I recall reading Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock several decades ago, and will always remember the image that the “film” of our lives was speeding up to the point that it became an undecipherable blur. Now that the film image is almost completely obsolete, I am reminded that Toffler’s predications of the increase of the rate of change were pretty accurate.

For some of us, electronic calendars that beep to remind us of impending appointments, voice recorders and cameras to help us capture events, and computers of all sizes that manage our data have allowed us to meet and extend our personal and professional obligations. We feel more productive as we move from one project to the next, communicate with a wide circle of professional associates and friends, and manage to keep two, three, or four of these going at the same time. Often, we take great pride in our multitasking productivity and consider those plodding along on singular tasks as somehow less valuable.

Our increasing use of technology has spawned many articles about families who are continually plugged in and watch their screens more than they actually look at one another. Other articles talk about the effect constant technology attention may be having on our brains. The ability to persevere with a thought or to ponder a topic may be diminishing as our brains are trained to leap quickly from one topic to the next and even keep several topics on our cerebral desktops at the same time. Eventually, many of us feel exhausted at the end of a day but are not able to turn off the flow of data coming into our lives. You have to literally “pull the plugs” to get some peace and quiet, but there always seems to be one path left open for a phone to ring or a BlackBerry to buzz.

Yes, I took a computer and my BlackBerry on vacation and found myself answering e-mail, drafting letters, and completing spreadsheets as I gazed out over a beautiful lake in Northern Wisconsin. Finally, I said, “Enough!” and enjoyed four days of no phone, Internet, e-mail, or any other technology related contact. I found I slept through the night, enjoyed reading chapters of my book at a time rather than mere pages, and conversations began to creep back into my day.

What has me concerned, however, is the effect of technology on our children. I am astounded at how many children have their own cell phones with unrestricted access to the web and unlimited texting. On car and bus trips it is common to see children with heads bowed reverently worshiping at the altar of the iPhone or Droid. Conversation ends and the cryptic messages that make an episode of Seinfeld seem meaningful fill the conscious space. Is technology filling their heads with banal drivel that will take the place of deeper thinking?

At the same time, I am pleasantly surprised at how many of us, children and older folks alike, are finding that FaceBook and Skype are great ways to connect with families and friends who live at great distances. Students are using the web to publish their work and are receiving commentary from other students from around the globe. Skype sessions allow for real time sharing that can provide valuable and very human insights into important global issues. There is great potential for our children to develop a far greater global perspective than was possible for their parents’ generation.

Our brains did not develop with USB ports or LED screens. I think it is fair to assume that if the sensory world of a child is limited to digital inputs that normal brain development as we presently know it will not occur. Just as I found my four day break from “the buzz” a welcome change, I think it is important for us to establish rules of engagement for our children that create a digital free space. They need the time to explore and ponder the real world about them and to make genuine connections with peers and adults.

Limiting screen time both at school and at home is an essential part of creating a proper balance. The following are suggestions from Tuxedo Park School parents who have implemented in their homes the “best practices” from a variety of sources. Manage Technology at Home and Encourage Alternatives:

• Make one day per week a no-screen day at home or specific no-screen hours during the day.

• Help children prioritize: teach them to decide what they want to do with their time and designate only a certain amount of time each day for checking email rather than feeling like they have to check and respond to every message constantly.

• Have a cell phone curfew - perhaps at 8:30, cell phones must be off and charging in a designated spot.

• Be a good role model - don't check your blackberry during conversations with your children or keep the TV on all the time.

• Make family dinners a priority and engage children in conversation at the dinner table without digital distractions.

• Play games in the car with children rather than allowing them to zone out with an i-pod or handheld device.

• Take children on an exploration of the back yard or a hike in the woods and observe the natural world with them. Ponds and streams can provide many levels of inquiry.

• Give children responsibilities around the house so that when their homework is finished, they have something to do that contributes to family life rather than zone out. Work along with your child so that jobs are not punishment, but something we all do for the benefit of the family.

• Visit the public library, make sure your child has a library card, and bring home books for you and your children to look at and read.

• Have a game night where family members play together without digital interruptions.

• Plan family field trips to local historic or cultural sites.

• Involve your children in the preparation of meals. Even the youngest can help with pouring and mixing.

• And, I am sure you can come up with many more suggestions!

Our children look carefully at what we do and if it does not square with what we say, they learn a very different lesson. Therefore, that limited screen time should apply to teachers, parents, and children. I hope that the year ahead will see extensive and productive uses of technology and, at the same time, that there will be many opportunities for all of us to interact with each other and with the natural world around us.

This was authored by Jim Burger, Headmaster of Tuxedo Park School, one of the oldest independent schools in the country specializing in pre-secondary education, with students from Orange and Rockland counties in New York and from Bergen and Passaic counties in New Jersey. Small by design, Tuxedo Park School maintains a low student-teacher ratio, allowing for a strong focus on knowing and challenging each child. Mr. Burger has been the headmaster at Tuxedo Park School for seventeen years. For more information visit www.tuxedoparkschool.org.