Parenting In The Simulation Age

Questions, speculations & updates on the techniques and nature of media fakery
bongostaple
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Re: Parenting In the Simulation Age

Unread post by bongostaple »

Whether what they showed on TV for the Challenger explosion was real or fake, I watched it 'live', and recorded it (they showed it a lot of times) and then fired up my synthesizer, drum machine, and 4-track tape recorder and made an electro sort of track with the ground control to shuttle conversations. Not long after, Keith Leblanc released a solo album on which he had done a track exactly in the vein of my effort. Must have telepathically nicked my idea.

Anyway, back on topic - I remember at the time the blue sky somehow turning black when a long zoom of the shuttle was shown. wasn't really convincingly believable, even in 1986.
aa5
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Re: Parenting In the Simulation Age

Unread post by aa5 »

Probably every kid since the dawn of civilization has lived in his own Simulation Age. Look at when WWI broke out, how millions of men ran down to the military volunteering sites to kill those evil Germans, who were doing all those awful things like bayoneting Belgian babies.

How many questioned if they weren't just hearing one side of the story, and at least wanted to hear the other side of the story before risking his own life, and it should be added being willing to kill young German men.

For men with strong enough natural intellects, who have an innate passion to pursue truth and a willingness to question anything or anyone including authority, I believe these men will as they mature in wisdom, be able to see through the mythologies of their own society.
sunshine05
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Re: Parenting In the Simulation Age

Unread post by sunshine05 »

I can understand the challenges you describe. I homeschool my two boys and often have struggled with exactly how to teach certain subjects. My advice to you is try to relax. I'm not sure how old they are, but mine are teens now and we are able to have good discussions about things, including media fakery. They believe it is occurring, the same as I have for years now.

As far as preparing them for future jobs, I've found that there are some things more important than others. Expose them to lots of classical literature, and teach them how to write really good essays. That is necessary to prepare them for college. Spend a lot of time on math, because they will need that to pass standardized tests. Teach them grammar and vocabulary because it is so important to have a firm grasp of both.

We teach conventional history, but try to expose them to other versions of it -- such as Lincoln and the Civil War, and the official version versus other facts that refute it. It makes it more interesting.

We did try conventional school off and on, but it never worked out. My 17 year old is now preparing for his senior year of high school. He is doing dual enrollment to gain high school and college credits simultaneously.

My 13 year old is currently interested in geography and geopolitics, particularly the situation in Syria and Yemen, and we talked about how the media showed us faked gas attacks on the Syrian civilians. He admires the independent journalists who bring us the truth about what is happening in those areas.

So, it's probably smart to teach the official versions of things, but make them aware that there is evidence that things didn't really happen that way. Teach them to be skeptical, to challenge the official stories, and to research them.

Homeschooling has been wonderful for us. We've taken them to so many places. They are so well mannered too.
Observer
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Re: Parenting In the Simulation Age

Unread post by Observer »

In addition to teaching kids the official stories to pass the official tests, teach kids to notice lies using Logic and Analysis.

The Jon Rappaport character reveals some lies & manipulation, but unfortunately does not admit the full extent of fakery.

So perhaps just create some original Logic and Analysis lessons for your kids - showing them how to notice illogic in stories.

And since 9/11 is a prime example of illogic in the official story/images, show your kids Simon's 19 Logic and Analysis videos.

Just remember, one should also give kids full disclosure: the illogic-regurgitating-majority currently labels such Logic "crazy".

And thus while knowing official stories are lies, one still must write consensus "facts" on tests/reports to get high-paying jobs.

Which means, one should honestly explain to kids the extremes: financially rich Lie-repeater or financially poor Lie-destroyer.

And honestly explain that some folks are happier lying for big money... some folks are happier telling the truth for little money.

Big money buys nice food/home/things/vacations, yet big-money-lies create worldwide suffering & a personal guilty conscience.

