The Web

[SimpleCaveman]

Hi Belacqua,

Thanks again for the post.

I think the whole interview is worth reading:

I actually haven’t read the interview, which was another reason I wasn’t interested in discussing it. The quote was referenced in a podcast about writing. Mark Bauerlein interviewed Andrew Pudewa about his organization Institute for Excellence in Writing. It was a fascinating discussion about the writing levels and skills of people today, the reasons we are so bad at it and what the Institute does to overcome it. I realize that’s a third topic but one that I’d be interested in discussing if someone wants to start a new thread (or I’ll start if someone wants).

My niece has degrees in early childhood development, and she is extremely strict about her twins' computer use. She has been horrified at all the times she has seen little kids get handed a tablet just as a way to keep them quiet.

My understanding is that at least some of the tech leaders who put this stuff out are very strict about their own kids getting screen time. The podcast also stated, from the article it seems, that "if you’re wondering why you struggle with addiction to your smartphone or the internet, it’s because you’re using the tool the way it was designed to be used."

Being a statistician, I see articles, case studies, etc, about how this is done. It’s all based on science, another tool that is used for nefarious purposes and we don’t even realize it.

I am extremely grateful for some things the Internet has given us. When I moved to Japan it cost a fortune to telephone my family in America, but now we can do hours-long Skype calls for free. And I'm sure that my academic research would have taken YEARS longer without Google. But I am very glad that my mind was mostly formed before the Internet took over.

I agree wholeheartedly!