The original post: /r/piracy by /u/yazzledore on 2024-12-28 19:24:44.
Just musing about a thing. I see a lot of complaints about the effects of tablets and smartphones on kids, how it creates a need for instant gratification, lowers attention spans, and reduces the ability to problem solve independently.
But a lot of us grew up with computers and stuff in our homes, and seemingly didn’t suffer from those effects (as much, at least). The difference was that it was hard and you had to figure out how to do what you wanted, often completely independently, because your parents didn’t know how they worked, or didn’t care to show you. I will never forget the feeling of finally getting dialup to work in a remote location after days of attempts. Or how it felt when I burnt my first CD after fucking with limewire for what felt like 1000 years.
So I’m wondering: do we think giving kids a PC or an old PSP or something and saying “you have no money, figure out how to get Roblox on here, it is possible” or whatever could teach them resilience and problem solving and delayed gratification and shit, while simultaneously not cutting them off from their peers who are into that kind of stuff?
Obviously you would put a vpn on your router, and possibly set up a backup situation for when they inevitably brick their shit.
Thoughts?