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Raising Generation Tech: Prepare Your Children for a Media-Fueled World
Today's children are being raised as ‘digital natives' in a world dominated by popular culture and technology. TV shows, computers, video games, social networking sites, advertisements, and cell phones too often have an unnecessarily strong-and negative– influence on children. But pulling the plug just isn't an option in a world where being connected is essential for success. In Raising Generation Tech , noted parenting and new-media expert Dr. Jim Taylor explores how popular culture and technology shape children's lives. The essential message from Raising Generation Tech is that excessive or unguided exposure to popular culture and technology is not good for children. Rather than offering the usual ‘end of days' scenario, Dr. Taylor offers a balanced and optimistic perspective that offers parents insights and practical information they need to ensure that popular culture and technology are tools that benefit their children rather than weapons that hurt them. Six Messages From Raising Generation Tech : " Raising Generation Tech argues convincingly that children should be raised by their parents, not by popular culture or technology. Dr. Taylor tackles this difficult task with state-of-the-art psychological theory, the latest research, engaging anecdotes, and a healthy dose of sensitivity and humor. Raising Generation Tech is a must read for parents who want their children to thrive in this media-fueled world (which means all parents!). Larry Rosen, Ph.D., author of Understanding Our Obsession With Technology and Overcoming its Hold on Us "Raising Generation Tech will be an eye opener for parents! Rather than offering the usual ‘end of the world' scenario, Dr. Jim Taylor offers a balanced perspective that gives parents the insights and practical information they need to ensure that popular culture and technology are tools that benefit their children rather than weapons that harm them." Michele Borba, Ed.D., TODAY show contributor and author of The Big Book of Parenting 101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenges and Wildest Worries "The essential message of Raising Generation Tech is that excessive or unguided exposure to popular culture and technology is not good for children. In today's world, parents can't just sit back and play defense. Dr. Jim Taylor empowers parents to prepare their children for life in this digital age." Michelle LaRowe, Author of A Mom's Ultimate Book of Lists , Working Mom's 411 and the Nanny to the Rescue! parenting series
- GenresParentingNonfiction
291 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2011
8 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Jim Taylor
30 books2 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Jim Taylor, PhD, CC-AASP, is an internationally recognized consultant and presenter on the psychology of sport and parenting. He has served as a consultant for the U.S. and Japanese ski teams, the United States Tennis Association, and USA Triathlon. He has worked with professional and world-class athletes in tennis, skiing, cycling, triathlon, track and field, swimming, golf, and many other sports. He has been invited to lecture by the Olympic Committees of Spain, France, Poland, and the United States, and he has been a consultant to the athletic departments at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. Taylor has authored or edited 18 books, published more than 800 articles, and given more than 1,000 workshops and presentations throughout North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East.
A former world-ranked alpine ski racer, Taylor is a second-degree black belt and certified instructor in karate, a marathon runner, and an Ironman triathlete. He earned his PhD in psychology from the University of Colorado. He is a former associate professor in the school of psychology at Nova University and a former clinical associate professor in the sport and performance psychology graduate program at the University of Denver. Taylor is currently an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Francisco.
Jim Taylor, PhD, CC-AASP, is an internationally recognized consultant and presenter on the psychology of sport and parenting. He has served as a consultant for the U.S. and Japanese ski teams, the United States Tennis Association, and USA Triathlon. He has worked with professional and world-class athletes in tennis, skiing, cycling, triathlon, track and field, swimming, golf, and many other sports. He has been invited to lecture by the Olympic Committees of Spain, France, Poland, and the United States, and he has been a consultant to the athletic departments at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. Taylor has authored or edited 18 books, published more than 800 articles, and given more than 1,000 workshops and presentations throughout North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East.
A former world-ranked alpine ski racer, Taylor is a second-degree black belt and certified instructor in karate, a marathon runner, and an Ironman triathlete. He earned his PhD in psychology from the University of Colorado. He is a former associate professor in the school of psychology at Nova University and a former clinical associate professor in the sport and performance psychology graduate program at the University of Denver. Taylor is currently an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Francisco.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 20, 2012
The standard formula for books on kids, the media, culture, etc. is to describe various studies and to illustrate with real-life stories. This is actually a pretty good formula and was what I was expecting when I started reading ““Raising Generation Tech: Preparing Your Children for a Media-Fueled World”. Instead, the author, Jim Taylor does things a little differently. Yes he does go over some of the new research and yes he includes some real life anecdotes, but what stood out for me was his philosophical take on the storied relationship between children, media and family.
