Dora, was mid-adventure in the woods with friends. We tuned in right before they got lost. What happened next, was shocking.
Once Dora and friends realized they were lost in the woods, she whips out a phone and says,
"It's Ok, I'll use my handy Map App to find our way."
A Map App?
WTH?
How old is Dora? Why does she have a phone? With a Map App? None of this made sense to me.
What happened to teaching life skills?
What kind of learning lesson is that to teach kids to whip out a phone and use the map app to find their way? What happened to bread crumb trails and a compass. What a great opportunity to teach toddlers about the compass and N,S,E,W!
FACT: The magnetic compass was first invented as a device for divination as early as the Chinese Han Dynasty (since about 206 BC), and later adopted for navigation by the Song Dynasty Chinese during the 11th century.The use of a compass is recorded in Western Europe and in Persia around the early 13th century.
But, no. The map app saved the day, and Dora and friends were led safely out of the woods.
It's been two days since seeing the episode, and I'm still annoyed. Sure, technology can be a great supplement to learning for children, but, in my opinion, NOTHING is a substitute for learning life skills. I want my son to learn how to use a compass before a Map App.
Most of all, I want my son to learn how to live without technology, before learning to depend on it.
Sorry, Dora, but until you learn to save the day without your trusty phone, my son will have to live without you.
