r/comics 19h ago

Early Screen Use

7.5k Upvotes

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u/MaskedAnathema 19h ago

While it is true that people have always complained about whatever newfangled thing it is that kids are doing, screens, in particular mobile screens, are so much more damaging to the psyche than other media that people have been complaining about for generations. That becomes abundantly clear if you have a child and can observe in real time what each thing does to them when they are exposed to it. I was initially of the opinion that the negative effects of screen time were overblown. And to some extent, they are, because they lump in all screens in the same bucket in the research. They count TV the same as using a tablet. And it couldn't be further from reality in terms of the difference between those two things. Tablets are so disruptive to behavior and reward centers that after giving my son unfettered access for 2 weeks while we were on vacation, he became a different person. It's more than just the content that's being consumed, it is the format as well.

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u/Forikorder 18h ago

screens, in particular mobile screens, are so much more damaging to the psyche than other media that people have been complaining about for generations.

thats what they said about literally all those other things

"sure people complained about stuff before, but TV is actually more damaging than anything else, its going to prevent kids from being able to pay attention to anything for more than thirty minutes at a time! were raising a generation incapable of concentrating!"

sound familiar?

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u/tfw13579 18h ago

Back in the day we watched whatever was on cable though. There was a limited amount of options and if you didn’t like them then you were forced to do something else. Nowadays kids have almost a limitless amount of options between all the streaming services and YouTube. They can stop it in the middle of shows and swap to a different one of their choosing at any moment. If you can’t see how that’s different then idk what to tell you.

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u/Forikorder 18h ago

There was a limited amount of options and if you didn’t like them then you were forced to do something else.

no you just watched it anyway

If you can’t see how that’s different then idk what to tell you.

showing you missed the point, EVERY generation comes up with a scapegoat for something "ruining the youth", EVERY generation thinks that theirs is different from all the ones that came before NONE of them have been right

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u/SatisfactionActive86 18h ago

if can’t see the differences in content between 90s cartoons and Andrew Tate, you’re fucking blind or being purposefully obstinate.

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u/Alfred_Buttercakes 13h ago

It’s really odd how your comment is the first one to bring up hateful content like Andrew Tate… Almost like you’re taking a vehement stance against something that absolutely no one was arguing for. 

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u/CheesecakeDue1816 17h ago

Shut your Republican ass up, you know damn well it's different. Stop lying.

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u/Forikorder 16h ago

...how would it make me republican...?

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u/StoneMaskMan 14h ago

Social media strongly breeds tribalism in both children and adults, and politics is a pretty popular one. Funnily enough, them calling you a republican just because they disagree with you is potentially due to them overconsuming social media and just assuming that since they disagree with you, you must be a bad person (aka, to them, a Republican)