The Kids are Alright (but you are obsolete)
UK parents received a “chilling warning” this week from a British neuroscientist who said social networking, video games, instant messaging, and micro-blogging will permanently “rewire” the brains of young people and turn them into socially inept piles of mush with baby-like brains. She even went so far as to suggest, obliquely anyway, that extended computer use could be responsible for increasing rates of autism seen in children in the past decade or so. I’m not sure whether she means children may develop autism as a result of technology exposure as infants (unlikely), or be born with autism as a result of over-exposed parents (eh?), but nevertheless, she’s cranked up the anti-technology fear machine to 11.
The tech community immediately moved to defend: social networks are by definition social, the constant peer review of Internet interaction actually forces you to be more intellectually rigorous, moderation is key, and so on. That’s all probably true, as well. But here’s the thing: for all her fear-mongering, there’s one thing the Lady Susan Greenfield probably has right. She argues that the minds of the next generation will be fundamentally changed by their exposure to technology and computer interaction. And they will be. And we’re going to have to let it happen, because that’s the only way for this technology tug-of-war to work itself out.
I’m 33 years old, and since I was a child, the role of technology in my life has increased exponentially. And if you buy the concept of accelerating change–that is, the idea that the rate of change itself is increasing, it’s clear that the technological impact on our children will be just as phenomenal (assuming they or we don’t run right into the singularity in the next couple of decades). So, I would actually go a step beyond what Lady Greenfield is arguing (but, hopefully, with a lot more optimism attached). Assuming that the Web, social networks, video games and instant messaging aren’t going anywhere, imagine what will happen to their cognitive selves when they start interacting on multiple levels of virtual reality. Will the minds of the mid-21st century human be different, as Lady Greenfield posits? To bring the level of discussion down a little bit, the obvious answer is, “um, duh, lady.”
Our minds aren’t the same as caveman minds. They’re probably not even the same as the minds of our grandparents. They’re evolving along with the constantly evolving circumstances of our lives. And the only reason to be so afraid of the increasing impact of technology on the minds of our children is because we’re afraid we won’t be able to keep up–and hasn’t that been every parent’s lament? But we won’t keep up. That’s the nature of generations.
No, we shouldn’t ignore the importance of balance, emotional intelligence, social interaction, and fresh air in the lives of our children. But unless we’re prepared to move into tech-free bubbles protected by frequent bursts of EMPs (don’t steal that idea, I’m using it in a future sci-fi novel), the technology isn’t going anywhere, and we need for our kids to have the social and mental skills to navigate that world as well. And that might just mean easing up on the freakouts about the baby BlackBerry and letting boys release their aggression and learn about teamwork with video games. And even embracing the unadulterated evil that is The Facebook. Come on, people. Don’t cripple them while you’re trying to protect them. They’re the ones who have to live their futures. They need all the tools they can get.
I couldn’t agree with you more Molly. I’m a 42 year old widowed dad of three small kids, and the differences between when I grew up and my kids world is amazing.
My 8 year old son knows how to go to his favourite sites, as I’ve created shortcuts for them on my desktop. He plays Toontown, a Disney MMORG, which I admit I have a lot of fun playing myself. I asked him why he likes Toontown, and he said it was because I can play with my Toontown friends and just have fun. People in the game don’t tease him about his looks or his age (or whatever else kids can tease about), they just have fun together.
The more computer savvy kids are, the more they are developing vital skills for the world of tomorrow. Who could of imagined the virtual worlds of today when we were kids. Heck, my computer class in high school was on punch cards. The social web sites and MMORGS of today will turn into God knows what of tomorrow, but one thing is for sure, we will all be spending more time online, not less, and having more social life online as well.
Sometimes I think people put out alarmist studies for their own neferious reasons that generally harm/reward the subject being alarmed study.
This whole kiddies and internet baddies thing is a classic example. Most child sex crimes are perpitrated by family members, friends or people in authority that the children are exposed to
There is a market of child images and videos on the web. The damage is created by the act of obtaining the “goods”. The laws should be aimed at the supply and not at the demand side of the internet.
Even then it creates its own problems. My father is the president of out local playing field commitee (a cricket pitch, Football Field and toilet and tuck shop facilities), and is prevented from taking pictures of children playing on these fields to promote the park with the local council.
The problem here, it is easy to go over the top when it is for “the kiddies”. There needs to be sensible rules and laws that protech the children from being explited sexually, while providing the comunity rights that where enjoyed for centuries and now being rapidly ripped away “for the kiddies protection”
Keep up the rants Molly!
I am constantly stunned how few people in the gaming industry in particular and in tech in general have not read “Everything Bad is Good for You” by Steven Johnson. Basic premise: our mass media is making us smarter in a way that is going to be extraordinarily valuable in the near future but which is largely mis and unmeasured by dominant (and increasingly obsolete) standards.
Did everyone read this like 10 years ago and I’m just catching up or is it a hidden gem? http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1594481946
Couldn’t have said it better. I actually started the whole social networking thing because I wanted to understand what it was all about before my kids enter the arena (which I figure is inevitable). First, Club Penguin, then Facebook, right? Fortunately, my experience has been great and I can only hope that my boys (who love playing Star Wars, btw) will be as lucky with their “friends” as I have been with mine.
PS: Did you know that Coach (yeah, the handbag place) actually picked Facebook over LinkedIn? What does that say?
I was about to click through to the article and then looked in the status bar and saw the URL. C’mon it’s the Daily Mail! This is one step away from rebutting an article in The Onion.
Ah Molly. You have my vote for president of the world.
peter — I admit, the Daily Mail is a dubious source, but I really wanted to quote their “chilling warning” thing.
Here it is in the WSJ, though: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/02/25/oxford-scientist-facebook-might-ruin-minds/
Ultimately, it’s the Lady Greenfield who’s the source.
Bravo, Molly. I wish you would write more (or perhaps I don’t look hard enough for your stuff) like this. It’s that annoying kind of writing (much like Gruber) which articulates what I am thinking at just the moment I am thinking it, though it’s something I have felt for a long while.
My grandparents are always on at me for using technology to play music wirelessly from a box that fits in my pocket but A. they don’t moan when it benefits them
and B. Their parents probably moaned when they said they wanted a camera, or a car, or indoor plumbing. Never forget peeps, never forget.
Normally… I would agree with you. But on a minor point..
Our minds are like cavemen minds, they’re no more advanced than ancient Egyptians or Aztecs or Romans etc.
I certainly disagree with the Neuro Scientist. We are not rewiring our brains at all – we are adapting quickly. It’s what Homo Sapiens does, it’s what makes us so very special.
Firstly, I am very comfortable with your point of view. Because of advances and deviations in our culture (outside of technology), developing a reliable empirical methodology for assessing technologies impact on developing minds is a very tough challenge. That said… lemmings 3d has made me a douche bag.
oh, and I thought the title was ” The Kids are Alright (but you are obese) “. Maybe you could write that one tomorrow. An idea for you from me for free.
I can’t say I disagree with anything in this post.
Sure, the things we’re exposed to change us, but that’s the way we work. It’s called adaptability, and without it, there wouldn’t be any of us at all.
My son is about 3 months younger than JuMo Jr. and I can’t wait to see what he’ll be able to do with the technology that’s coming down the road, provided service providers don’t ruin things for us by crippling the capabilities for everything (I’m looking at you, Verizon!).