One can try to get the best of both worlds by regurgitating the consensus "facts" on tests/reports while being honest with friends.

And one can even try to get the best of both worlds by creating a "highly-paid Lie-destroyer" career path but this is hard to create.

Honestly explain the extremes (rich Lie-repeater vs. poor Lie-destroyer) and that each soul must choose one's own path of Balance.
PianoRacer
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Re: Parenting In the Simulation Age

Unread post by PianoRacer »

My personal opinion as a father of two young children, feel free to take it or leave it:

It is not our jobs as parents to "teach" our children anything other than that which they express a desire to learn. My experience, with children as well as adults, is that human beings cannot be taught anything in which they do not have a genuine interest, which must come from within themselves for any "teaching" to be effective. This is why people can spend over a decade being "taught" in "schools" and come out having learned absolutely nothing. That was certainly my experience.

What I focus on as a parent instead:
  • Modeling healthy behavior and virtuous qualities, such as courage, determination, kindness, respect, empathy, curiosity, compassion, trust, open-mindedness, etc.
  • Expressing constant curiosity about their thoughts, desires, interests, opinions and passions, and encouraging and helping them to grow and learn and play and build whatever it is that brings them happiness, joy and fulfillment (this, to me, is far more important than training them in skills that will earn them money. If they learn to pursue their passions with vigor and determination, I have little doubt that money and financial stability will follow).
  • Treating them as human beings who deserve my curiosity and respect at all times and under all circumstances. I do not tell them what to do (though I certainly ask and suggest). I do not threaten to punish them under any circumstances and I certainly do not threaten them with physical violence. I find that my children naturally defer to their parents as they generally recognize that their parents have much more knowledge and experience than they do.
  • Encouraging skepticism at all times - I am constantly asking them "Are you sure? How do you know?", even when I agree with them. My hope is that this will inculcate in them the ability to and habit of questioning what they are told, and to encourage them to come to their own conclusions, regardless of what everyone around them believes.
I don't like the term "homeschooling" because it's still "schooling" which is unnatural and counter-productive. I prefer "Unschooling" or just "Schools are for fish - children are not fish!"

What Is Unschooling? https://www.naturalchild.org/guest/earl_stevens.html
Despite the differences between the school environment and the home, many parents begin homeschooling under the impression that it can be pursued only by following some variation of the traditional public school curriculum in the home. Preoccupied with the idea of "equivalent education", state and local education officials assume that we must share their educational goals and that we homeschool simply because we don't want our children to be inside their buildings. Textbook and curriculum publishing companies go to great lengths to assure us that we must buy their products if we expect our children to be properly educated. As if this were not enough, there are national, state, and local support organizations that have practically adopted the use of the traditional curriculum and the school-in-the-home image of homeschooling as a de facto membership requirement. In the midst of all this, it can be difficult for a new homeschooling family to think that an alternative approach is possible.
My wife does take them on a regular basis to an "agile learning community" where they play, explore, and pursue their interests and help others pursue theirs, which they love. Like everything, this activity is dependent on their desire to attend, which they generally do. When they don't, they don't go.

https://agilelearningcenters.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_learning

I highly recommend the book Free to Learn by Peter Grey. It helped me understand what my children really need to become happy, healthy adults and it certainly isn't "school", home or otherwise.

http://www.freetolearnbook.com/
In Free to Learn, developmental psychologist Peter Gray argues that our children, if free to pursue their own interests through play, will not only learn all they need to know, but will do so with energy and passion. Children come into this world burning to learn, equipped with the curiosity, playfulness, and sociability to direct their own education. Yet we have squelched such instincts in a school model originally developed to indoctrinate, not to promote intellectual growth.
Good luck on your parenting journey. Parenting in the simulation age is difficult indeed, but knowing the truth about the world and about children and about school and all the rest is incredibly empowering and opens up unlimited possibilities.

