Blog #7: TED Talks

Summary of " How Industrialization Changed Childhood" - Dorsa Amir
https://www.ted.com/talks/dorsa_amir_how_the_industrial_revolution_changed_childhood/up-next


According to the article "How Industrialization Changed Childhood" by Dorsa Amir, the difference between "free-range" children and "structured" children make us think about better ideas to have tried-and-true methods of children's development. First, Amir gives us an idea about "making strange familiar and the familiar strange". This idea is reflected in the contrasting evidence of the U.S. culture and Schwar's. Schwar children can climb the high trees, start fires themselves to prepare their food without parents, and use machetes in a skilled way, which are similar to the way people develop in thousand-year of human evolution. That's the reason why a similar feeling came to her when she was in Schwar, but the familiarity of the U.S. culture became strange to her. In addition, the author states the importance of the natural improvement of small-scale societies to develop independent children. Their mothers give natural birth, breastfeed frequently and share their room with kids. Kids are more freedom in physical contact together or people of all ages. These processes may help them build various skills. Last but not least, the decisive factor in human development is a lifestyle not genetic. Children can learn by themselves in getting surrounding information. Life's experiences help them become successful adults with social skills, creativity, and problem-solving. These ideas are not only applied to children but they are also used to adults by making mistakes, expanding the communication environment and giving ourselves some unstructured time. 

This article makes me think reminiscing of my childhood and have some common and divergent views with it. I feel lucky because I have grown up in a natural way with a big family. However, I still think that if I could receive more guidance or supports, I might achieve my goals sooner. I total agree with the author's idea within limits and proper direction to have a better result for children's development.