unfortunately what you describe with respect to your granddaughters is the reality that currently occurs and not only with teenagers, the worst thing is that it happens with adults who during their adolescence did not have this technolog. Very important to encourage them to change, a hug!
I know many adults who have become completely addicted to the cell phone. Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting dear @doriscova8 . A big hug from Maracay.
What some valuable lessons to instill in your granddaughters, they are so lucky to have you in their lives.
This is one major problem a lot of people currently have, failing to embrace who we are and getting lost trying to be like the next available person close to us is the number one killer of one life's growth and fulfillment.
I always tell them not to compare themselves, that they are worth it for themselves, not for what others may think about them. Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting dear @funshee . A big hug from Maracay.
🥰🙏🙏thank you Maracay for the warm hug 🤗 !LUV
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The cell phone in the hands of children, like a magic crystal, captures their attention and immerses them in a parallel, intangible and unreal world. His eyes widen, reflecting the light from the screen, as his fingers dance across the touch surface. In that small device, they find a universe of colors, sounds and possibilities.
Children become digital explorers, swiping through apps, discovering virtual worlds and connecting with others through messages and emojis. The cell phone has become your constant companion.
Watching a child absorbed in their cell phone is like witnessing a spell in action. Their minds are immersed in an “alternate reality” or “digital lie,” as time fades away. Adults sometimes wonder what they find so fascinating on that small screen. Parents and grandparents, we are afraid to give our opinion, but we have to set an example.
Perhaps, in that hypnotic trance, children are building their own imaginary worlds, creating stories and adventures that only they can see. Or perhaps, they are simply enjoying the feeling of control and power that the cell phone gives them.
The cell phone in the hands of children is a reminder of the duality of technology: its ability to captivate and educate, but also to disconnect and isolate. Many parents give their children these devices with the sole purpose of entertaining their children, “taking a weight off their shoulders”, without realizing that, unintentionally, they are immersing them in an unreal world that in no way prepares them to face it, the “concrete jungle”.
Parents must set an example and encourage the controlled use of cell phones and any digital media. I can't stand seeing children sitting at the table immersed in their screens while the food gets cold and is crawled by insects. These are things that should not be allowed.
I wonder, what is a child of 12 years old and younger doing with a cell phone?
Some experts recommend not giving cell to children before the age of thirteen or fourteen. I understand that with the pace of life today, many parents give their children their cell phones to let them know when they can come home or when they can pick them up somewhere. It is a technology to be used with great caution. Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting, dear @amigoponc . A big hug from Maracay.
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