COMMUNITY MAGAZINE May 2008

40 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Our parents were not the only ones to live without cell phones and iPods. I could also live without these accessories. What would I do with a cell phone? Waste my parents’ money. Most of my friends don’t have cell phones anyway. So with whom would I communicate? I am not that tempted to own an iPod because I don’t like that many songs. However, I like listening to music occasionally, as a form of relaxation. When my parents were young they didn’t have cell phones and they survived without them – so can we. This is the response I get from my mother when I ask her for a cell phone. Our parents grew up without many of the technological gadgets of today. Our parents used to play outside with their friends every day. They were very fond of soccer. They helped their parents a lot with chores – watering the plants in their gardens and caring for their chickens. They had a lot of homework and they walked a distance to and from school each day. Our generation is constantly text messaging and listening to music from their iPods. Back in the ol’ days, the quality of living was more enriched than today. My parents used the public phones at street corners whenever necessary. They listened to music from a record player. When they wanted to get somewhere, their mothers didn’t drive them; they had to ride their bikes. On nice days, my parents would play outdoors when they finished their homework. They would play ball in the front yard and take slow walks in the neighborhood. They would often play board games at their friends’ homes and they enjoyed reading books. My parents did not have the sophisticated devices of today. They entertained themselves while playing with matchbox cars, ping pong, and checkers. They were interested in skateboarding, baseball, and other sports. They played slap ball against the wall of the house. For the generation of parents who grew up back in the “olden days,” when kids used to pass notes instead of beam- ing video messages and video games consisting of blips and beeps were considered hi-tech, it’s not always easy to relate to the digital landscape of cell phones, iPods and game consoles that surround today’s youth. But what do young people in our community really think about the popular technology that dominates American culture? The advanced writing group at Shaare Torah Boys’ Elementary set out to find out – and the answers may surprise you. Jack Bibi, Grade 6 Joey Mamrout, Grade 5 Bernie Pindek, Grade 5 Elliot Rambod, Grade 8 How Did Our Parents Without Technology? Survive