_”In the past there was a small leisure class and a large working class. The leisure class enjoyed advantages for which there was no basis in social justice; this...caused it to invent theories by which to justify its privileges...(In) spite of this drawback it contributed nearly the whole of what we call civilization. It cultivated the arts and discovered the sciences; it wrote the books, invented the philosophies, and refined social relations...Without the leisure class mankind would never have emerged from barbarism.” _(Bertrand Russell).
Children these days seem to be occupied all the time. They are either studying and working, or staring at smartphones, listening to music, or playing video games. There is a constant barrage of external stimuli that never seems to stop. And I would like to suggest that this is not a good trend, for two important reasons.
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Firstly, the vast majority of stimuli involves no content at all. Video channels and games targeting children and containing flashy colors, loud noises, and terrible writing are to information what Coke is to food--empty calories for the brain. This is the scientific consensus despite attempts by the multi-billion dollar gaming industry to convince parents that gaming is somehow good for children on the basis of sloppy research invariably funded by them.
Secondly, let us say children are mostly exposed only to good and useful information (if such a thing is even possible). Even if this were the case, it does not help if they are stuck to their devices for a considerable part of the day. That is because knowledge does not consist of simply gathering data. As Will Durant said: “Knowledge is processed data, and wisdom is organized knowledge”. And you need free time to make that transition. This is why the smartest people got their best ideas when they were thinking about nothing at all. Kekule discovered the benzene structure after he dreamt a snake was eating its own tail, and Singer realized how to design the needle for a sewing machine when he dreamt he was being chased by people with spears with a large hole near the tip. It is also said Einstein came up with general relativity while daydreaming. It occurred to him that if an elevator was falling, the person inside would not realize it is falling till it hit the ground. The importance of not actively processing information is so well-understood, it even has its own name--incubation (which comes right before insight).
Of all the different stimuli, books seem to be the exception. Not containing lights or sound, they are hardly addictive. And lacking a pre-determined pace, they encourage thinking as much as reading. Even so, here is my suggestion to all parents (including myself). It is all well and good to encourage your children to read and learn useful thing. But once in a while, close the books, turn off the devices, and let your children be bored. Because all the best thoughts come from boredom.
Shakeel
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