My kids are 15 and 18, and have visceral responses to the amount of screen time they're required to engage in for schoolwork. My son flat-out refuses to use online calendars to organize his chaos. Even if the kids aren't able to rebel, something about many of their psyches is.
Love that idea, gifting their brains with ballast. Like a heart grounded but not weighted 💙
What Earl Grey are you drinking? I need some new sparkle in my cup, and I've been sharing a daily teatime ritual with one of the other teachers at my school so that we don't go insane with Everything That's Going On.
We are also using more paper and reading more books. The students do, in fact, say that they like it.
Becca, it was an Earl Grey CARAMEL! Insanely good. I guess they steeped some Earl Grey in the sugar? Anyway, good luck with finding new sparkle in your cup and please don't go insane with Everything That's Going On.
I know so little about AI that I don't know what to be scared of although I do know it sounds scary as hell. I have had my own extremely frustrating experiences with automated support and you're right- sometimes you just have to hang up and try again.
As a teacher you don't have the luxury of gently ignoring this new technology and I know I'll have to face the reality of it too at some point. We all will.
I'd be interested to know what you thought of the new Elizabeth Gilbert.
Elizabeth, I had so many quick thoughts about this gorgeous post (caramels! ballast! how I miss teaching! how I despise the CVS robotic service and how it’s now the only pharmacy in my tiny town! young brains!) too many thoughts for me to write anything cogent this early in the morning but thank you for this thoughtful piece your writing just get stronger and stronger. I feel smarter reading you. XO
I'm with you, Elizabeth. Card catalogs! Making notes by hand on 5x7" card for a research project. Opening a dictionary, scanning for the word I want, and getting lost in other words / worlds. At my age, I know I am walking a fine line between the necessities of using technology and the joys of moving a fountain pen across the page of a notebook, for example. I go analog as much as possible when I am at home and try not to throw a hissy fit when I am at Michael's buying yarn and I have to use one of their new self-checkout stations before I can get home and breathe into a paper bag. Thanks for writing about this. Big hugs to you and Sophie.
Library card catalogs!!!! In those gorgeous old wood drawers. I still have a collection of encyclopedias and can’t bring myself to get rid of them. I have a clear vision of my 8 yr old reading them, a dog on either side of her, when she was sick with a sore throat. She said she was reading about American Sign Language so she could communicate with us while she was sick.
This generation, Jack's generation, will be the first generation to grow up not knowing a world without AI sadly. Fortunately for him, he's being raised by old people who remember a time before electronic devices. I'm not a fan of AI, or electronics (although I do like them for taking photos and answering questions that flit across my brain). I worry about him, about the future for him. It's not like I have any control over it, but it's so hard to let go.
I too miss losing myself in the card catalogs. I don't want to know about AI. My head is in the sand about it. Maybe I am old enough to avoid it? I find so many aspects of our current modern world unsettling. Thank you for writing about it and giving voice to my own thoughts. It's nice to know I am not alone! I always appreciate your pieces Elizabeth! Keep 'em coming!
Ah, card catalogs, I never thought I’d be nostalgic for those dusty relic but now they conjure a slower era when scholars pursued a life of the mind, when screened distractions hadn’t yet hijacked depth of thought, and we didn’t have to contend with AI. I deeply distrust Ai, but fear I shall have to engage just to protect my flank. You too are in that stream. Oy.
Fuck the robots. I too want ballast. And resonance - with each other! Not with new technology that makes life more cheap and uninspired and cold. Every time I have to call for medical supplies and go through the phone tree of automated prompts and AI voices…I want to run for the hills. I watched a movie with my kids set in the recent past (70s?) and when the little girl used the card catalogue at the library and the kids sat together around a big table piled with books, I almost cried.
Spot on. That AI assistant story hit home! Sometimes a good book and some artisnal caramel are the only reliabe processing power left after a chat with tech. So relatable!
My kids are 15 and 18, and have visceral responses to the amount of screen time they're required to engage in for schoolwork. My son flat-out refuses to use online calendars to organize his chaos. Even if the kids aren't able to rebel, something about many of their psyches is.
