| I recently read and enjoyed Cal Newport’s “Digital Minimalism.” After reading it I locked Safari and Mail off my phone — those are the two that distract me constantly. I also deleted my Facebook account and removed the Twitter app from my phone. I haven’t missed any of that, it’s been really liberating actually. The next step, which was a bit harder, is I starter politely asking the people around me to put their phones away when we’re together. At work I ask my coworkers to close their laptops in meetings. It’s kind of weird. Nobody has ever said no, and while one or two have found it a funny request, it has consistently led to much nicer meetings and social time. Some people have even thanked me for this. Honestly I think it’s that simple. As for the kid in your story, I don’t know. I have young kids and I don’t plan to let them have phones, and I don’t really let them have a lot of screen time. It’s a bit hard for me as I was that kid glued to the green and black computer screen learning by hacking... so instinctively I want them to have that same experience, but I’ve come to realize it just isn’t the same at all. One day, when they’re a little bigger, I’m hoping I can interest them in building an 8 bit computer together, programming Pong on it, things like that. I don’t know if that’ll work, but I hope so. I’ve kind of resigned myself that if I can’t get them interested in simpler / retro / hacker tech, that I’d rather they not use tech much at all than be digital zombies. :/ |
At one of my kids schools, tablets were mandatory so that the kids could develop "technology skills". ipads no less.
Give me a break. Tablets and so on took off because they are so frigging easy to use. Being able to use a tablet says exactly zero about your tech skills.
If you want kids to learn tech skills, then make them use a Raspberry Pi, or an 8 bit computer etc., and do some programming.
Otherwise, they should spend their youth running around outside, learning IRL social skills, and then come back at age 14 or 15 and spend a couple of hours getting their tech skills up to their peers level.