Dropsafe

by Alec Muffett

Goodnight iPad, Ann Droyd # not quite as good as Go The F**k To Sleep. PLUS: BONUS PHILOSOPHY!

It’s amusing.

But I don’t really care for the perspective from where this video comes.

Until the generation dies-off which sees tablets and broadband and phones as toys rather than rich communications – and until these things become somewhat normalised in the eyes of all generations – we’ll still have this sort of Luddism, this perspective that there is something better, purer than modernity.

Books are OK, Kindles are not.

Conversation is OK, Phones are not.

Teddy Bears (and “Barbie”) are OK, Tamagotchis and Farmville are not.

Generally these perspectives come from people who want a return to mandated “respect” for shibboleths like “family” and “faith”; but when you lack both of these – or when you hate bits of your family, or see no value in the church – all you want to do is connect with people who you like.

People who understand.

So what does this video represent?

It represents authoritarian control by a dated populace, perhaps with an eye to the kids needing enough sleep, but more firmly in pursuit of isolationism.

Because… god forbid that they should start ignoring you this early in their lives.

⊞

Comments

5 responses to “Goodnight iPad, Ann Droyd # not quite as good as Go The F**k To Sleep. PLUS: BONUS PHILOSOPHY!”

  1. Dave Walker

    My view is more along the lines of “nothing much changes” – I remember having books and toys taken away from me, when as a small boy I was required to go to bed. A few years later, as a somewhat bigger boy, my mother would take the ‘phone off the hook so I couldn’t dial out from my modem.

    It’s ironic that the video has the LCD TV briefly showing (or at least, alluding to) the prehistoric sequence from “2001: A Space Odyssey” – just think how much the Australopithicenes (I think) *learned* from that black slab…

    Reply
  2. Dave Walker

    Another thing… there seems to be considerable emphasis in the story on “buzzing and beeping”. Even though I live alone, I run my laptop and iThings with the audio off, unless I’m watching something on iPlayer; it’s hard to listen to Radio 4, otherwise :-). All the gadgets mentioned have volume controls; why not just have the little critters turn them all the way down?

    Reply
    1. alecm

      I’m pretty sure my father told me of his dismay of the crystal set radio being put away before bedtime. From that aspect, little change.

      Reply
  3. Martin

    Am I the only one that finds it ironic that it’s available in eBook format.

    Reply
    1. alecm

      hadn’t noticed. Very good point.

      Reply

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