Love that idea, gifting their brains with ballast. Like a heart grounded but not weighted 💙
What Earl Grey are you drinking? I need some new sparkle in my cup, and I've been sharing a daily teatime ritual with one of the other teachers at my school so that we don't go insane with Everything That's Going On.
We are also using more paper and reading more books. The students do, in fact, say that they like it.
Becca, it was an Earl Grey CARAMEL! Insanely good. I guess they steeped some Earl Grey in the sugar? Anyway, good luck with finding new sparkle in your cup and please don't go insane with Everything That's Going On.
I understand now!! Incredible.
I know so little about AI that I don't know what to be scared of although I do know it sounds scary as hell. I have had my own extremely frustrating experiences with automated support and you're right- sometimes you just have to hang up and try again.
As a teacher you don't have the luxury of gently ignoring this new technology and I know I'll have to face the reality of it too at some point. We all will.
I'd be interested to know what you thought of the new Elizabeth Gilbert.
You know what? I absolutely loved it. A bit cringy at first but then — POW.
Okay. I trust you. From the reviews I was wary.
Thanks, dear heart.
Elizabeth, I had so many quick thoughts about this gorgeous post (caramels! ballast! how I miss teaching! how I despise the CVS robotic service and how it’s now the only pharmacy in my tiny town! young brains!) too many thoughts for me to write anything cogent this early in the morning but thank you for this thoughtful piece your writing just get stronger and stronger. I feel smarter reading you. XO
I'm with you, Elizabeth. Card catalogs! Making notes by hand on 5x7" card for a research project. Opening a dictionary, scanning for the word I want, and getting lost in other words / worlds. At my age, I know I am walking a fine line between the necessities of using technology and the joys of moving a fountain pen across the page of a notebook, for example. I go analog as much as possible when I am at home and try not to throw a hissy fit when I am at Michael's buying yarn and I have to use one of their new self-checkout stations before I can get home and breathe into a paper bag. Thanks for writing about this. Big hugs to you and Sophie.
Library card catalogs!!!! In those gorgeous old wood drawers. I still have a collection of encyclopedias and can’t bring myself to get rid of them. I have a clear vision of my 8 yr old reading them, a dog on either side of her, when she was sick with a sore throat. She said she was reading about American Sign Language so she could communicate with us while she was sick.
This generation, Jack's generation, will be the first generation to grow up not knowing a world without AI sadly. Fortunately for him, he's being raised by old people who remember a time before electronic devices. I'm not a fan of AI, or electronics (although I do like them for taking photos and answering questions that flit across my brain). I worry about him, about the future for him. It's not like I have any control over it, but it's so hard to let go.
I highly recommend Stash double bergamot Earl Grey.
Thanks for the reading list!!!
I too miss losing myself in the card catalogs. I don't want to know about AI. My head is in the sand about it. Maybe I am old enough to avoid it? I find so many aspects of our current modern world unsettling. Thank you for writing about it and giving voice to my own thoughts. It's nice to know I am not alone! I always appreciate your pieces Elizabeth! Keep 'em coming!
Ah, card catalogs, I never thought I’d be nostalgic for those dusty relic but now they conjure a slower era when scholars pursued a life of the mind, when screened distractions hadn’t yet hijacked depth of thought, and we didn’t have to contend with AI. I deeply distrust Ai, but fear I shall have to engage just to protect my flank. You too are in that stream. Oy.
Fuck the robots. I too want ballast. And resonance - with each other! Not with new technology that makes life more cheap and uninspired and cold. Every time I have to call for medical supplies and go through the phone tree of automated prompts and AI voices…I want to run for the hills. I watched a movie with my kids set in the recent past (70s?) and when the little girl used the card catalogue at the library and the kids sat together around a big table piled with books, I almost cried.
Spot on. That AI assistant story hit home! Sometimes a good book and some artisnal caramel are the only reliabe processing power left after a chat with tech. So relatable!
I miss all those things, too. Beautiful writing, and that photo touched my heart. The innocence and focus.