Mastodawn

Talking to another parent yesterday and it seems we are among the last two holdouts giving our kids their own devices.

They have devices they can use but they aren't "theirs".

Some have smart phones already (age range 9-11). Many have smart watches.

When I voiced privacy concerns to other parents, I was made to feel like the bad guy for failing to protect my kids. They are the good parents for giving their kids the ability to call for help in case something happens on the way home. I live in the city and I'm pretty much at the furthest corner of our dense district at a whopping 800m from the school.

There's also the old Chinese saying, two actually I'd like to share. "Far away water can't save a near fire", and "close neighbours are better than far away relatives".

So my kids have an emergency on the walk home. What kind of community would I have to live in to feel like they can't scream for help or walk into the corner store for help?

This is all part of the erosion of society. Don't depend on your community. Give a subscription to tech bros to keep your children safe.

Friends, this is f'd. I should not need to depend on tech to guard my kids against a mythical threat when I should have neighbors and friends all around who contribute to the well being of all of us.

If your solution to safety is tech and not community building, your priorities are f'd and you're letting the tech bros eat what's left of your brain.

I hate when I'm made to feel like a bad parent for not caring about my children's safety.

Tech is not the path to child safety.

Show thread

Joan Combs Durso Jun 7

@chu good for you! Also, I am sure you already go hard at making community in those 800 meters and beyond. So kiddos know everyone and everyone knows kiddos. Teach them to “Make eye contact and small talk” with those known neighbors. (Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny, # 12. Field trips mean go hard building the school community, too. Even if some of them are snooty. Learn to have open conversations about anything—-wish Americans were better at this.

Show thread

Chu 朱 Jun 7

@econoprof

They know most of the neighbours on our street. They certainly know me. I used to write more frequently in the local paper (the last editor retired and new blood.... You know how that is) but many know me for my environmental columns. I am still a very active part of the farmers market and people know me from that, organizing community festivals, etc.

So many people know us.... During COVID, 3500 leaflets went out telling people to call me if they needed help. It started as a just my name and number on my block and I tried to encourage others to be "block captains". Ended up having a few hundred volunteers just hand out stuff with my name on it.

With all that I've done over the years (and still do), I do not at all feel shy to say if the kids need help, they could and should knock on any familiar door and get it.

We know so many people and so many people know us, if not by name at least by face. I don't feel like a device adds to their safety in the slightest.... But getting out in the community more will.

Show thread

Joan Combs Durso

@chu you are so far ahead on this! In wandering around my neighborhood, I am getting used to introducing myself and where I live. People are so hungry to talk and connect w/o ranting or being ranted at.