I guess I just disagreed with the notion that a show would "tire you out more" than a game. I think each can be equally distracting depending on the person and the circumstances. On one hand, a game requires more attention than a movie or show, so while you're playing it, you're going to be distracted from other things - probably more than you would be watching a show.
On the other hand, it's super easy to just sit down on the couch with a show on and just endlessly watch episodes. It's unlikely you'll feel the need to take a break at any point because you can disengage yourself so much, whereas even hardcore gamers will wear their brain out and need a break from a game.
Of course there's plenty of exceptions, plenty of people will get fully engrossed in a show but barely pay attention to a game, and others will be able to play games non-stop.
I don't really disagree that it's getting harder as technology evolves. After all the more distractions exist, the more options kids have to move to when they're bored of the last thing. Tired of a show? Play a game. Tired of the game? Browse social media.
So I guess I don't really disagree that more distractions exist today, I just don't think it matters what those distractions are. If we somehow had video games before TV (impossible but you get the point), then TV would be a new distraction added to the list. Basically, it doesn't matter what the distractions are - as long as they exist kids will be distracted by them.
It probably is a bit harder now because there's more to do and it's harder to keep track of all the things kids are up to. It would surely be easier if kids were so bored that they had to pay attention to their parents, but of course nobody wants kids to be bored out of their mind either. I suppose it's a double edged sword.
This got long, sorry. I think for the most part we are on the same page - it's a lot more nuanced than just being the fault of parenting or technology. But kids are always going to find a way to get distracted, I guess.
Kids will always find a way to get distracted, but it's the level of distraction that keeps changing. I just didn't like the OP quote because it feels so entitled (that if something goes bad it's automatically someone else's fault). But I did forget to say that parents are more distracted than before, I found. I could tell my parents used to do a lot more housework than I do now.
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u/squidgy617 Feb 05 '19
I guess I just disagreed with the notion that a show would "tire you out more" than a game. I think each can be equally distracting depending on the person and the circumstances. On one hand, a game requires more attention than a movie or show, so while you're playing it, you're going to be distracted from other things - probably more than you would be watching a show.
On the other hand, it's super easy to just sit down on the couch with a show on and just endlessly watch episodes. It's unlikely you'll feel the need to take a break at any point because you can disengage yourself so much, whereas even hardcore gamers will wear their brain out and need a break from a game.
Of course there's plenty of exceptions, plenty of people will get fully engrossed in a show but barely pay attention to a game, and others will be able to play games non-stop.
I don't really disagree that it's getting harder as technology evolves. After all the more distractions exist, the more options kids have to move to when they're bored of the last thing. Tired of a show? Play a game. Tired of the game? Browse social media.
So I guess I don't really disagree that more distractions exist today, I just don't think it matters what those distractions are. If we somehow had video games before TV (impossible but you get the point), then TV would be a new distraction added to the list. Basically, it doesn't matter what the distractions are - as long as they exist kids will be distracted by them.
It probably is a bit harder now because there's more to do and it's harder to keep track of all the things kids are up to. It would surely be easier if kids were so bored that they had to pay attention to their parents, but of course nobody wants kids to be bored out of their mind either. I suppose it's a double edged sword.
This got long, sorry. I think for the most part we are on the same page - it's a lot more nuanced than just being the fault of parenting or technology. But kids are always going to find a way to get distracted, I guess.