A very interesting and informative essay, Collette, and thanks very much for discussing my publication in here.
There's something that today's online generation lacks: they don't know what to compare life to. I suppose this is much worse in developed nations than developing ones.
I grew up in rural Kenya. There was no such thing as boredom. I would spend after-schools herding, collecting firewood, cultivating, cycling to the local market, etc. Life involved living, not looking at images and videos of living. There were no gyms, they weren't needed. A day of plowing could see you walk an equivalence of 10 kilometers.
I don't struggle with technology; I don't use it for more than is necessary. But, at 34, I feel old as I look at young people and see them genuinely struggle. They think they can die if they weren't online for a day. They think you can only meet dates on Tinder. You are right to talk about confidence, because many of their problems stem from lack of it. But how can one be confident if social media is all the reality they've ever known?
I think the best thing that happened to me was knowing life before technology, how natural things were. People should learn to handle the challenges of their time; it's what life is and will always be. The young must just try and get better at this.
Thank you for this essay. Whoever cannot live many lives will quickly become bored with the one they only know - assuming they know any, because nowadays it's more of simulation, not living.
Thank you for this insight into life in another world! Life got much simpler for me when we bought a farm and moved to the country.
I agree with what you’ve written here. I worry for future generations. You’ve got a very positive outlook, I hope you reach many people with your ideas! Thank you for your comment, I appreciate your time.
Really fantastic essay! When my kids come to me complaining about being bored my response is always "Good." If they ask what they can do the answer is typically "Go outside." When I hear that statement, screen time is certainly a no-go. Boredom is too vital a learning and development aid to waste.
I was so proud of my 30-year-old daughter when she told me the other day that she deleted her Instagram and Facebook accounts. They just weren’t making her life better, she concluded. Amen to that! This was really interesting, I’ll be chasing down some of your links.
A very interesting and informative essay, Collette, and thanks very much for discussing my publication in here.
There's something that today's online generation lacks: they don't know what to compare life to. I suppose this is much worse in developed nations than developing ones.
I grew up in rural Kenya. There was no such thing as boredom. I would spend after-schools herding, collecting firewood, cultivating, cycling to the local market, etc. Life involved living, not looking at images and videos of living. There were no gyms, they weren't needed. A day of plowing could see you walk an equivalence of 10 kilometers.
I don't struggle with technology; I don't use it for more than is necessary. But, at 34, I feel old as I look at young people and see them genuinely struggle. They think they can die if they weren't online for a day. They think you can only meet dates on Tinder. You are right to talk about confidence, because many of their problems stem from lack of it. But how can one be confident if social media is all the reality they've ever known?
I think the best thing that happened to me was knowing life before technology, how natural things were. People should learn to handle the challenges of their time; it's what life is and will always be. The young must just try and get better at this.
Thank you for this essay. Whoever cannot live many lives will quickly become bored with the one they only know - assuming they know any, because nowadays it's more of simulation, not living.
Thank you for this insight into life in another world! Life got much simpler for me when we bought a farm and moved to the country.
I agree with what you’ve written here. I worry for future generations. You’ve got a very positive outlook, I hope you reach many people with your ideas! Thank you for your comment, I appreciate your time.
Really fantastic essay! When my kids come to me complaining about being bored my response is always "Good." If they ask what they can do the answer is typically "Go outside." When I hear that statement, screen time is certainly a no-go. Boredom is too vital a learning and development aid to waste.
I was so proud of my 30-year-old daughter when she told me the other day that she deleted her Instagram and Facebook accounts. They just weren’t making her life better, she concluded. Amen to that! This was really interesting, I’ll be chasing down some of your links.