I must say. I was in elementary school in the 60s. In the 5th grade, we moved mid-year to a very affluent suburb in another state. I was still actively playing with dolls, but was mericilessly made fun of by the snobby girls who were apparently making out in the park. So...I don't think ALL things have changed.
Thanks for such a thoughtful and insightful review Sonny! I know I am going to sound like the old fart that I am, but I am beyond grateful that there was no internet, social media, smart phones, video games, VCRs or DVD players when I was a child. I had armies of toy soldiers that brought me great joy and read comic books and novels that fed my imagination. The seven channels that I had on my TV seemed more than enough. And nothing beat playing stick ball on an oblong baseball diamond at the intersection of two neighborhood streets.
"What is the point of play? What is the goal? To develop a fully realized inner life, one driven by imagination? To learn the proper way to socialize with strangers, to make friends? To cultivate empathy for those around us? All of the above? The big question for the tablet generation, then, is this: Does absorption within screens wind up short-circuiting some—perhaps all?—of these efforts?"
The answer here is, "Yes."
I don't want to seem like more of a luddite than I am, but I've come to appreciate the advantage of having kids develop on a human centric scale (both in terms of time and space). As an Xer (so, please stop calling me a Boomer, that's my parents!), I had the good fortune of bridging between the old and new. I'm far more resistant to the pull of the algorithm(s) than my kid, who--despite my best efforts--is rapidly being co-opted by it.
This tech is great and has great potential, but if we're not asking "What is the point? What is the goal?" constantly, then we will surely be turning ourselves over willingly to the matrix.
Yeah, we're not a no-tech house—the kids watch TV; we have a Nintendo Switch; my daugher has a smartish-watch, albeit one with limited ability to contact the outside—but we are a "no-tablets-except-on-airplanes" house, which I think is a fair compromise.
This is the way, Sonny. I'm now up against a teen and I needed to get back some freedom before I die; thus, begrudgingly, have opened the door to a mobile device. A Faustian bargain for all involved.
"Yes, yes: They also worry about their own obsolescence...with the arrival of the tablet known as...[Greta Lee]."
I mean, don't we all contemplate our obsolescence when confronted with Ms. Lee? I sure do! There's an inexorable pull towards an end that you cannot help but follow.
I finally read "The Anxious Generation" last week. I wonder if this would be a great movie to watch or a terrible movie to watch with all those stats rattling around in my head.
I will have to check that one out. But I do hope more and more of the "touch grass" trends continue. I had a convo with my wife about how odd it is to watch kids now.
Granted I was the third of 3 boys and my brothers and I had friends who also were from houses of mostly boys only. But I would ignore just about every rule as a kid. There was one thought process I had: "Will I break this, get hurt, and/ or get in trouble? And if so, do I have a way to fix it or shift the blame? If not will getting yelled at be worth it?" If at the end of it, the answer is still yes........I was doing it.
Seems crazy but I'd argue I learned a lot about how to interact and manage things in my life without my parents doing it for me. I just happened to learn how not to get in trouble but there are valuable life skills as part of that.
Thoughtful review Sonny! I was 18 when the first one came out, and at the time it struck all the feels as I realized I was leaving childhood behind, along with some beloved toys and all the imaginary adventures I’d had, for a grown up world with real responsibility. I think the whole series (maybe 2 to a lesser extent) is also about dealing with the unstoppable forces of change and how not completely losing the joys and magic of childhood is critical for a healthy adult life.
I’ve got a 5th grader who is days away from finishing up elementary school. He asked for a gaming headset for “graduation” gift. But I’ve been catching him playing with his beat up broken toy lightsaber so he’s getting a new one. It’s probably the last time I can get away with a toy as a gift and have him be happy about it. Whether he or I or his mom like it, he’s entering a tweenage digital world.
But I know if he can hang onto a few of those moments of play from his childhood, there will be something deeply human in his memories of growing up. Until he’s maybe got his own kids. Playing with him and his toys was one of the joys of him being little and me being a parent.
I’m glad Disney & Pixar return to that old well every so often to tackle the place of toys and play in life. But the digital world is already changing even that. His mom and I are going to a theater to see 5, he’s going to a birthday party instead and thinks that Toy Story is for little kids and he’ll just stream it on Disney+. For now though, we still have theaters and he still gets a beloved toy as a gift one last time.
Sounds like Bonnie’s parents are dealing with the same collective action problem that we are all dealing with when it comes to social media/technology and kids.
I must say. I was in elementary school in the 60s. In the 5th grade, we moved mid-year to a very affluent suburb in another state. I was still actively playing with dolls, but was mericilessly made fun of by the snobby girls who were apparently making out in the park. So...I don't think ALL things have changed.
