[FrankyHollywood]

Don't know if TikTok is the problem, a generation ago (some) kids mindlessly watched cartoons for hours a day.

I think this is mostly about learning to think and develop grit.

As a kid when I wanted to play a game I had to learn dos commands, know how to troubleshoot a non functioning sounds blaster etc. Sometimes took me days to fix.

Doing this develops understanding of a domain, problem-solving skills and grit.

My kid just opens steam and everything works. Any question he has he asks AI. I am really curious what effect this will have on this generation. It is tempting to quickly say "they will be brain dead zombies" but that seems too simplistic.

In 20yrs we'll know!

[Fire-Dragon-DoL]

I keep seeing that people ask question to AI.

That sounds like a dedicated teacher though, not that bad?

Like asking questions and learning how and what questions to ask is an amazing skill

[kcplate]

> That sounds like a dedicated teacher though, not that bad?

Assuming the teacher provides the right answers…or at least when it doesn’t know the answer it doesn’t make up bullshit just to give an answer.

[Fire-Dragon-DoL]

That's one which is likely to get better, given that the money is behind the AI that spits out the right answers

[kcplate]

AI will improve to a point but in my opinion will eventually start to enshittify as its improvements eliminates the people out of its system.

[FrankyHollywood]

Sometimes a good teacher doesn't give the answer straight away, but just enough to let you discover yourself. That's a huge difference.

[Fire-Dragon-DoL]

I had a horrible life experience with this, so I'm not sure I agree, but I'm open to change my mind on it.

[FrankyHollywood]

Interesting how experience can differ. A trauma for you was my most important lesson learned during high school years.

[GeoAtreides]

>Don't know if TikTok is the problem, a generation ago (some) kids mindlessly watched cartoons for hours a day.

Editorialized(curated) long-form content versus firehose algorithmic short-form slop

One would say these are two very different things

[spwa4]

> My kid just opens steam and everything works. Any question he has he asks AI

(... and then presumably he applies what the AI tells him, occasionally asking why)

Frankly, this is a much better and targeted way to learn. If this is what happens, great!

I mean, I'd give him an intro how to pirate games, because

1) it's a technical challenge with a built-in reward

2) AIs (especially Gemini, but more and more ChatGPT too) refuse to help doing it

So a truly excellent pursuit for learning!

But I do feel it's very different from what happens with smartphones and that is desperately bad.