How do we talk about quality of content with kids? By taking the technology out of it.
In my opinion, the more neutral we can be, the better. If we talk about content, or food, or friends, or music, as “good or bad” that won’t discourage our kids from engaging with it but it might discourage them from talking about it with you, and it may make it feel even more special by being off limits. Think about how many millennials and Gen Xers feel about “bad” foods that are less nutrient dense.
Which is exactly why I used Fritos in this comparison! And before anyone comments and says “but this isn’t the same” the point is not that these are identical items. “But those videos are designed to hook you!” yes, so are Fritos. So is advertising. So are cliffhanger endings on TV shows. By talking about the design aspects across all types of content or parts of our lives, we’re keeping it neutral while still pointing out how to tell that different things affect us differently.
The reality is, we all engage in brainrot. The word is over 100 years old. Maybe it’s Real Housewives, maybe it’s Girl Dinner, maybe it’s a trashy podcast, maybe it’s spicy novels. Brainrot has a purpose, even if it’s leisure and relaxation. That doesn’t mean I want my child watching brainrot videos right before they have to go concentrate at school. But if the only way I talk about them is to talk about how bad they are, I’m losing the opportunity to listen to why my child likes them, the purpose they serve, and help my child notice how content impacts them and how that can fit in their lives.
Of course that doesn’t mean we say yes to all content or all content creators. Of course we will still say no to certain things or certain types of things. And that can be part of the conversation too.
