Are Your Kids Raised by Algorithm?
There is this saying, kids raised by wolves, which means kids that are lack of skill which allows them to get integrated into society. I do not know anyone who are falls under this definition. However, there are millions of kids who are raised by algorithm are walking amongst us in the society.
These are the children who are glued to social media and streaming services. Children growing up watching the tablet or handphone so that they can behave at the dining table. Including my children, I noticed many children and sometimes adult is more interested in their handphones than an actual conversation. In fact, the algorithms have also changed how children sees the world. According to this survey report, one third of Gen Alpha kids (ages 12 to 15) wants to be a YouTubers. There is nothing wrong to become a YouTuber. What kind of content that these children want to produce? Content that distracts or content that inspires? Most of the time it is always the content that enrages or shocking that gets our attention. That's why many of us are so cynical or angry at the world.
Social media's algorithm is designed to keep us glued to the screen. Will power and discipline are not enough to keep us away from social media and streaming services. A "just one 5 minutes video only" session can be 20 minutes long. The only way is to don't start the addiction or set a clear boundary around these apps.
I have no solution for kids who are raised by algorithms. For myself, I try to live a life that is more interesting than passively watching my phone. If life can be more interesting than the phone, I am certain we all are willing put down the phone and live life.