Comment by thatjoeoverthr
2 days ago
I set up one with Ubuntu for my seven year old.
1. It's in the living room next to an SNES and an N64.
2. I showed her vscode, did a short HTML tutorial, and printed out some HTML cheat sheet.
3. Some modest games.
4. No YouTube or social.
Most of the buzzwords are not important (power, freedom) but I want something "unrefined". That is, a little bit of the 1980s, 90s "neat creative toy" experience but nothing with a Recommender Engine. No "digital crack".
As an entertainment product, it's definitely 100% inferior to modern software, but you actually don't want it to "win" a contest against:
1. yourself
2. other children
3. healthy activities
Recommenders and modern games are really strong. Do not invite strong, self-interested parties to compete for your child's time and life against yourself, their siblings, their friends, their neighborhood and their own developing bodies.
Common pattern: Wake up; play one cup of Mario Kart 64; leave it behind and go outside for ten hours. Or play it together. A cute little nice thing in its little proper place.
Outside like the back yard? Where does your 7 year go for 10 hrs?
Oh good question so there is a neighborhood, we’re surrounded by playgrounds and parks with other children and in the summer it’s surprisingly easy to keep busy. I did get her a bit of a kit (flip phone, radio, skates, nice bag) and she is quite outgoing. This area is expensive (not upper class but price-wise) but it’s very dense and safe landscape for a child.
I should add. _Other_ children being on phones poaches them off, but currently enough are "let out" that it's not a total child desert. (This was harder for the previous child, long ago, so I think there is a trend.) A lot of them are given smart watches and she reports being teased for having a flip phone and not a smart device. I explained a little the situation as I understand and taught her some "cocky-funny" and "agree & amplify" deflections. This is a tricky skill to pull off but she managed.
Also also: winter will be harder (less kids out, short daylight) but she managed to get numbers and build "relationships" before winter. I'm so relieved.