Retro-Tech Parenting: Finding Digital Wonder Beyond Surveillance Capitalism
By
mawise
A second-rack bagel that's nearly first-rack. Tasty stuff.
Summary
A technologist and parent explores the tension between embracing the magic of technology and fearing the exploitative patterns of modern digital platforms (AdTech, surveillance capitalism, engagement-optimized feeds). The article suggests looking to retro-tech for inspiration on how to approach technology with wonder rather than fear, especially when raising children in a digitally dominated world.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledI am a technologist. I enjoy the things that computers and digital devices can do–they often seem magical and amazing!
As a technologist, I have a particular vantage point to see and be very uncomfortable with what companies are doing with that technology.
As a parent, I am scared about the prospect of letting my kids loose in a digital world so aggressively dominated by these companies and patterns.
We can embrace the magic of technology without fear by looking for inspiration from a previous generation of technology.
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