All the best,
PR
sunshine05
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Re: Parenting In the Simulation Age

Unread post by sunshine05 »

Unschooling doesn't work for all kids. If left up to him, my one son would play video games all day. He needed the structure.

The other one pursues constructive interests on his own, so I considered that unschooling. He studied astronomy, architecture, building desktop computers, geography, drawing, and more.

But if you strictly unschool, your kid will not learn proper grammar, math and writing. Just my opinion.

I do agree that to fully learn things, there has to be at least some interest, but some structure is definitely needed.

Sorry this is off topic.
PianoRacer
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Re: Parenting In the Simulation Age

Unread post by PianoRacer »

Unschooling doesn't work for all kids. If left up to him, my one son would play video games all day. He needed the structure.
I apologize if I gave the impression that "unschooling" in any way indicates a lack of structure, as that is definitely not the case. My children, for example, attend their "school" which does have some structure - field trips every Wednesday, opening and closing circle, it happens at certain times on certain days, etc.. They also go to community classes for dancing, swimming, gymnastics, etc.

Also, it isn't about "leaving it up to" them. Actively (and creatively) encouraging healthy limits on any given activity, especially relatively passive ones like TV and video games, is critical. My kids watch some TV, play some "video games" (I recommend starfall.com for young kids), but we agree on a limit and usually they are good at sticking to that. Sometimes it's about offering them activities that they might enjoy more. "You watched your two shows which is the agreed upon limit, now lets go play outside! Or Mom can help you with project X that you've been working on!" I'm not saying it's easy - it very often isn't, and the temptation to sit them in front of the TV so Mom and Dad can have a break is a constant temptation, and one which we occasionally give in to.
But if you strictly unschool, your kid will not learn proper grammar, math and writing. Just my opinion.
"strictly unschool" is a bit of an oxymoron. Additionally, that is a pretty broad and confident assertion you're making there. I think the many unschoolers who are quite capable of "proper grammar, math and writing" would beg to differ, some of whom I've met and have a great deal of respect for.

Your position is a fairly common misconception, and one that many people share, but simply isn't true. In fact, if you google "Unschooling", the first result you will get is this:

http://yes-i-can-write.blogspot.com/

I find that many people reject the concept of unschooling without exploring it because it calls into question the decisions that they have made on behalf of their children. I am not saying that is necessarily the case for you, sunshine05, but it may be something worth exploring. Please don't take offense at that suggestion, it is just what I've generally observed.

All the best,
PR
SacredCowSlayer
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Re: Parenting In the Simulation Age

Unread post by SacredCowSlayer »

Dear CF Members and Readers,

I am attaching a YouTube video here that does an excellent job explaining (in simplified terms) how the human brain works as it relates to the conditions under which it thrives (referred to as “learning brain”), versus mere survival (referred to as “survival brain”).

My wife and I found it to be quite insightful as we set about to continue creating an environment for our children in which they are provided the safe but liberating room to explore, create, and indeed thrive. Thankfully for us, it confirmed that we were already on track. But to be able to visualize and articulate why we are on track is instructive as we continually adapt and make adjustments going forward.

I hope you all find this to be helpful, or at least interesting if nothing else.


full link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoqaUANGvpA

I’m confident that our members and readers will be able to quickly recognize that the concept described in the video is in no way limited to children. In that light, we may view those around us (and perhaps society as a whole?) as behaving in the context of the conditions surrounding them, based on (at least in part) their varying degrees of maturity in responding to said conditions.

SCS :)
pov603
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Re: Parenting In the Simulation Age

Unread post by pov603 »

@SCS
Good stuff about the Learning vs Survival Brain.
It also brings into play rational vs emotional thinking too and the possibility that our rational thinking doesn't actually mature until mid 20s.
Hence so many young people making rash decisions even though they are deemed in society as "adult".
Below is a random example of studies done in this regard:
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclop ... entID=3051
URMC / Encyclopedia / Understanding the Teen Brain

Search Encyclopedia


Understanding the Teen Brain
It doesn’t matter how smart teens are or how well they scored on the SAT or ACT. Good judgment isn’t something they can excel in, at least not yet.

