WHY CAN’T OUR CHILDREN WRITE?

After previous studies claimed that children who overuse mobile devices struggle learning to speak, a group of doctors is now saying young children in the digital generation can’t even hold a pen or pencil anymore. Pediatric occupational therapist Sally Payne says children are not coming into school with the hand strength and dexterity they had 10 years ago. She says children can’t even hold a pencil because they don’t have the fundamental movement skills. Pediatricians are blaming the erosion of basic motor skills on the changing culture among parents who rely heavily on technology. They say it’s easier to give a child an iPad than encouraging them to do muscle-building play such as building blocks or coloring or other fine motor skills. Doctors emphasize that children need lots of opportunity to develop those skills.
* Right. And Legos aren’t the most popular toy on the face of the planet.
* How about putting a pencil on the end of a mouse?
* No dexterity? These doctors have never seen a kid texting.
* You can’t even see their thumbs – they’re just a blur.
* Do we really want to give these idiot kids today the ability to hold pointy objects?