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Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

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Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#121

Post by ddmf »

xkbarkar wrote: post #47

I feel the destructive behaviour of bored kids is forgotten a bit. Growing up in the late 70s early 80s we were kicked out of the house until dinner. We did a lot of really dangerous things exploring. Among these, -Playing in storm drains. Inside the narrow tunnels I might add. -Abandoned construction sites. -Railway tracks. Putting things o the rails waiting for the train to see what happened. Everything from rocks…

Reminds me of finding a portapotty and using it to tumble down a hill, or visiting the local quarry when I was 8 and playing around near huge deep pools of strangely coloured liquids. Mid 80s were like the wild wild west.

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#122

Post by wizardforhire »

cutemonster wrote: post #72
xkbarkar wrote: post #47

I feel the destructive behaviour of bored kids is forgotten a bit. Growing up in the late 70s early 80s we were kicked out of the house until dinner. We did a lot of really dangerous things exploring. Among these, -Playing in storm drains. Inside the narrow tunnels I might add. -Abandoned construction sites. -Railway tracks. Putting things o the rails waiting for the train to see what happened. Everything from rocks…

> Putting things on the rails waiting for the train to see what happened. Everything from rocks [...] What happened / happens? I've always wondered. I guess the rock gets crushed? What about trams, where the rails are instead submerged in a "crack" in the ground? We did dumpster diving too and playing with fire :-)

Somewhat related

https://youtu.be/agznZBiK_Bs?si=iax3oQ67Wn-_umpk

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#123

Post by BobbyJo »

dchftcs wrote: post #120
ricketyricky wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ehem - sounds like a normal childhood? Compare that to the sheltered, all-wishes-granted and no minute spent w/o distractions like social media, kids. Started with Gen Z who get all angsty, with panic attacks, when they have to start performing, i.e., during final exams and the like. And never learned to deal with emotions and free-floating thoughts, handling themself, keeping calm. (all observed from multiple cowork…

You can learn to take good risks and handle hardship without taking stupid unnecessary risks. One important life lesson is that the only risks worth taking are those that offer corresponding upside - else the expected outcome is ruin. Education wise this means you give them necessary or low-impact risks to take - and let them endure outcomes such as failing a difficult but important project, failing to find love, los…

> You can learn to take good risks and handle hardship without taking stupid unnecessary risks.

How do you know what risks are stupid and unnecessary?

Kids spent a lot of time outside getting hurt for almost all of human history, and "ruin" wasn't something anyone worried about.

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#124

Post by sim7c00 »

szundi wrote: post #69
frereubu wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nitpicky, because I get what you mean, but "self reflection will reduce stress and fear" is by no means always true and I'd argue it's probably not really true for most people in practice. Epictetus said (paraphrasing!) that people are rubbish at self-reflection and you need to practice it to be good at it, like anything else. Lots of people approach it in terrible ways and it leads to really bad outcomes - giving up…

Seconded. I hear a lot from psychologists that some people are so afraid to be alone for even short amount of time and self-reflect, that their whole lifes are chasing activity and partners

i do agree. it takes a lot of practice. i got guidance by someone who was already practiced and i can highly recommend. its a personal experience though, so its hard to find someone who fits your inner.

for the record. i am really bad at it still. learning every day :)

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#125

Post by theGnuMe »

watwut wrote: post #101
theGnuMe wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dad, can I bring my iPad? Me: no Dad, my iPad is dead. Can I use your phone? Me: no And so forth. Not hard.

Dad, can I go to visit my friend Johny? Me: yes. And there they are, watching movies with Johny in Johny house.

Social movie watching or gaming is not bad imho.

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#126

Post by thefz »

xkbarkar wrote: post #47

I feel the destructive behaviour of bored kids is forgotten a bit. Growing up in the late 70s early 80s we were kicked out of the house until dinner. We did a lot of really dangerous things exploring. Among these, -Playing in storm drains. Inside the narrow tunnels I might add. -Abandoned construction sites. -Railway tracks. Putting things o the rails waiting for the train to see what happened. Everything from rocks…

Yet over these experiences you socialized, bonded, explored, got scared, risked and got away with it, promised not to tell parents, had general fun and discovered things you would have not otherwise. Any of these beats becoming a rotbrain in front of YouTube kids for hours.

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#127

Post by VMG »

BobbyJo wrote: post #123
dchftcs wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can learn to take good risks and handle hardship without taking stupid unnecessary risks. One important life lesson is that the only risks worth taking are those that offer corresponding upside - else the expected outcome is ruin. Education wise this means you give them necessary or low-impact risks to take - and let them endure outcomes such as failing a difficult but important project, failing to find love, los…

> You can learn to take good risks and handle hardship without taking stupid unnecessary risks. How do you know what risks are stupid and unnecessary? Kids spent a lot of time outside getting hurt for almost all of human history, and "ruin" wasn't something anyone worried about.

Kids survival was actually pretty poor for most of human history. Probably why the families were much larger

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#128

Post by watwut »

teekert wrote: post #112
watwut wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

700th bike trip to preschool or school is not teaching kids all that much.

So, we make them myopic and teach them that boredom is battles with a screen?

No, my point is that you dont have to turn every little mundane thing into a teaching-something-important moment.

Overall, it is absurd, someone getting outraged over a kid not having a trip to preschool or whatever turned into as educational enriching character building exercise as possible.

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#129

Post by watwut »

jbstack wrote: post #118
watwut wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

700th bike trip to preschool or school is not teaching kids all that much.

Yes it is. It's teaching the skill of being able to cope with mundane routine without mindless phone scrolling as a distraction. This is the whole point of OP's linked article.

This is what the comment quite literally claimed: "instead of learning (without getting bored at all!) about the reality that they are one day going to have to navigate by themselves". Later added in comment " missed opportunity for the developing brain to learn about the world, its sights, its sounds, its interactions, its physics, its rules. Everything."

It is opposite of what you say. It claims it wont be boring, but that it will teach them to navigate themselves which they wont learn otherwise.

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#130

Post by watwut »

mft_ wrote: post #113
watwut wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kids always wanted to have what other kids have, you do not need special marketing for that. It is just how human psychology works. Likewise, kids always wanted what they seen adults to have (phones). And kids who have seen marketing to find nintendo or tv fun. If they seen it in their friends house, they found it fun.

> Kids always wanted to have what other kids have, you do not need special marketing for that. And yet, much money is spent marketing things to children. What a waste this must be! > Likewise, kids always wanted what they seen adults to have (phones). While a mobile phone may be a simple and useful (even vital) tool, huge amounts of money is spent on marketing to drive desires for particular brands, or new models/fea…

You are being intentionally obtuse. Yes, marketing works, because companies fight among each other who will be the winner.

"The desire for a new belonging" is present in kids who dont see ads nor have access to screens. They see what other kids have, they see what adults have. Kids wanting the same thing as other kids is nothing new or revolutionary.

Trying to pretend that kids wanting things is somehow a change against any time before is absurd.

> Playstation rather than Nintendo, or vice versa? At some point, it likely tracks back to marketing, creating the desire.

Small kids do not know playstation vs nintendo. They still want games. They want same games as their friends have.

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