Childlore is one of the great cultural inheritances of humanity, and one of the most enduring. But it's a fragile ecosystem, and whether it can survive the algorithm is an open question.
I was very happy to see this article pop up in my e-mail this morning! I have missed your writings. I understand your reasons for the wait, though. :-)
It seems a key component of childlore's success/ongoing spread is personal connection. Childlore can't spread if kids don't hang out together. I'm less worried that parents or perpetually childish adults somehow ruin childlore than I am about screens and isolated (while connected virtually) play. When I walk on to my kids' school ground and see some of the older ones sitting against the outside school walls on their laptops, or peering over one another's shoulders at a phone – that's when I think it's time to worry if the well-worn rules of childhood and its governing ideas, rhymes, and inherent sense of fairness are being lost. Childhood, in this sense, doesn't die in adulthood, but in the space between the kids and the screen.
Yes. I fear for childlore after this generation. When our kids were born, we deliberately chose a very quiet neighbourhood with no cars and lots of children but our kids never went out once in their whole childhood. Who knows if they have any childlore? I'll test them when I get home.
Now that they are adults, they have trouble making friends and their whole lives are spent playing games on the internet. I feel sorry for their generation.
I was very happy to see this article pop up in my e-mail this morning! I have missed your writings. I understand your reasons for the wait, though. :-)
It seems a key component of childlore's success/ongoing spread is personal connection. Childlore can't spread if kids don't hang out together. I'm less worried that parents or perpetually childish adults somehow ruin childlore than I am about screens and isolated (while connected virtually) play. When I walk on to my kids' school ground and see some of the older ones sitting against the outside school walls on their laptops, or peering over one another's shoulders at a phone – that's when I think it's time to worry if the well-worn rules of childhood and its governing ideas, rhymes, and inherent sense of fairness are being lost. Childhood, in this sense, doesn't die in adulthood, but in the space between the kids and the screen.
That's a really good observation.
Yes. I fear for childlore after this generation. When our kids were born, we deliberately chose a very quiet neighbourhood with no cars and lots of children but our kids never went out once in their whole childhood. Who knows if they have any childlore? I'll test them when I get home.
Now that they are adults, they have trouble making friends and their whole lives are spent playing games on the internet. I feel sorry for their generation.
They really didn't go out? They weren't out with kids on the street playing games and goofing off?
They would have friends over and they’d all sit on the couch
Glad to see you back. Was just wondering where you went the other week after reading Heath’s latest post.
Yeah just got tied up and then the longer I went without posting the more I lost momentum and so on. Back on teh horse.