Hacker News Reader

Comment by aviv | Hacker News Reader

Every minute a kid watches a stupid Netflix kids show is a wasted minute they can be stimulating their brain positively instead of numbing it with manufactured industrialized content.

Having said that my kids do get a couple hours on the weekend and it's actually fascinating to see what happens when they put the iPad away. It's almost like they need a half hour or so to re-adjust to real life after all the stupid content they just watched.

Then they go outside and do what kids do best - be kids.

View on HN

No offense but you sound like my aunt who would tell me all the time that video games would make me stupid. But I wouldn't be working in tech today if it wasn't for my passion for video games.

(note: I also limit screen time for my kids)

Watching TV and play video games have not the same effects on the brain. Watching TV puts your brain in idle mode

Depends on the show. A lot of media is incredibly stimulating and stick with you for hours or days (or more) after you've watched it.

Even complex shows like Game of Thrones can be stimulating simply because of the complexity, even if it's nothing more than made-up stories. And stuff like Blue Planet or Black Mirror are genuinely thought-provoking.

I don't disagree -- but why do we value reading books so much over watching TV? Aren't you consuming stories passively in both cases? (let's say reading Harry Potter vs watching Harry Potter)

Well, I realize you may be playing devil's advocate, otherwise I'm sure you know the answer yourself: why do you (as you said before) limit your kids screen time? Do you also limit their book reading time?

When you're reading books your brain is working on visualizing what you've just read

Because skills gained from reading fiction transfer relatively easily into more productive pursuits: studying, programming, writing. Not to mention that reading isn't "consuming stories passively". You need to develop an imagination and draw pictures in your head.

It's hard(er) to develop useful skills from TV watching; the only thing I can think of is maybe learning about filmmaking, and that's only if you're watching to learn rather than watching passively.

I read mostly fiction as a kid and owe most of my career to my reading and writing skills.

What does that readjustment period look like to you? Pure curiosity.

It's like watching someone come down from a high. Technically they are doing just that. They get pretty intense, very demanding, can't handle the calmness and relatively (to the stupid show they just watched) quiet environment. And they know it too. Both my kids express that finishing watching shows on the iPad doesn't make them feel good. They're very aware of it. Now that it's nice out they would rather skip it altogether and go on a hike early in the morning, so I don't mind so much when they do opt for an iPad kind of morning once in a while.

How do they go with reading? Seems like a balance between stimulation and calm.

They love reading. Going to the library to return and find new books to read is one of their favorite activities.

My son is going through the exact same thing! My theory is that there’s a dopamine adaption going on, or sthg like that. For him, it’s the same with audio books or digital games btw. The longer he consumes content, the longer the cool-down phase lasts after that, though the max duration is about 15 minutes — after that he is fine. What he does differs everytime, but it ranges from swearing to crying to just poking at food with an absent look, saying nothing.

More time away from screens and engaging with reality, is surely a good thing. But while they are focused on screens (hardly avoidable quite yet) the less corporate propaganda that gets installed onto developing brains the better.

I just wanted to say that I agree. I live in Denmark where we have public service TV for kids which is orders of magnitude better than the crap on Netflix.

i grew up in a ghetto and kids with no computers or limited screen time were more involved in the gangs.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com