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I remember watching hours of TV as a child in the 80s. I remember my cousins, born in the 90s staring like zombies at Cartoon Network when they were toddlers. W

by ern 2y ago

I remember watching hours of TV as a child in the 80s. I remember my cousins, born in the 90s staring like zombies at Cartoon Network when they were toddlers. We're all reasonably functional adults (most high achievers academically, and holding down well-paid jobs, with families). We also had huge amounts of screen time playing games, mostly on PCs. If screens per-se are the problem, we'd have seen the same issues manifesting decades ago. I think phones are the issue, rather than screens, specifically social media and notifications in particular. Someone suggested turning notifications off for social media, and it was a big change in my life, and something I've urged my own children to do as well.

lapcat 2y ago
It's an interesting question. If I were to speculate, I think the difference is the sheer volume of choices available now. When I was a kid, the choices were very limited. There were only 3 TV networks, and TV shows were on a fixed schedule, so you couldn't watch whatever you liked whenever you liked. Often, there was absolutely nothing good on. Moreover, watching a TV show required at least some degree of attention span: 30 or 60 minutes on one TV show. You couldn't scroll through an endless stream of 30 or 60 second videos. As for video games, we couldn't download them from the internet. We had a very limited number of physical game cartridges. So yes, you could spend hours playing a video game, but that again required a level of focus and attention, and you were stuck with the few games you had at home. Given the limited number of choices available to kids at the time, it was much easier to get bored with those choices, as the article mentions: "the kids have no ability to be bored whatsoever".
- flakeoil 2y ago
  And add to that, the phone is with you all the time. A TV or video game was fixed to one place.
  - fransje26 2y ago
    And we did go out to play.
    - RGamma 2y ago
      After some repeated encouragement.
protocolture 2y ago
Yeah I saw a study that didnt find the link everyone suggests between screen time and childhood issues. The issue is what kind of screen time. Stuff that just constantly presses dopamine buttons is what needs to be avoided.
commandersaki 2y ago
Stupid OJ Simpson Trial interrupting valuable cartoon time.

by ern 2y ago

lapcat 2y ago

It's an interesting question. If I were to speculate, I think the difference is the sheer volume of choices available now. When I was a kid, the choices were very limited. There were only 3 TV networks, and TV shows were on a fixed schedule, so you couldn't watch whatever you liked whenever you liked. Often, there was absolutely nothing good on. Moreover, watching a TV show required at least some degree of attention span: 30 or 60 minutes on one TV show. You couldn't scroll through an endless stream of 30 or 60 second videos. As for video games, we couldn't download them from the internet. We had a very limited number of physical game cartridges. So yes, you could spend hours playing a video game, but that again required a level of focus and attention, and you were stuck with the few games you had at home. Given the limited number of choices available to kids at the time, it was much easier to get bored with those choices, as the article mentions: "the kids have no ability to be bored whatsoever".

flakeoil 2y ago
And add to that, the phone is with you all the time. A TV or video game was fixed to one place.
- fransje26 2y ago
  And we did go out to play.
  - RGamma 2y ago
    After some repeated encouragement.

protocolture 2y ago

Yeah I saw a study that didnt find the link everyone suggests between screen time and childhood issues. The issue is what kind of screen time. Stuff that just constantly presses dopamine buttons is what needs to be avoided.

commandersaki 2y ago

Stupid OJ Simpson Trial interrupting valuable cartoon time.