The rational part of a teen’s brain isn’t fully developed and won’t be until age 25 or so.

In fact, recent research has found that adult and teen brains work differently. Adults think with the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s rational part. This is the part of the brain that responds to situations with good judgment and an awareness of long-term consequences. Teens process information with the amygdala. This is the emotional part.
Dani
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Re: Parenting In the Simulation Age

Unread post by Dani »

I am currently in my “high school” years, and I have been “homeschooled” since I finished the third grade.

I have found that I enjoy learning as opposed to being “taught at.” For instance, consider how the schools (public, private, and yes even some “homeschools”) teach kids about math, art, science, and history etc. The bottom line is you can’t teach anyone anything if they don’t want to learn it.

My parents provide me a place to educate myself, and give me the learning materials I need, such as books and online courses. They let me go to my room (or wherever I wish) to learn, then I tell them about it later. And they listen, as opposed to telling me what to learn and “grading” me afterwards.

I realize that when you are being forced to “learn” it can be a traumatic experience.

So, what is “school?” To me, “school” is just a place that I go to educate myself. I am not going anywhere to be “taught at.”
SacredCowSlayer
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Parenting In the Simulation Age

Unread post by SacredCowSlayer »

“Social Media” and Our Coexistence With “AI”

This isn’t nearly developed enough to be a stand-alone topic (yet), but I thought you would all appreciate me sharing this recent experience from my own household.

So, my middle child (son) came up to me several weeks back, and the exchange was (as best as I can remember) as follows.

Son: “Hey dad, so, you know that bot that has been posting on my Instagram page?”

Me: “Umm, I’m not sure. . .,and, uh, how do you know it was a bot?”

[I was sincerely interested. Once I figured out how much my kids were/are capable of teaching me, I’ve learned to be grateful for it, and soak it up (as opposed to being threatened by it, like so many parents are).]

He explained this by breaking down how he tested it out by sending certain types of replies in order to gage its responses.

After a short time of listening to him, it was clear that he was correct. I was profoundly impressed with his level of discernment about the whole thing.

Continuing. . ,

Son: “Okay, so I waited like two or three weeks without the bot appearing on Instagram, and I decided to test it again.”

Me: “Okay, how did you test it? Did you message it on Instagram?”

Son: “No, my no, . . . see Dad, that would be too predictable. Instead, to test out just how closely linked all these social media sites are, I entered the phrase ‘what happened to your bot [username]?’ on a Google search.”

Me: “Uh-huh. . . and what happened?”

Son: “Well, about ten to fifteen minutes later the bot began making comments on my Instagram page again! Haha!”

Me: “Wow son, that is an interesting AI experiment you just ran on the social media system. I don’t think I would have come up with that. And certainly not at your age (setting aside the absence of public internet at that time).”

____________________

It’s going to be a big advantage in the future for people who are able to size up different forms of contact and communications from various people and sources in their lives.

That probably goes without saying. But as a parent, I’ll plainly admit that I soon will reach a point where I’m the one being “home schooled” (provided that hasn’t already happened). And that’s okay by me. :)
SacredCowSlayer
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Re: Parenting In The Simulation Age

Unread post by SacredCowSlayer »

caran25 » January 26th, 2019, 10:20 am wrote: . . .
If you can't be herded into the corral , you are a problem with a certifiable disease.
The controllers want (1.) prompt and (2.) unquestioning (3.) compliance, with few exceptions. Nothing more, nothing less.

So, anyone who presents a challenge to any of those three things (underlined above) will have a “solution” presented to (or waiting for) them.

It may come in the form of “school discipline,” “mental health treatment,” or socially engineered environments designed to discourage being different. For all the talk of embracing differences and being “tolerant” etc., the pressures to (essentially) be the same are intense.

