Technology: a useful source or a risk for art therapy?

Technology: a useful source or a risk for art therapy?

 

Wasting words of praise for the advantages that technology brought us is something obvious, especially in a post co-vid lockdown/new lockdown; we can clearly take the pros of technology for granted. Everyone is getting used to working remotely from home and almost everyone is used to being seen through the webcam.

A video call is something we make with more spontaneity than before the pandemic. We saw a quickly pop up of health apps, que-up app and whatnot. Online prescriptions start to become a reality. Generally, we can say that technology brought us tons of pros, making our lives easier also facilitating people to stay in touch. (Or connecting people)

Admittedly, apps and digitalisation of our life have helped us in particularly during the pandemic, and in a certain mode they make us save our time, nonetheless we should also take into account what we are losing without being aware of the risks and consequences.

 

Many children and students have learning disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, due to the high technological exposure since childhood.

A short attention span is a natural consequence of living immersed in a virtual world where others skills are required. The human being needs the entire childhood to become an adult and to develop the sensory system. If something like high technological exposure shapes growing up, some capacities never thrive. However it doesn’t make any sense to cry over split milk. Nonetheless the main question is if we can use technology to undo what has been done until now, perhaps introducing something more creative. Or, on the contrary, we might consider that technology has come a long way but has overflowed and it needs to step back.

 

Since the pandemic a lot of courses and activities like yoga, training class, cooking and art lessons have become accessible on line. I work remotely with child cancer patients for ceramic-therapy paths as well.

I believe that in times of crisis such as we are living through now we need to exploit the tools we have at disposal, the internet included, without forgetting to compensate for what is lacking. Art and art therapy could be done remotely thereby keeping themselves relevant? The materials I use are particularly noteworthy (clay, colours and so on) such as the how I use them. In presence something subtle passes through, but the same thing could pass working remotely?

 

I am still working on this issue; In the meanwhile, It is worth keeping on doing art therapy remotely being aware that we are breaking new ground, without demonising or idolising technology but making good use of it. We need to keep in mind that technology is the tool not the end.