“But, but, but!” I hear you saying, “The world is high-tech. If you don’t let your kids do any of the normal things, they will end up illiterate.” Well, it is good that you are concerned about your kids’ tech literacy, but don’t be confused. All that glitters is not gold. Most new technology is not beneficial. On the contrary, it is often predatory. The creators of the games, social platforms, or free services design their products like a dairy farm. Guess who the cows are? That’s right, your kids are the cows. Moo!
They want your kids hooked up and distracted by the bright colors, beeping and buzzing sounds, and artificial point systems, so they can steal their milk. They are in the data-mining business. They sell advertisements. They sell upgrades and entertainment. They want lifetime customers, addicted to dopamine hits every few seconds. They need addicts.
Your kids do not need to be immersed in this to operate in the world. There are other paths they can take. Fulfilling adventures. Interesting avenues. The cost of information is fast approaching zero! Are you taking advantage of educational tech? Are your kids? That’s why I emphasize tech that provides learning or allows kids to produce things. Design. Create. Express. Help others. Teach. Care. These are goals that technology serves as a force multiplier for. It’s amazing what can be done now with a little tech and practice. I am an advocate of these products. Let kids spend their free time building, inventing, producing things that bring value to the world.
Don’t worry that your kids won’t be fluent enough. You aren’t depriving them of anything, but an addiction. Let them be makers and doers in this high-tech world by protecting them from becoming one of its dairy cows.