As someone who has read extensively on how media is affecting both children and adults, I wasn't expecting anything particularly new. But you can tell Dr. Taylor has thought about this deeply and has found some new, very interesting ways of looking at these media issues. For example:
- on the advantages of living an “unmediated life”, not a no-technology life, but a life where media does not play a central role in one's life.
- “externalization of Self-Identity”, how children develop a self-identity, and how this process is being usurped by corporate media (i.e. Popular Culture).
- how Popular Culture teaches a distorted view of reality and a false self
- how parents themselves are often overly focused on technology to the detriment of family life.
A number of parenting how-to books have come out looking at the effects of technology on kids and family life. All too often the emphasis in on the internet, video games, texting and social media, with barely any mention of television. But children still spend more time watching TV than any of the new technologies combined, so that pretending that it is not an issue makes no sense. Luckily “Raising Generation Tech” does not make that mistake.
For parents looking for some hard and fast rules, you won't find them here. But Dr. Taylor does provide ample new ways for looking at the problems of media overuse, and he very much encourages parents to think about and be aware of how much technology their kids are consuming. And whether parents want to raise their own children, or let technology and corporate media (pop culture) step in and raise their children for them.
Dr. Taylor writes in a breezy, easy-to-read manner, yet his subject matter is in many ways philosophical and deep. I would definitely recommend “Raising Generation Tech”.
As someone who has read extensively on how media is affecting both children and adults, I wasn't expecting anything particularly new. But you can tell Dr. Taylor has thought about this deeply and has found some new, very interesting ways of looking at these media issues. For example:
- on the advantages of living an “unmediated life”, not a no-technology life, but a life where media does not play a central role in one's life.
- “externalization of Self-Identity”, how children develop a self-identity, and how this process is being usurped by corporate media (i.e. Popular Culture).
- how Popular Culture teaches a distorted view of reality and a false self
- how parents themselves are often overly focused on technology to the detriment of family life.
A number of parenting how-to books have come out looking at the effects of technology on kids and family life. All too often the emphasis in on the internet, video games, texting and social media, with barely any mention of television. But children still spend more time watching TV than any of the new technologies combined, so that pretending that it is not an issue makes no sense. Luckily “Raising Generation Tech” does not make that mistake.
For parents looking for some hard and fast rules, you won't find them here. But Dr. Taylor does provide ample new ways for looking at the problems of media overuse, and he very much encourages parents to think about and be aware of how much technology their kids are consuming. And whether parents want to raise their own children, or let technology and corporate media (pop culture) step in and raise their children for them.
Dr. Taylor writes in a breezy, easy-to-read manner, yet his subject matter is in many ways philosophical and deep. I would definitely recommend “Raising Generation Tech”.
November 12, 2014
The author is very knowledgeable and has a lot of great tips for navigating through this world of connectedness, which is ever evolving. I loved the analogy that us, as parents, we are immigrants to this technological world while for our kids, it will be second nature.
Takeaways:
-set limits
-teach old fashioned values
-what you do daily will impact your kids
The entire book reads like a PhD research paper, and is quite redundant, which is the only thing I did not enjoy about this book.
Takeaways:
-set limits
-teach old fashioned values
-what you do daily will impact your kids
The entire book reads like a PhD research paper, and is quite redundant, which is the only thing I did not enjoy about this book.
October 3, 2012
Great book for those w/younger children who are just beginning the foray into pop culture and technology. It was good for me as well, as it helped me feel that I was basically on the right path and helped reiterate a couple important points.
Read
March 3, 2014Really helpful book. Takes a philosophical view of the subject and asks you to consider what values are most important to your family life, and therefore how technology and the media can influence them in both a positive or negative way.
August 21, 2012
Great reminder for us to be in control and to be mindful with all this technology with our kids and ourselves.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews