I'm a bit lost. You talk about man (Shaun) learning from his mistakes - and the mistakes that Shaun makes in some cases are made because Shaun doesn't look any further forward than the end of its collective nose. When I then say 'look to the future', you retort with 'the future is already here'. So how is Shaun supposed to learn if that is the approach? Acceptance by default? - 'it's happened/happening anyway'?
So I repeat the metaverse isn't here yet. Acceptance of tech will allow the market to dictate where we go as Shaun. We (Shaun) do not have to accept it - we may want to, but don't have to. We can teach our kids to question that acceptance NOW. The question isn't how do we keep our kids safe online - it's not the Green Cross Code..it's not don't give personal details online...etc. If you want Shaun to learn, and you are Shaun - we are Shaun - from the past mistakes of just going along with it and slowly boiling in the pot (a very apt analogy given combustion and climate change) you have to question the acceptance. Don't just teach the kids to accept it by emphasising that it's great as long as they just stay safe. Cars were great in 1920 and the kids learnt the high way code. Horses were great in 1700s. Both lead to massive issues.
I haven't said that the future is already here ... I have said what is here is 'now'. We can't wipe the slate clean ... are you seriously suggesting that the world comes together and bans a particular direction of IT development? If so, how exactly is that going to be enforced?
Or are you suggesting that you and your children are going to opt out and become some sort of Amish equivalent, eschewing the direction that the rest of the world is going in?
"... Cars were great in 1920 and the kids learnt the high way code. Horses were great in 1700s. Both lead to massive issues..." So, if you had lived back then and had the foresight you lay claim to now, what would you have done about the 'massive issues'?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Maybe I misread what you said - '....Re hindsight and tech ... it's here ... we can't stop the way tech develops...'
That is what I referred to.
As to the horse/car issues. I think we can draw a parallel now. We are trying to go from combustion to the next thing. What I would do is to not let the market lead. The market only cares about the money. As a gov (whether local or global), I would try my best to assess the different options that are available now and then look to projected drawbacks and then back option by getting the world to agree a way. Whatever happens with the car, will be worldwide and will hit two of the largest populations on the planet at a time where their economies may lead to vastly more cars on the road. Does it make sense to have massive batteries? Does it make sense to use induction and smaller batteries? Does it make sense to use hydrogen? Does it make sense to have autonomous cars and reduce ownership? Smaller cars used more frequently by different people.
The issues are now bigger than a gov though - I would have been happier with the EU or a global body looking at the problems - as the answers will affect us all.
But that's pie in the sky isn't it ... without completely changing the way the world works (a good idea but it's not going to happen in my lifetime) we have to cope with what we've got ... and yes, the market leads the development of everything ... so when I give advice to parents here and now (and advising parents on parenting used to be part of my job) I advise on how to cope with the here and now, not the idealised future that I would prefer.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I'm not talking about an idealised future Dove - you asked the question about what I would have done in the past and as an example I drew a parallel with today. The UK gov is slowly getting there as they're banning gas from new builds from 2025 and stopping fossil fuel vehicle sales from 2030. So a gov stopping the market leading is not 'pie in the sky'. Govs can intervene in and lead the market. The flaw though, is they see the problem area and ban that but let the market decide on the replacement. Dubious - as the market replaced the horse (unaffordable by the many) to the car (mass produced for the masses). The kids need to questioning the acceptance tech now.
As the market does still lead in tech though, then I simply repeat, to address that you need to question acceptance now. That's not idealised future.
That's enough for me on this one ... you just don't seem to understand what I'm saying. I shall get on with my knitting ... despite most clothes being made faster and cheaper than hand knitting nowadays I choose to make some of my own
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I’m a man in my early 40s and grew up with the development and rise of gaming. I had a Sinclair Spectrum at a young age, a Sega Megadrive, and on up through PC, PlayStation, X-Box, etc.
I sold my last X Box about 6 years ago or so, having decided, even though I played it a lot, that I’d rather spend my time differently. A couple of years later I bought a switch, the pick up and play for 20 minutes on a cold winter night when there’s nothing on TV nature of it appealed to me. I did miss gaming on those occasions but didn’t want to dip all the way back in. A bit of transitory gaming without having to monopolise the TV, etc. appealed to me. There are games that are everything people say they are- violent, anti- social etc. However the underpowered nature of the switch means many of them- the call of duties of the world, etc. Aren’t represented. The Switch represents “soft” gaming- particularly if you predominantly stick to first party Nintendo produced titles- Animal Crossing, Mario e.g.
I mostly play Civilisation, Animal Crossing, Mario Kart. Definitely not simple or uneducational, and in the same order mentally challenging, relaxing, and great fun in a social setting. Gaming, like many other pastimes is what you make of it, it doesn’t have to be nerdy boys with no social skills spending all their living days in front of a screen hunting demons or killing each other. The nature of the switch and how it works means I can game for 20 minutes one night or an hour another night just as easily, or I might go weeks without picking it up.
Gaming represents the changing of times for me. An older generation doesn’t “get” it and pushes back- but younger generations will have a different outlook. The same debates were had about TV, The Rolling Stones, and more. My kids will no doubt be into things I don’t understand either- simply because I haven’t grown up with them and experienced them. I hope I’ll be able to keep an open mind and maybe see those things in their entirety with all their different shades rather than projecting a less fully formed opinion based on only part of the story onto them.
One thing that also sticks out to me from this conversation is that people seem to bung gaming and social media together. While they both are enjoyed by overlapping groups Social media is not a strictly “young” problem. In fact it could be argued that social media has been far more damaging to older users perceptions of reality in some ways- because not being native to it they are less well equipped. It is eminently possible to game and not enjoy social media.
As for porn and free access to it- that is again a separate problem. Young men have always wanted to access porn, the fact that it’s easy to do now has nothing to do with Nintendo and is irrelevant to the Nintendo Switch.
Posts
Or are you suggesting that you and your children are going to opt out and become some sort of Amish equivalent, eschewing the direction that the rest of the world is going in?
"... Cars were great in 1920 and the kids learnt the high way code. Horses were great in 1700s. Both lead to massive issues..." So, if you had lived back then and had the foresight you lay claim to now, what would you have done about the 'massive issues'?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
That's enough for me on this one ... you just don't seem to understand what I'm saying. I shall get on with my knitting ... despite most clothes being made faster and cheaper than hand knitting nowadays I choose to make some of my own
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I sold my last X Box about 6 years ago or so, having decided, even though I played it a lot, that I’d rather spend my time differently. A couple of years later I bought a switch, the pick up and play for 20 minutes on a cold winter night when there’s nothing on TV nature of it appealed to me. I did miss gaming on those occasions but didn’t want to dip all the way back in. A bit of transitory gaming without having to monopolise the TV, etc. appealed to me. There are games that are everything people say they are- violent, anti- social etc. However the underpowered nature of the switch means many of them- the call of duties of the world, etc. Aren’t represented. The Switch represents “soft” gaming- particularly if you predominantly stick to first party Nintendo produced titles- Animal Crossing, Mario e.g.
I mostly play Civilisation, Animal Crossing, Mario Kart. Definitely not simple or uneducational, and in the same order mentally challenging, relaxing, and great fun in a social setting. Gaming, like many other pastimes is what you make of it, it doesn’t have to be nerdy boys with no social skills spending all their living days in front of a screen hunting demons or killing each other. The nature of the switch and how it works means I can game for 20 minutes one night or an hour another night just as easily, or I might go weeks without picking it up.
Gaming represents the changing of times for me. An older generation doesn’t “get” it and pushes back- but younger generations will have a different outlook. The same debates were had about TV, The Rolling Stones, and more. My kids will no doubt be into things I don’t understand either- simply because I haven’t grown up with them and experienced them. I hope I’ll be able to keep an open mind and maybe see those things in their entirety with all their different shades rather than projecting a less fully formed opinion based on only part of the story onto them.
One thing that also sticks out to me from this conversation is that people seem to bung gaming and social media together. While they both are enjoyed by overlapping groups Social media is not a strictly “young” problem. In fact it could be argued that social media has been far more damaging to older users perceptions of reality in some ways- because not being native to it they are less well equipped. It is eminently possible to game and not enjoy social media.
As for porn and free access to it- that is again a separate problem. Young men have always wanted to access porn, the fact that it’s easy to do now has nothing to do with Nintendo and is irrelevant to the Nintendo Switch.