Socrates complained that reading and writing would make the youth dumb because they no longer had to rely on memory alone. Old people railing against any change in tradition is a tale older than time.
Comment on Don't let your mind be a jar
cattywampas@lemmy.world 1 week agoWhat if books were invented after video games?
These new ‘libraries’ that have arisen in recent years to facilitate reading activities are a frightening sight: dozens of young children, normally so vivacious and socially interactive, sitting alone in cubicles, reading silently, oblivious to their peers.
But perhaps the most dangerous property of these books is the fact that they follow a fixed linear path. You can’t control their narratives in any fashion - you simply sit back and have the story dictated to you. Why would anyone want to embark on an adventure utterly choreographed by another person? But today’s generation embarks on such adventures millions of times a day.
This risks instilling a general passivity in our children, making them feel as though they’re powerless to change their circumstances. The book readers of the younger generation are learning to ‘follow the plot’ instead of learning to lead.
From “Everything Bad Is Good for You” by Steven Johnson
Quetzalcutlass@lemmy.world 1 week ago
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 1 week ago
A beautiful piece of contrarianism.
Idk if I’d call it convincing, but it’s a great illustration of how you can turn all these critiques on their heads and sound just as “concerned”.