Comic from 2012, I think we are into the next phase.
“Kids just sit around doomscrolling memes, why not play some games?”
Except psychologists argue that hooking kids to The Dopamine Machine TM it’s in fact different as it wrecks your attention span. Just as playing games or watching movies is said to be different than reading a book as the latter requires you to use your brain to imagine things whereas the former two are just passive consumption. This comic is oversimplifying.
Yeah. Games are a different beast, and teach you some good skills.
I would encourage gaming over, say, watching lots of Mario and Spongebob and Minecraft videos on YouTube in a maddeningly random walk where nothing ever finishes and there is never a plot. AAAAAAGH!
My partner’s kid, seven years old, does this. I try to stay sane throughout, and watch along, to see if I can understand why they do this.
I sometimes suspect it’s a devious experiment to see if an adult brain can be literally cooked by its own rage and confusion.
TL;DW Conclusions are that science can’t measure attention span accurately, but the video paints a picture that there are bad effects from watching short form content due to the lack of agency rather than the length.
Just saying this because if you spend even 5 seconds thinking about it, how would you scientifically measure attention span? You probably can’t because its impossible to track peoples thoughts. There’s lots of interesting attempts but they kinda suck, like measuring how often workers switch windows at work.
Microsoft is usually the cited source for attention span being less than a goldfish and as usual they are full of shit.
Video games are obviously more interactive and engaging than TV. Is there anyone who prefers that kids just sit and stare at a TV show instead of interacting with a video game?
The parents of children who get violent and upset when playing video games, because they can’t handle losing.
But even then, just getting rid of competitive multiplayer, would solve that issue.
The kid in one picture is the adult in the previous picture.
I wonder how often in history that type of thing can happen, where within a single generation, priorities change. Or perhaps that’s just the nature or culture.
