On making choices that can change the World (and your kids' lives)
When thinking of this time of the year, of Christmas and the related values (as well as any other cultural tradition that involves making gifts, especially to children and teenagers) one word that resonates with me is 'humane'.
This word encompasses many of the values that I associate with Christmas and cultivate in my daily work with individuals, families, communities.
This year my attention was caught by an interesting association of words: have you ever heard of Humane technology?
☑️ If yes, you probably had a similar experience to mine: 'Oh yes! Here's the answer to many of my questions and struggles around technology, health and education'. Well, as you might expect, it is not the answer we could associate with a magic wand taking away all the issues related to the topic. It is an 'answer' more like: this is the direction the world needs to work on, I need to work on, and you.
🔲 If no, please consider diving into the topic, as there's a lot that can help every parent, teacher and school leader making the most of their roles in contemporary societies.
As Tristan Harris said in a recent summit on collective trauma, 'technology has been and is reshaping our habits of mind, our attention, the way we construct reality, sense making and choice making' and we are responsible for acknowledging how this has an impact on our daily actions, because our #awareness and agency will make a difference in the lives of our #children and students.
One process of decision making that is very 'seasonal' is what gift to make (not necessarily to buy) to our beloved youths. Take a moment to connect with your intention: what are the criteria you are using for making this decision?
Oftentimes, this is one turning point in the lives of children and families. We frequently choose new technology, sometimes taking the 'opportunity' to buy something we feel our children 'should have'. This behaviour could come from our own ideas, but it could also be influenced by environmental factors such as the pressure of marketing and the insistence of kids themselves, to the point we sometimes make a gift we actually would prefer not to make.
We buy the most recent technology because (... fill in the dots), e.g. we get enthousiastic about 'progress' or we get excited at the idea of making the best gift, probably wishing to see that look in our children's eyes.
But what is the 'best gift' in 2022?
Take a moment and think back, how did your last #gift change the life of your child and family? What values and intentions will drive your decision this Christmas?
The best gift could be defined as the one that comes from love and awareness, including the awareness of our role in education.
The opportunity I see here, and I share with you today, is to reflect on the power of our gift.
The homepage of the Center for Humane Technology states this: TOGETHER WE MUST align Technology with Humanity’s Best Interests, our mission is to shift technology towards a more humane future that supports our well-being, democratic functioning, and shared information environment.
I agree with their choice of capital letters.
So I hope you'll consider this, and live the experience of a #Christmas gift as a gift you make to our world, which is the one your children ARE LIVING IN.
While whishing you a wonderful festive season and holiday with your families and beloved ones, I choose to close this article with the words of Thich Nhat Hanh (click to watch 2 minutes video):