This look at the “kids” entertainment consumption, or lack of it, frightens the hell out of me. I’ve definitely noticed it in my own 20 and 17 year old’s but hadn’t really thought through or recognized the complete mindless and numbness of it. I’m guilty of way too much much screen time, as well, but I love long-form articles and deep-dives. (As well as substack type bite-sized pieces.)
I read books to the kids nightly when they were younger and consciously tried to model silently reading books to myself in front of them. We don’t have a tv in the main living space and when someone does use it, its for an intentional show and isn’t left on. Of course, now, they have their own laptops and can stream the world. They have seemingly, absorbed the current zeitgeist and addictive qualities from tech. The missed school from the covid shutdowns certainly exacerbated this trend but there is something else going on.
Combining this lack of attention span and the immediate gratification and dopamine seeking from tech with the society wide reevaluating of higher education (which I’m not necessarily against) seems like it will lead to a major intellectual drop-off. Cue the Idiocracy comparisons.
Tldr, i am guilty, 63 and i didn't finish your post. After 30-45% I (believe I) knew what your content was and i agree. One question: where were their parents and how are dealing with this, if at all. I am happy my children are too old and my grand children too young, but I will help my daughtera to avoid this. Although, when taking my grandchildren to the swings and such, i see most of the other parents glued to their phone. So, no surprise, where did the teens learns this behaviour from.
why would they want to be in this world?... they have told the adults what they think... 6s and 7s... they think we are at 6s and 7s... that is we do not know what we are doing and are hell bent on destroying the joint. They know more than we do.
This look at the “kids” entertainment consumption, or lack of it, frightens the hell out of me. I’ve definitely noticed it in my own 20 and 17 year old’s but hadn’t really thought through or recognized the complete mindless and numbness of it. I’m guilty of way too much much screen time, as well, but I love long-form articles and deep-dives. (As well as substack type bite-sized pieces.)
I read books to the kids nightly when they were younger and consciously tried to model silently reading books to myself in front of them. We don’t have a tv in the main living space and when someone does use it, its for an intentional show and isn’t left on. Of course, now, they have their own laptops and can stream the world. They have seemingly, absorbed the current zeitgeist and addictive qualities from tech. The missed school from the covid shutdowns certainly exacerbated this trend but there is something else going on.
Combining this lack of attention span and the immediate gratification and dopamine seeking from tech with the society wide reevaluating of higher education (which I’m not necessarily against) seems like it will lead to a major intellectual drop-off. Cue the Idiocracy comparisons.
Tldr, i am guilty, 63 and i didn't finish your post. After 30-45% I (believe I) knew what your content was and i agree. One question: where were their parents and how are dealing with this, if at all. I am happy my children are too old and my grand children too young, but I will help my daughtera to avoid this. Although, when taking my grandchildren to the swings and such, i see most of the other parents glued to their phone. So, no surprise, where did the teens learns this behaviour from.
why would they want to be in this world?... they have told the adults what they think... 6s and 7s... they think we are at 6s and 7s... that is we do not know what we are doing and are hell bent on destroying the joint. They know more than we do.