Comment by OccamsMirror

You're not wrong. But I think you fail to realise that everything you did on computers in the late 90s and early 2000s had friction by default. Even on Windows. Modern devices are friction free and designed to passively hold your attention as much as possible.

Introducing alternative computing to your children so they actually learn skills isn't about control it's about giving them exposure. If all they see are iPads and Chromebooks, they’ll think that’s all there is and then compare the frustration of trying to do things with a real computer to the ease of just consuming content. I think that frustration is the point for a developing brain. It teaches problem-solving. Requires focus and patience. Rewards perseverance.

Curiosity needs a spark. Sometimes that spark is just showing them a terminal and letting them poke around, or getting them in to Scratch or any of the similar game design visual coding platforms.

Not everything has to be fun or easy. Struggle is part of learning. As a parent, we are up against an industry built to keep kids from ever getting bored. There's no guarantee they'll go down a more rewarding and impactful path if you are too handsoff. Especially in the early years.