This is how you get your children to prefer Orwell over their phone

All six kids were sitting around me, showing me their toys and talking to me. Only later did I realise there were no gadgets, smartphones, or tablets. I prepared myself for a long and noisy evening, as kids get hyper and hysterical without gadgets, don’t they?

When we used to imagine our future, we thought about flying cars in the air and walking robots on the streets. The future came quicker than expected but in a different shape and form.

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Alexa

There are no humanoids on the streets or flying cars in the air, but artificial intelligence (AI) surrounds us. AI is becoming a significant part of everyday life, and children are among the most active users of this technology (compare their screen time to how much time your grandparents spend online).

We don’t even notice that AI is present in our preferred internet search engines or your favourite robot vacuum cleaner. Kids, too, interact with AI on a daily basis. They study with the help of educational platforms and apps, talk to Alexa and Siri, and play video games.

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Engaging

Nevertheless, while AI is beneficial, it has limitations. Besides, it increases the risk of developing an addiction. AI-powered games and apps are highly engaging as they learn what draws the attention of their user. Therefore, they lead to excessive screen time more easily. And overusing digital gadgets leads to less physical activity and fewer social interactions.

I have been working with kids for many years, and I’ve noticed that there is a huge shift in the way kids explore the world and how they study. The more digital technology they use, the least interested they are in “old joys” like painting, reading books, and physically playing with one another. The digital world is perfectly engaging, attractive and always entertaining. Usual life seems too boring for kids.

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And it is not only about kids as I know a bunch of young adults in their thirties who are addicted to video games while in real life, they struggle to get a job or even leave their house.

Puzzled

These were the thoughts in my head, while I was sitting in my friends’ living room. I listened to a 5-year-old telling me about his Lego constructions, the 7-year-old was singing songs (demonstrating her knowledge of a foreign language) for me, the 12-year-old showed me his drawings and I had a deep conversation with the 14-year-old who shared his insights from reading Orwell’s “1984”.

When I asked him what his favourite social media was, he looked puzzled. He was way too far in his books’ world to even look at his phone.

This family seems almost unrealistic in today’s world, but it is full of harmony. They don’t fight technology, but they raise kids by providing an alternative. We can definitively learn something from them. If not, maybe you can show me another 14-year-old who reads Orwell.