• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Demme Learning
  • Math-U-See
  • Spelling You See
  • Analytical Grammar
  • WriteShop
  • Store
  • Digital Toolbox
Demme Learning

Demme Learning

Building Lifelong Learners

  • Search

  • Sort by

  • Category

Customer Service: Available
Live Chat • 888-854-6284 • Email

Shop Now
  • Home
  • About
    • Philosophy
    • History
    • Company Culture
    • Careers
  • Products
    • Math-U-See
    • Spelling You See
    • Analytical Grammar
    • WriteShop
    • Building Faith and Family
    • KinderTown
  • Blog
  • Guild
    • Math Resources
    • Spelling Resources
    • Webinars
    • eBook
    • Digital Toolbox
    • Partnerships
  • Events
    • The Demme Learning Show
    • Virtual Events
    • In Person Events
  • Digital Toolbox
  • Support Center
Home Learning Blog The Digital Gap: Is There a Balance?

The Digital Gap: Is There a Balance?

The Digital Gap: Is There a Balance?

Anthony Barr · October 4, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Read Anthony's take on a New York Times article entitled "The Digital Gap Between Rich and Poor Kids Is Not What We Expected."

In an article in The New York Times entitled “The Digital Gap Between Rich and Poor Kids Is Not What We Expected,” Nellie Bowles argues that “America’s public schools are still promoting devices with screens — even offering digital-only preschools” while “the rich are banning screens from class altogether.” Bowles reports on a study from Common Sense Media, which found that “lower-income teenagers spend an average of eight hours and seven minutes a day using screens for entertainment, while higher-income peers spend five hours and 42 minutes.”

Parents say there is a growing technological divide between public and private schools even in the same community. [. . .] While the private Waldorf School of the Peninsula, popular with Silicon Valley executives, eschews most screens, the nearby public Hillview Middle School advertises its 1:1 iPad program.

Nellie Bowles reminds us that “it wasn’t long ago that the worry was that rich students would have access to the internet earlier, gaining tech skills and creating a digital divide.” She writes that now “it could happen that the children of poorer and middle-class parents will be raised by screens, while the children of Silicon Valley’s elite will be going back to wooden toys and the luxury of human interaction.”

Hands-on Learning

At Demme Learning, we fully encourage hands-on learning and play structured around “old-fashioned” toys like Lincoln Logs and LEGO.

In an earlier post, I reviewed The Design of Childhood (Alexandra Lange) which explores this kind of play in detail.

One of the reasons that Lange is such a fan of kids playing with blocks is that this kind of play provides an opportunity for imagination and creativity. In lovely prose, she explains that ‘many of our longest-serving toys have no baked-in narrative. Simple shapes and sturdy materials encourage free play and meet the child at her level. She may get in the box, color the box, cut the box, stack her box with a friend’s.’ I really like this language of toys that do not stifle the imagination with “baked-in narratives:” I get the sense that when parents bemoan “electronics” what they are really rebelling against is the (very wrong) idea that kids can only entertain themselves when the toys they are playing with give them explicit parameters for that play.

Technology

Nevertheless, we also love technology, which is why we are really excited about our math manipulatives app and our new digital toolbox. It offers easy access to a wide range of digital resources and instructional content for families. With the Early Access release to our new platform, families can experience and provide feedback on the same trusted content in a refreshed, more user-friendly layout, featuring streamlined navigation, a cleaner design, and better mobile support. And if they prefer, they can continue using the original Digital Toolbox anytime. Likewise, Lange is not opposed to video gaming. As I noted in my review,: “Lange sees games like Minecraft, which is literally a block-building game, as being analogous to physical block play. For example, she writes that ‘today the sandbox is as likely to be the rectangular space of the computer screen, where digital sand, in the form of Minecraft cubes or Scratch block commands, are used to explore building, civilizations, and geography.’”

One of the more lighthearted portions of the New York Times article I quoted above is the story of the mom whose son’s Christmas list was “a Wii, a PlayStation, a Nintendo, a MacBook Pro and an iPhone.” That mom responded, “Kiddo, you’re not gonna get one of those things…Yeah, I’m the mean mom.” This reminds me of the times when my parents would make me put away my Game Boy Advance SP (nineties kids know what I’m talking about, lol) to play outside or read a book. Speaking of “mean” parents, check out this funny parody that the Holderness family made about unplugging the video game consoles in preparation for going back to school. (And honestly, why would you play Fortnite when you could play Super Smash Bros. Melee instead???)

Further Reading

In my blog post Risky Play: A Need of The Soul I explore the insight of the French philosopher Simone Weil on our need for risk, the American Academy of Pediatrics on the importance of childhood play, and CityLab on the emergence of “adventure playgrounds.”

Ethan Demme, CEO of Demme Learning, has a helpful review of the book The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch. Ethan explains that “Crouch isn’t afraid of technology, but he is concerned about potential pitfalls.”

Read Anthony's take on a New York Times article entitled "The Digital Gap Between Rich and Poor Kids Is Not What We Expected."
Previous Post Next Post

Category iconApps & Technology

Weekly Newsletter

Subscribe to the weekly Demme Learning newsletter for the latest blog posts, product information, and more!

The Demme Learning Show

Join host Gretchen Roe as she facilitates fascinating conversations with a wide range of guests in the education space. Watch the show live, or watch/listen to the recorded episodes.

Learn More and Subscribe

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Stories

  • A parent talks to their child about screen time.

    Tech Tips for Tech-Savvy Parenting: Managing Screen Time for Student Success

  • A student looking at a screen.

    Educating and Parenting in the Digital Age

  • A group of people using smartphones.

    Apps and Tech Tools for Homeschool Planning and Organization

Primary Sidebar

Stories
show/hide
  • A parent talks to their child about screen time.
    Tech Tips for Tech-Savvy Parenting: Managing Screen Time for Student Success
  • A student looking at a screen.
    Educating and Parenting in the Digital Age
  • A group of people using smartphones.
    Apps and Tech Tools for Homeschool Planning and Organization

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Thousands of parents enjoy our weekly newsletter, with informative blog posts, product information, and more!

Subscribe to The Demme Learning Show!

Join host Gretchen Roe as she facilitates fascinating conversations with a wide range of guests in the education space. Watch the show live, or watch/listen to the recorded episodes.

Learn more

Logo for The Demme Learning Show.

Footer

Our Location

Address:
Demme Learning
207 Bucky Drive
Lititz, PA 17543

Contact Us

Customer Service: Available
Live Chat • 888-854-6284 • Email

Hours

Monday through Thursday 8:30 am to 6:00 pm, Eastern time.

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • Twitter

Sign up for our newsletter

Sitemap

  • Home
  • About
    • Philosophy
    • History
    • Company Culture
    • Careers
  • Products
    • Math-U-See
    • Spelling You See
    • Analytical Grammar
    • WriteShop
    • Building Faith and Family
    • KinderTown
  • Blog
  • Guild
    • Math Resources
    • Spelling Resources
    • Webinars
    • eBook
    • Digital Toolbox
    • Partnerships
  • Events
    • The Demme Learning Show
    • Virtual Events
    • In Person Events
  • Digital Toolbox
  • Support Center

Terms & Conditions  •  Sitemap  •  Copyright © 2025 Demme Learning •  Return to top