Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site ittvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!wjh12!genrad!decvax!ittvax!allenm From: allenm@ittvax.UUCP (Allen Matsumoto) Newsgroups: net.kids Subject: "Where are kids supposed to learn to be human?" Message-ID: <1549@ittvax.UUCP> Date: Thu, 13-Dec-84 16:15:29 EST Article-I.D.: ittvax.1549 Posted: Thu Dec 13 16:15:29 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 15-Dec-84 01:49:19 EST Distribution: net Organization: ITT-ATC, Stratford Ct. Lines: 27 I just read an interesting quote in the "Whole Earth Review" (which used to be the "CoEvolution Quarterly"). The issue (No. 44, Jan, 1985) has a large collection of articles on "Computers as Poison." Basically its a skeptical look at the effects of computers on people/society. In the article "Six Grave Doubts about Computers," Jerry Mander quotes one Marian Kester writing in the Toronto Globe and Mail. I don't have the original, but his quote of her is: If children are separated from their parents by TV, from playmates by video games, and from teachers by teaching machines, where are they supposed to learn to be human? I guess learning to survive in the computer age is different from learning to survive in human society (He-Man society is different, of course). Also, he says video games are good training for fast hand-eye coordination, but what is that good for? Computers speed up people. I, for one, don't want to speed up my kids. I guess I'll take them on a vacation with the money I've been saving for a home computer. Allen -- Allen Matsumoto ITT Adv. Tech. Center, Stratford, CT 06497 203-385-7218 (decvax!ittvax!allenm)