A friend dropped by on his way through on a work trip for a coffee and a chat, as well as exchange family gifts for Christmas, as is our custom over the last fifteen or twenty years.
He looked tired.
We all do I guess. The end of the year is pretty hectic and this is especially true for people in corporate finance departments like he is. However, he is done for the year now, so can take a break until 2024. I still have a couple days to go.
Our discussion shifted to our kids, education and health in general. He works for a global pharmaceutical company and has taken an interest in some of the products they sell and why, and this led into a discussion about eye problems in children from staring at screens. Which also tied into an article I was reading today about how Finland is slipping heavily in the PISA education rankings, with many citing smartphones as part of the problem.
But it is only a part.
My friends wife is a teacher and another part of the problem is that "special needs" children are mixed into her class, meaning that 80% of her time is spent with 20% of the children, who aren't even interested in learning. At least, not learning in that type of environment. This has been a big shift in the classrooms over the last few decades under the umbrella of "inclusion" without considering who gets excluded because of it.
For instance, my daughter came home the other day and said to my wife, how her music teacher says she is great and asked, "do you know why?". My wife said it was because she enjoys music, likes to sing, has rhythm... and my daughter said, "No. It is because I am the only one who listens and cares. Everyone else just runs around screaming."
A seven year old.
She is being excluded.
Obviously, this is the education system now and most people don't care that much, because it is inconvenient to care. Truly recognizing poor conditions means having to do something about them, and most people aren't actually willing. It is far easier to use a phone to keep kids entertained in a shopping trolley or in a restaurant, than actually include them into life, into conversation, into learning how to interact with others.
How can we think children should pay attention in a school, when the only thing they have been taught to pay attention to is a screen that they watch as it feeds them nothing of importance? That screen is consumed passively, and other than be quiet and not interrupt the parents, nothing is expected from the child at all.
"On the life of my children"
On the happiness of children.
That is what so many parents are gambling on, as they take a "do as you please" approach to raising their kids. Say what you want, do what you want, eat what you want, listen when you want.
Freedom.
Do you think those living in poverty feel free? How about the morbidly obese? What does freedom look like when since childhood, a person has been raised to abuse their mind, body and spirit? What does it feel like when all those promises of childhood are rapidly eaten up by the reality of the world? A reality they were never introduced to, and for which they were never prepared. Staring into the screens, getting all that positive feedback from illusory characters designed to keep them watching, to make them feel good, or bad as the case may be.
We don't know what the future holds. We don't know which technology or skills will be the most valuable in the future. But, we do have a pretty good idea of what a human needs to have a satisfactory life. Yet, we keep finding ways to avoid teaching it and insulating our children from being exposed to the conditions to learn it for themselves.
What are we willing to risk for our children?
Not our convenience.
At some point, "it'll be alright" is just not going to cut it.
Will you tell them, or should I?
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
