this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2023
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Any one here has any experience with teaching 8 to 12 years old kids Linux?

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[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

It was just a joke.

Although it's true: they probably do know a lot more about stuff that matters to their generation than you do, just like you knew more than your parents about stuff that mattered to you as a kid.

And yes, I agree, they do get exposed to the Big Tech party line a lot. But don't underestimate the kids: they're smart, they can tell BS when they see it more than you think, and they're not that easy to indoctrinate.

I know that because when I was a kid, we had our own tech overlords (in my generation, the phone company) and we walked all over them despite the propaganda and apparent overwhelming power. Why would today's kids be any different?

[–] nayminlwin@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well, I don't know. I kept telling how games like roblox are brainwashing and conditioning him into wanting to buy in-game junks. And, he still asks robuxs for this birthday.

[–] rufus@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 year ago

To get me educated a bit, too...

Wanting robux and things like that are probably unavoidable due to peer pressure and exposure to videos and game-mechanics telling them they want this. It's probably been like this forever, you always needed the same merchandise your friends had.

I'm curious: Do you know what he (at his age) thinks about your perspective on things?

Does he have other hobbies and still wants some immaterial in-game items / currency? Does a kid at that age grasp the value / alternatives? I suppose this all depends on how much time someone spends in a virtual world. Sure you need/want some goods there if this is a major part of your life.

[–] nottheengineer@feddit.de 6 points 1 year ago

I know a lot of people my age (early 20s) who use tiktok and have no idea what tracking or privacy mean.

Kids might be smart, but if this is all they've known and it works well enough they don't pay attention and don't use their critical thinking.

[–] wantd2B1ofthestrokes@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I think “matters more to their generation” is doing some heavy lifting. They surely know how to navigate social media and chat servers and all that. And in a way that’s more important.

I don’t think that maps to being able to use Linux with any proficiency.

Kids are smart in some ways and stupid in a lot of ways that adults are. They’re largely being put in a battle they can’t win against YouTube and TikTok that systematically target their psychology.