iPad kids, Ai and is reading overhyped?

[Pigeotto]

Not sure how to articulate my thoughts but interested to see what others opinion’s may be.
Have been watching (ironically) a lot of content recently that keeps talking about how the younger generations are always on iPads, have no imagination, can’t read etc.
My current train of thought that I can’t shake is that isn’t reading escapism too? Like what healthy function could escaping into a fantasy world possibly do?
I’m sure there must be studies and stuff but I feel like children “being” children is only quite a recent thing. Didn’t they work in factories not too long ago?

Good quality reading exposes children to ideas (and vocabulary) that they wouldn't otherwise come across. Good quality TV can do the same. 15-30 second tik toks can't replicate this. And then there's the addictive, doom scrolling aspect as well.

But it's probably not as harmful as working 15 hour days, 6 days a week, down the mine.

Your points seem muddled to me. Do you think excessive screen time is OK? Do you think child labour laws are not OK? Do you think AI will take over the world and humans won't have the need to work?

The ability to read unlocks all other education for a child, so it's extremely important.

We are evolved apes, we need to move, interact, and be outside. We haven't evolved to cope with the highly technical-ised environment we live in, and I personally don't think this fast pace has been very good for us on the whole.

@TheQueenMakersDaughter it is 😂 I haven’t developed my thoughts at all yet and wanted to see what others thoughts were

iPads don't develop imagination in the same way books do though - screens show you what the characters look like, what their environment looks like, what they're feeling. With books, even illustrated ones, you have to imagine those things. Screens don't develop vocab like books, even non-fiction, do.

When you read you have to conjure scenes in your head, and you are presented with things you might have to work out a little - words you don't know and have to infer from context. Things that arouse the curiosity. But when you are presented with films or facts, the brain doesn't have to do any work. It just sucks it all in - and often without any critical thought, these facts are accepted as truth.

Reading very much was once considered an inappropriate waste of time for children. And then watching TV especially commercial TV. Many of my school friends weren't allowed to watch ITV. I suspect over time societies views on short videos, YouTube etc will change and we will disapprove of the next thing.