Comment by null_ptr | Hacker News Reader

Comment by null_ptr | Hacker News Reader

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> I think outrage at this is a little unjustified. The whole schooling system is built around monitoring student progress. > I think the best way to help our kids develop these skills is going to be through lots of monitoring. It's certainly good to question the effectiveness of monitoring, and what it's encouraging, so I respect that sentiment of the other posters, but really? Outrage?

I don't think you realize the damage all this pervasive monitoring will do to warp and stress people's minds, being subjected to it 24/7 from early childhood. It will take away all awareness that they are the directors of their own life. It will condition them to constantly act for the benefit of an unseen observer instead of living their life for themselves and being unafraid to walk off the beaten path. And yes that includes being able to cram for a 5th grade history test the night before, it's not like they're handing in their Master's Thesis.

> *It will condition them to constantly act for the benefit of an unseen observer instead of living their life for themselves and being unafraid to walk off the beaten path.

I wonder in what ways this could be different from being raised in a religious family and being taught since early years that you're always watched by God and your misbehaviour displeases Him. It does sound very similar.

I'm not claiming this monitoring is effective, I'm saying: "Don't get outraged, let them run a test of the program and see if it's effective".

I just don't think it makes sense to get mad at a school for trying to use data to improve their effectiveness.

The question here isn't whether or not it's effective, but whether or not it's an invasion of privacy.

Whether or not this program is effective is irrelevant to the question of whether the program should be used or even tested. You don't restrict someones freedom without a very good reason. This program fundamentally cannot provide any benefit that should make anyone even consider this as a reason.

The harm from the pervasive monitoring is greater than any benefit proposed: there's no need to run the trial to see if the benefit proposed is actually there, we already know it's outweighed by the harm.

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