4 ms·

Bigger problem is the parents who let their children watch youtube or whatever way too much.

axaxs 6y ago
I'm curious of the long term effects. Like you, I also think it's a disgrace. I had a friend who to me basically seemed like they didn't like dealing with kids, so just gave her daughter a tablet she was glued to at all times. I mean, young, I don't remember the age now but less than 2? She never made eye contact or any noise, just messing with the tablet. I can't help but think there's going to be a whole generation of socially broken kids. But, here's hoping I'm wrong.
- Ekaros 6y ago
  I think we might already be at a few... Though in vastly different ways. I don't think social media has been healthy, but just pure consumers that might be coming up could be worse...
- emodendroket 6y ago
  I can't be the only person here who spent their youth glued to a computer, can I?
  - julianlam 6y ago
    There are arguments made for and against that as well, but having a toddler glued to a tablet definitely doesn't seem right. Also (assuming you were born in the 80s/early 90s), the internet of our childhood is VASTLY different from what it is today... Both in good ways and bad, but mostly bad ways.
    - emodendroket 6y ago
      I suppose, but I'm not sure it was that much more salutary obsessively reading GameFAQs or Something Awful forums.
- pfranz 6y ago
  So I think there are two aspects about this. They said the same about previous generations with music and TV. I really do think they are shared experiences of a specific generation. Referencing the Simpsons is a quick way to bond with new peers. On the other side, it's an opportunity cost to doing something else. When you start learning anything about child development it gets a bit horrifying. For example, for young kids there are a bunch of stages to learning to talk. Watching video recordings doesn't fulfill much of the development. A lot relies on trial and error of interacting with someone speaking instead of passively watching something flat (or animated) that was prerecorded. For older ages, sitting in front of an iPad means foregoing motor development or peer engagement...or just building bad habits about fitness.
wffurr 6y ago
Sure, blame the parents, and not the society that leaves us all exhausted from working too much and the dopamine-optimized algorithmic engagement furnace that is YouTube. Yeah just keep blaming parents. That'll make everything better.
- HideousKojima 6y ago
  Being a parent is about sacrifice, lots and lots of it. That includes working yourself beyond exhaustion to provide for, feed, play with, give attention to, and talk with your kids. It isn't easy, but it's the moral responsibility of everyone who becomes a parent. I realize a huge percentage of parents fail at this (some more than others), and the amount of work that must be done to make a living and the ease with which things like Youtube make handing off parenting to them doesn't help matters. But the moral responsibility still ultimately resides with the parents themselves.
  - wffurr 6y ago
    Yeah and the issue here is the marketing claims behind YouTube Kids are straight up false. It's setting up parents for failure by piling onto the already-exhausting burden. It's just plain wrong.
  - gman83 6y ago
    Sure, being a parent is a massive moral responsibility. But the facts are that many kids have shitty parents through no fault of their own. I see kids who's parents let them go on Youtube/Tiktok for hours with no supervision. The fact is that if we don't do something as a society for these kids now, we'll be paying their therapy bills through our insurance in a couple of decades. So probably more efficient to do something now.
- gambiting 6y ago
  The problem with society is that we've gotten to a point where everything is always somebody else's fault. No one is ever responsible for anything, it must be the fault of social conditioning, corporations, religions, upbringing, or literally anything else you want to blame. Sure those things play a part, but ultimately people are responsible for what they do. If someone is letting their 3 year old spend hours in front of YouTube every day then that's really their fault, not Google's
brighton36 6y ago
This is a perfectly well-reasoned and responsible comment. I have no doubt that's what will make it unsuitable for upvoting.

I'm curious of the long term effects. Like you, I also think it's a disgrace. I had a friend who to me basically seemed like they didn't like dealing with kids, so just gave her daughter a tablet she was glued to at all times. I mean, young, I don't remember the age now but less than 2? She never made eye contact or any noise, just messing with the tablet. I can't help but think there's going to be a whole generation of socially broken kids. But, here's hoping I'm wrong.

Ekaros 6y ago
I think we might already be at a few... Though in vastly different ways. I don't think social media has been healthy, but just pure consumers that might be coming up could be worse...
emodendroket 6y ago
I can't be the only person here who spent their youth glued to a computer, can I?
- julianlam 6y ago
  There are arguments made for and against that as well, but having a toddler glued to a tablet definitely doesn't seem right. Also (assuming you were born in the 80s/early 90s), the internet of our childhood is VASTLY different from what it is today... Both in good ways and bad, but mostly bad ways.
  - emodendroket 6y ago
    I suppose, but I'm not sure it was that much more salutary obsessively reading GameFAQs or Something Awful forums.
pfranz 6y ago
So I think there are two aspects about this. They said the same about previous generations with music and TV. I really do think they are shared experiences of a specific generation. Referencing the Simpsons is a quick way to bond with new peers. On the other side, it's an opportunity cost to doing something else. When you start learning anything about child development it gets a bit horrifying. For example, for young kids there are a bunch of stages to learning to talk. Watching video recordings doesn't fulfill much of the development. A lot relies on trial and error of interacting with someone speaking instead of passively watching something flat (or animated) that was prerecorded. For older ages, sitting in front of an iPad means foregoing motor development or peer engagement...or just building bad habits about fitness.

wffurr 6y ago

Sure, blame the parents, and not the society that leaves us all exhausted from working too much and the dopamine-optimized algorithmic engagement furnace that is YouTube. Yeah just keep blaming parents. That'll make everything better.

HideousKojima 6y ago
Being a parent is about sacrifice, lots and lots of it. That includes working yourself beyond exhaustion to provide for, feed, play with, give attention to, and talk with your kids. It isn't easy, but it's the moral responsibility of everyone who becomes a parent. I realize a huge percentage of parents fail at this (some more than others), and the amount of work that must be done to make a living and the ease with which things like Youtube make handing off parenting to them doesn't help matters. But the moral responsibility still ultimately resides with the parents themselves.
- wffurr 6y ago
  Yeah and the issue here is the marketing claims behind YouTube Kids are straight up false. It's setting up parents for failure by piling onto the already-exhausting burden. It's just plain wrong.
- gman83 6y ago
  Sure, being a parent is a massive moral responsibility. But the facts are that many kids have shitty parents through no fault of their own. I see kids who's parents let them go on Youtube/Tiktok for hours with no supervision. The fact is that if we don't do something as a society for these kids now, we'll be paying their therapy bills through our insurance in a couple of decades. So probably more efficient to do something now.
gambiting 6y ago
The problem with society is that we've gotten to a point where everything is always somebody else's fault. No one is ever responsible for anything, it must be the fault of social conditioning, corporations, religions, upbringing, or literally anything else you want to blame. Sure those things play a part, but ultimately people are responsible for what they do. If someone is letting their 3 year old spend hours in front of YouTube every day then that's really their fault, not Google's

brighton36 6y ago

This is a perfectly well-reasoned and responsible comment. I have no doubt that's what will make it unsuitable for upvoting.