Production line babies: Failure of the imagination

What has happened to children? They used to be so creative and would make games out of anything they had available. When did it become required to have the 'right' equipment?

I have spoken with some primary school teacher friends about this and they have often mentioned that it is common that children need to be taught to play. Not play with others. Play.

How can something that is about as innate as breathing suddenly become a school lesson? Well, it has been a long time coming - a short time in evolutionary terms.

We have trained our children to be consumers just like us. We have provided them with products that have been designed for their little hands to lay with. well designed. Designed with such precision and purpose, there is no need to think.

One child gets a toy, the toy has a very limited range of skill required and narrow application. It is specialised. The child uses it for a short time, quickly becomes bored and demands a new toy.

This is the industrial revolution. Production line babies. They do not need to think, just learn the rules of the new toy until the master it, and demand another. Job rotation.

One can argue that using these toys develops a skill set and this is absolutely true. It develops several core skills. Skills can be learned through various toys, just like being trained for any line worker position with a narrow skill requirement.

The problem is that there is a huge lack of thought required to consume these toys. They are already largely complete and those that aren't have directions. How to follow directions is an important skill to be learned also.

For many of the current toy designers of the world, they didn't grow up with such refinement in their toys. They had to create and build their own games and toys to some degree. And for many, the toys that were purchased, were not as disposable as those of today. When they broke, a fix was attempted. Even if it was with super glue and tape.

Often a broken toy was still usable and may have even added to its versatility or typecast it into more specialised role in the game. These days, toys are designed to be one use affairs, like a TV or microwave. They were once repairable too.

This process of creative entertainment develops much greater depth in thought and skills as it requires a broader range. It was only the lack of imagination that hampered efforts but children had an abundance of that.

They were continually in a state of doing the best they could with what was available. Enjoyment was fulfilling the potential of this experience.

For most these days, it isn't the best they can do that is enjoyable, it is the best they can buy. We as a society have done this to our children. We have habitualised play to be a consumptive rather than a creative behaviour.

Perhaps it started decades ago when we sat children down to watch TV after school or Saturday mornings, perhaps it started much earlier than that. It doesn't really matter where or when or who is to blame.

We are shifting into a time in the world where the most valued skills are creative thinking skills. The skills that currently a computer is incapable of performing well. All other jobs that are easily programmed will disappear. I am not saying that it will happen in the next 20 years, but it will happen.

The children of today are likely to live longer lives than their parents will but by the time they are 40, without creative mental ability, they are likely very limited in employment options.

I see and predict a continued class gap forming between the creative thinkers and the mindless consumers. Of course, I may be wrong but when I walk around, I don't see many kids playing anymore, I see them staring at a screen.

What skills are they developing there? It may be wise to see if they are the type that are useful in the future to bring the happiness that parents all seem to want for their kids.

Of course, perhaps it doesn't matter, I could be very wrong about this or they could just bury themselves ever deeper into an illusion that reality itself is no longer needed.

Do the designers of the illusion embed themselves and their children in it?

Taraz
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