Thanks for such a thoughtful and insightful review Sonny! I know I am going to sound like the old fart that I am, but I am beyond grateful that there was no internet, social media, smart phones, video games, VCRs or DVD players when I was a child. I had armies of toy soldiers that brought me great joy and read comic books and novels that fed my imagination. The seven channels that I had on my TV seemed more than enough. And nothing beat playing stick ball on an oblong baseball diamond at the intersection of two neighborhood streets.
"What is the point of play? What is the goal? To develop a fully realized inner life, one driven by imagination? To learn the proper way to socialize with strangers, to make friends? To cultivate empathy for those around us? All of the above? The big question for the tablet generation, then, is this: Does absorption within screens wind up short-circuiting some—perhaps all?—of these efforts?"
The answer here is, "Yes."
I don't want to seem like more of a luddite than I am, but I've come to appreciate the advantage of having kids develop on a human centric scale (both in terms of time and space). As an Xer (so, please stop calling me a Boomer, that's my parents!), I had the good fortune of bridging between the old and new. I'm far more resistant to the pull of the algorithm(s) than my kid, who--despite my best efforts--is rapidly being co-opted by it.
This tech is great and has great potential, but if we're not asking "What is the point? What is the goal?" constantly, then we will surely be turning ourselves over willingly to the matrix.
Yeah, we're not a no-tech house—the kids watch TV; we have a Nintendo Switch; my daugher has a smartish-watch, albeit one with limited ability to contact the outside—but we are a "no-tablets-except-on-airplanes" house, which I think is a fair compromise.
This is the way, Sonny. I'm now up against a teen and I needed to get back some freedom before I die; thus, begrudgingly, have opened the door to a mobile device. A Faustian bargain for all involved.
I wasn't planning to see this, as I think the series should have ended with the third movie, but your review has convinced me to go!
"Yes, yes: They also worry about their own obsolescence...with the arrival of the tablet known as...[Greta Lee]."
I mean, don't we all contemplate our obsolescence when confronted with Ms. Lee? I sure do! There's an inexorable pull towards an end that you cannot help but follow.
There is no doubt whatsoever about the harmful effects of social media on kids ( and adults).
On ongoing suit by parents alleging harm has led to discovery of meta internal files that provide causation evidence
https://www.beasleyallen.com/article/judge-blocks-metas-bid-to-hide-key-documents/
I finally read "The Anxious Generation" last week. I wonder if this would be a great movie to watch or a terrible movie to watch with all those stats rattling around in my head.
I have also read it and it definitely hits on some o the same points!
I will have to check that one out. But I do hope more and more of the "touch grass" trends continue. I had a convo with my wife about how odd it is to watch kids now.
Granted I was the third of 3 boys and my brothers and I had friends who also were from houses of mostly boys only. But I would ignore just about every rule as a kid. There was one thought process I had: "Will I break this, get hurt, and/ or get in trouble? And if so, do I have a way to fix it or shift the blame? If not will getting yelled at be worth it?" If at the end of it, the answer is still yes........I was doing it.
Seems crazy but I'd argue I learned a lot about how to interact and manage things in my life without my parents doing it for me. I just happened to learn how not to get in trouble but there are valuable life skills as part of that.
Thoughtful review Sonny! I was 18 when the first one came out, and at the time it struck all the feels as I realized I was leaving childhood behind, along with some beloved toys and all the imaginary adventures I’d had, for a grown up world with real responsibility. I think the whole series (maybe 2 to a lesser extent) is also about dealing with the unstoppable forces of change and how not completely losing the joys and magic of childhood is critical for a healthy adult life.
I’ve got a 5th grader who is days away from finishing up elementary school. He asked for a gaming headset for “graduation” gift. But I’ve been catching him playing with his beat up broken toy lightsaber so he’s getting a new one. It’s probably the last time I can get away with a toy as a gift and have him be happy about it. Whether he or I or his mom like it, he’s entering a tweenage digital world.
But I know if he can hang onto a few of those moments of play from his childhood, there will be something deeply human in his memories of growing up. Until he’s maybe got his own kids. Playing with him and his toys was one of the joys of him being little and me being a parent.
I’m glad Disney & Pixar return to that old well every so often to tackle the place of toys and play in life. But the digital world is already changing even that. His mom and I are going to a theater to see 5, he’s going to a birthday party instead and thinks that Toy Story is for little kids and he’ll just stream it on Disney+. For now though, we still have theaters and he still gets a beloved toy as a gift one last time.
"A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys
Painted wings and giant's rings make way for other toys..."
I am glad you are giving him one last childish gift, before he completely loses the ability to appreciate it!
Sounds like Bonnie’s parents are dealing with the same collective action problem that we are all dealing with when it comes to social media/technology and kids.
Hmmm... without spoilers, does the "She STILL plays with dolls?!" bullying get resolved positively?
(Asking nervously as a mother of even older girls who definitely STILL play with dolls but who are dying to see this movie...)
I think you’ll be okay with the resolution, yeah.