Before you begin reading this, I ask thee, to abandon all prejudices and allow me to share my thoughts on a debatable topic that has burdened many forums and discussions.

At the onset, it is clear as daylight that the era of technological advancements is radically changing the way we live today.

But one nagging point of contention (read: iceberg) that has time and again struck sailors like myself, is an often debated question—are we forgetting our roots and the wisdom of our ancestors while moving ahead in time?

As a ninja living the double-life—director of a tech-gaming start-up and father to a cheery 5-year-old boy, I have found my peace in understanding that we cannot live in the past and complain about the rapidly progressing times we are a part of.

Don’t kill me already. Here’s what I mean…

Allow me to enlighten you with my opinion (read: logical, sane opinion) before you pull out the dagger…

As a kid, I kicked a*s while playing Mario on bulky, pixel-art-style games on consoles.

Today I see my child learning math, comprehension, logical reasoning and more while playing visually stunning, “edutainment” games on a swanky new Apple device.

While I struggled to rote-learn big chunks of boring information at the time of my geography test, my child has access to concise information about a country’s heritage, food habits, wildlife, geography and more, through augmented reality technology at the tap of a screen. (One of our best-selling products is an AR-powered globe Orboot.)

The benefits that come with technology are hard to miss and I wouldn’t want to deprive my child the opportunity to grow up to be a strapping, noble and smarter-than-thou gentleman like myself. (It wouldn’t be bragging if it is the truth, right?)

And if the technological boom will help me fulfill my desire, then who am I to deprive my son of the sweet fruits of the era we live in?

But one argument that holds substance is the loss of emotional touch that comes with technology.

As storytelling to sleep gets replaced by staring long into our screens, it pains me to see that the deep bond we had before is slowly evaporating from our lives as technology touches every aspect of our life.

However, don’t be quick to blame technology for that, I ask.

“Why?”

Because technology is here to augment our daily living and its correct usage can never rob the soul from our human existence.

As a parent, it’s up to you to help your child learn about the delicate balance that separates the pros and cons of technology. It isn’t the fault of our children’s stars that they were born in an era when technology is booming and how!

But what is under our control is how we, as adults, adopt and not let our intimate bond wither away in the face of modern developments taking place.

“Easier said than done,” debaters might contend and disapprove my contentions in haste.

To which I say, the efforts and time taken are much…but I have set an example in my life, proving it is possible to embrace technology wholeheartedly without letting it become controlling. 

For instance, while my boy loves to play games on his tablet screen, I monitor the time he spends and never let him use his gadgets at the time of sleep.

Many times, I let him play me too (if the need arises) and delicately moderate every part of his existence alongside my lovely wife who (thankfully) agrees with my belief.

The struggle is real, the examples are few, and the effort taken to realize them is double.

But nothing, not even you, dear tech hater, can stop me from acquainting my boy with all forms of technology, albeit under strict monitoring with a dash of moderation.

But that’s not all…

The key is to find the optimum balance between technology and the soul, the latter majorly conspicuous of its absence in today’s time, as the other team (tech haters, to put it right) so vehemently argue about.

As someone who is part of the industry, my team is working tirelessly to create toys and games that help children learn and play simultaneously, without losing out on the values that make us human.

“Pish-posh”, the other team may exclaim,

But hear me out before you start protesting again.

In the league of children games, I can proudly claim that our toys are built to construct a wholesome, immersive environment for the child while he/she plays.

PlayShifu (the name of my company) boasts of educational games and toys that are conceptualized to create an interactive environment created to help children become better from the heart and the brain.

Our toys not just helps kids to learn while playing, but help them bond in intricate, subtle ways that never let the human touch fade away.

Every tech-product out there is built on the pillars of UI and UX designs that appeal to the body actions and senses of the consumer. (In our case, children).

Sadly, several such products forget that other than the mind and the senses, the heart and mind are present too, which is largely forgotten, leaving the consumer disconnected and distant.

“And how are we trying and bridging this gap?”

The core of all products we have made so far attempts to narrow the gulf between the child and his heart by creating a holistic environment that brings the family together instead of keeping them apart.

“Oh really? How’s that?”

Through subtle, intricate steps embedded in our games, we have tried to bring back the tradition of playing games which brought family members together instead of keeping them away.

For instance, all our toys cannot commence or continue without adult guidance or help.

Another artful tactic is the usage of characters and aspects that a child would foremost connect to. Our story-telling, brand voice, product design et al utilizes elements that a child would instantly be drawn to. Like our latest endeavor, Plugo consists of stories that have long been part of bedroom stories and tales that children can instantly connect with.

I could go on and on about how we have worked day in and out to establish the intimate bond between families and our games, but the word count has increased exponentially and I believe that real-time testing would be a better option to put my claims to test.

For that, why don’t you check out our website and see for yourself?

P.S: We are coming out with a new product that unites learning and gaming unlike anything ever seen.

“Cheggit”— //kck.st/2NFErWB