Some of you may recall that throughout school growing up, the teachers or professors would assure you there were “no stupid questions.” Oh my, how deceptive that line was. It turns out that the only questions permitted to be asked and “explored” were the ones that dogmatically avoided challenging the underlying premises of the given topic.

Consider the recent advent of the oh so bogus “Oppositional Defiant Disorder,” also known as ODD. Talk about an official way to enforce compliance!

At Wikipedia you may read:
The fourth revision [Yeah, keep “revising” them. . .you big Ass-Crack Clowns (ACC) :P ] Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV-TR) (now replaced by DSM-5) stated that the child must exhibit four out of the eight signs and symptoms to meet the diagnostic threshold for oppositional defiant disorder.[4] These symptoms include:

(1) Often loses temper
(2) Is often touchy or easily annoyed

(3) Is often angry and resentful

(4) Often argues with authority figures or for children and adolescents, with adults

(5) Often actively defies or refuses to comply with requests from authority figures or with rules

(6) Often deliberately annoys others

(7) Often blames others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior

(8) Has been spiteful or vindictive at least twice within the past 6 months.[5][6]

These behaviors are mostly directed towards an authority figure such as a teacher or a parent. Although these behaviors can be typical among siblings they must be observed with individuals other than siblings.[5] Children with ODD can be verbally aggressive. However, they do not display physical aggressiveness, a behavior observed in conduct disorder.[6]

Furthermore, they must be perpetuated for longer than six months and must be considered beyond a normal child's age, gender and culture to fit the diagnosis.[7][5] For children under 5 years of age, they occur on most days over a period of 6 months. For children over 5 years of age they occur at least once a week for at least 6 months.[5]

It is possible to observe these symptoms in only 1 setting, most commonly home. Thus the severity would be mild. If it is observed in two settings then it would be characterized as moderate and if the symptoms are observed in 3 or more settings then it would be considered severe.[5]

These patterns of behavior result in impairment at school and/or other social venues.[7][8]

Etiology Edit
There is no specific element that has yet been identified as directly causing ODD. Researchers looking precisely at the etiological factors linked with ODD are limited. The literature often examines common risk factors linked with all disruptive behaviours, rather than specifically about ODD.

Symptoms of ODD are also often believed to be the same as CD even though the disorders have their own respective set of symptoms. When looking at disruptive behaviours such as ODD, research has shown that the causes of behaviours are multifactorial. However, disruptive behaviours have been identified as being mostly due either to biological or environmental factors.[9]

[Bold inserted by SCS for emphasis. Also inserted paragraph breaks for readability.]
There are simply too many things here that are profoundly askew for me to possibly cover them all. But, I will note a few of them, so as to at least get the ball rolling here.

One, notice how the criteria itself manages to avoid the most basic things. The premises that immediately jump off the page (despite their absence) include:

1. This is an actual “disorder” for which a “diagnosis” is possible, necessary, and useful.
2. The behavior and/or words of the “authority figure” apparently have no weight or relevance when deciphering the behavior of the person under scrutiny.
3. The status of the “authority figure” is obviously left to be determined by a person (the “doctor”) who already considers himself an appropriate “authority figure.” Well. . . damn. . . :angry:

I’ll leave it at that for now, and eventually tie this in with the topic of “Gaslighting,” as it could not be more clear to me how this time tested method of horrendous parenting, teaching, “governing,” etc. has been used to (quite literally) change people, and all but ensure compliance.

I have personally seen how parents who stand up to CPS (Child Protective Services- in Texas) get “diagnosed” with ODD as a result of being “evaluated” (either “voluntarily” or by court order) as a part of their desperate attempt to not lose parental rights.

If that’s not a classic example of circular reasoning, then I don’t know what is. And the level of brute force and coercion exerted is of course downright loathsome. But I could go on all day about that one.

The “authority” backing up the other “authority,”. . . well, color me shocked.
:rolleyes:
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