7 ms·

I don't know if people or specifically children were happier in the 80s/90s, but after spending a couple of weeks with my 10-year-old niece, I'm completely floo

I don't know if people or specifically children were happier in the 80s/90s, but after spending a couple of weeks with my 10-year-old niece, I'm completely floored at how she tries to fill every waking minute passively consuming content such as YouTube. It wouldn't be so bad if children were using the Internet to do something constructive or educational. Of course, plenty of people from my generation spent their childhoods in front of the TV, but perhaps that was more easily regulated. (My parents, at least, wouldn't let me watch TV endlessly.)

superbaconman 8y ago
I just realized that growing up computers were basically only for research and creating content. Now that bandwidth is so cheap computers are only for consumption.
- majewsky 8y ago
  Don't know when you grew up, but computer games were already a thing before the internet became widely available. (Of course, a video game is vastly more engaging and interactive than a random YouTube video.)
- readhn 8y ago
  They dont call us "consumers" for nothing.... soon they'll take away the keyboards and other ways/inputs to mess with the "insides" of a computer ... and all you'll have is a touch screen to choose this or that.. while consuming...actually thats happening already with iPad etc..
  - readhn 8y ago
    http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201803290068.html http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201803290068.html
- slededit 8y ago
  "computers" as in traditional PCs are regaining their creator role. Microsoft even calls their windows update "Creator Edition". Phones and tablets are almost pure consumption devices with a few exceptions.
- gurkendoktor 8y ago
  There's nothing inherently wrong with consumption, and it overlaps with doing research. You could be watching educational videos or deeply philosophical discussions on YouTube all day. I don't even mind pure consumption devices like my Kindle or my iPad because there's so much great content around.
jMyles 8y ago
> I'm completely floored at how she tries to fill every waking minute passively consuming content such as YouTube. ...is that so bad? She has an incredible world of content at her fingertips; what's the virtue in refraining from involving herself in it?
- gurkendoktor 8y ago
  There are studies about the benefits of boredom: https://www.melbournechildpsychology.com.au/blog/the-benefits-of-boredom/ https://www.melbournechildpsychology.com.au/blog/the-benefit... I think there's plenty of "cultural evidence" for this too: the subreddit for wacky revelations is called /r/showerthoughts, and the shower is the last place where we have no screens or books around us.
  - magic_beans 8y ago
    But you’re not bored in the shower. You are doing a task. The most creative thoughts don’t come when you are bored, but when you are doing something routine or low effort. Sitting on the couch staring at a wall won’t have the same effect, but doing housework will.
- novia 8y ago
  I'm not the OP, but having also watched a ten year old consume YouTube videos... they tend to stay far far away from anything remotely educational. For example, this is the kind of thing that the particular kid I know watches: https://youtu.be/5O66ssNpg_A https://youtu.be/5O66ssNpg_A 22 million views. So basically nothing is gained from watching these sorts of videos. But what's lost? Maybe the opportunity to connect with family members?
  - Rjevski 8y ago
    Define educational. Watching stupid Call of Duty videos as a teenager is what allowed me to learn English (I am not a native English speaker) and I now owe my entire career to that. On the other hand, proper “educational” stuff has yet to make me a penny. Just because it doesn’t look “educational” (or should I say boring) to you doesn’t mean the kid isn’t learning stuff by watching (or listening to) the video. Chances are, those people are doing real-life stuff that is never taught in school and they would otherwise try to figure it out by themselves via trial and error.

superbaconman 8y ago

I just realized that growing up computers were basically only for research and creating content. Now that bandwidth is so cheap computers are only for consumption.

majewsky 8y ago
Don't know when you grew up, but computer games were already a thing before the internet became widely available. (Of course, a video game is vastly more engaging and interactive than a random YouTube video.)
readhn 8y ago
They dont call us "consumers" for nothing.... soon they'll take away the keyboards and other ways/inputs to mess with the "insides" of a computer ... and all you'll have is a touch screen to choose this or that.. while consuming...actually thats happening already with iPad etc..
- readhn 8y ago
  http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201803290068.html http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201803290068.html
slededit 8y ago
"computers" as in traditional PCs are regaining their creator role. Microsoft even calls their windows update "Creator Edition". Phones and tablets are almost pure consumption devices with a few exceptions.
gurkendoktor 8y ago
There's nothing inherently wrong with consumption, and it overlaps with doing research. You could be watching educational videos or deeply philosophical discussions on YouTube all day. I don't even mind pure consumption devices like my Kindle or my iPad because there's so much great content around.

jMyles 8y ago

> I'm completely floored at how she tries to fill every waking minute passively consuming content such as YouTube. ...is that so bad? She has an incredible world of content at her fingertips; what's the virtue in refraining from involving herself in it?

gurkendoktor 8y ago
There are studies about the benefits of boredom: https://www.melbournechildpsychology.com.au/blog/the-benefits-of-boredom/ https://www.melbournechildpsychology.com.au/blog/the-benefit... I think there's plenty of "cultural evidence" for this too: the subreddit for wacky revelations is called /r/showerthoughts, and the shower is the last place where we have no screens or books around us.
- magic_beans 8y ago
  But you’re not bored in the shower. You are doing a task. The most creative thoughts don’t come when you are bored, but when you are doing something routine or low effort. Sitting on the couch staring at a wall won’t have the same effect, but doing housework will.
novia 8y ago
I'm not the OP, but having also watched a ten year old consume YouTube videos... they tend to stay far far away from anything remotely educational. For example, this is the kind of thing that the particular kid I know watches: https://youtu.be/5O66ssNpg_A https://youtu.be/5O66ssNpg_A 22 million views. So basically nothing is gained from watching these sorts of videos. But what's lost? Maybe the opportunity to connect with family members?
- Rjevski 8y ago
  Define educational. Watching stupid Call of Duty videos as a teenager is what allowed me to learn English (I am not a native English speaker) and I now owe my entire career to that. On the other hand, proper “educational” stuff has yet to make me a penny. Just because it doesn’t look “educational” (or should I say boring) to you doesn’t mean the kid isn’t learning stuff by watching (or listening to) the video. Chances are, those people are doing real-life stuff that is never taught in school and they would otherwise try to figure it out by themselves via trial and error.