Sergey Brin's Take On Technology's 'Downside' For Kids

Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, shared his ideas on technology and education at a recent conference, Breakthrough Learning in the Digital Age.

As would be expected from the tech-savvy Googler, Brin predicted computers would eventually become a mainstay in classrooms, given that the devices keep getting cheaper and broadband access keeps expanding.

Surprisingly, however, Brin admitted that this increasing inter-connectivity and access to information might not be a purely positive force for kids, suggesting that it could come at a cost to students.

As the LA Times reports, when asked what kind of technological world he envisions 15 or 20 years from now,

Brin said he hoped that the increasingly powerful access to information would free people up to become more capable individuals. But he did see a downside.

"When I was growing up, I always knew I'd be in the top of my class in math, and that gave me a lot of self-confidence," he said. But now that studens [sic] can see beyond their own school or hometown, they see that "there are always going to be a million people better than you at times, or someone will always be far better than you. I feel there's an existential angst among young people. I didn't have that. They see enormous mountains, where I only saw one little hill to climb."

Comments

[curiousasheck]

Don't worry technology will fix all our problems so we can all enjoy a life of leisure. Don't worry about reaching your highest potential machines will handle it for you.

[AtheistUS]

I think Sergey Brin raised important point, even though I'd expect more detail from him.

Driving force for a kid should be curiosity and genuine interest to a subject, not a competitiveness. Some comfort from being good enough at it helps and allows to spend more time and effort without uneeded self-reflection.

In competitive environment, with not only easy access for comparison, but with strong implicit suggestion that one should always estimate progress and compare with others - in such environment we create big problems for future talent that at childhood may be slow deep thinker, or dreamy observer etc. It is a problem.

Our society becomes too much tuned in for immediate result and continuous performance estimate.

[unfiltered]

Confidence shouldn't be driven by exclusivity or riches. And, it shouldn't be protected by creating barriers to others. I would hope that Sergey Brin's comment focuses us not just on what subjects to teach, but also illuminates the value that confidence has in driving success and motivating others.

It allows you to weather failures and have hope when it hardly seems justified. It helps you manage stress and be happy during the travails of life. After Cliff Lee mowed down the Yankees hitters in the first game of the World Series he quoted three things, I suspect of equal importance, to which he attributed his success: putting in the work, having trust in your teammates, and confidence.

In addition to the internet and computers, we need to work hard toward bringing confidence into our classrooms.

[unfiltered]

So, this is the mindset of the elite. Having lived life as one of the few capable, Sergey fears being kicked out the club of exclusivity? Welcome to the daily lives of minorities, the poor, or those simply not well connected who already realize the threat to confidence he fears. I can't help but now empathize with the racist, the climate-change denier, or the champion of 'trickle-down economics.­" Life must be good with the deck stacked in your favor.

If Sergei focused his thoughts on trying to improve confidence or figured out better ways to teach students to be the best for themselves instead of some self-made motivational ploy, he would not only help the thousands for which he sympathizes but also the millions that will benefit from technology's hand.

Perhaps he doesn't deserve the tone. And, I truly thank him for bringing me into his world. But this is the mentality that stops progress, that which is often rooted in the selfish desire to maintain power or wealth, stature or exclusivity.

That way of thinking is limited and unfortunate. I'm sorry he feels that way.

[iblogleft]

I remember going to a track meet in school. I watched a Korean runner sprint the entire 880, that was my last track meet :-)

Sometimes, seeing how far from the mountain you are, gives a perspective that aims you towards the beach. Not always a bad thing.

[Voltage]

Unless you're the rare, rare person at either end of an extreme (smartest/dumbest, richest/poorest, most gifted/least gifted) there's always somebody better and worse off than you. Live your own life. Do the best you can.

[MeloMelo66]

really good post

[JustMe1962]

"When I was a child people simply looked about them and were moderately happy; today they peer beyond the seven seas, bury themselves waist deep in tidings, and by and large what they see and hear makes them unutterably sad." -- E. B. White

[IDIOTA]

The kids that I see applying to Berkeley are all of the same sort -- striving for the high GPA and the high test score but not really interested in learning. These sorts bore me.

[IDIOTA]

Brin saw hills where others, he says, will see mountains, but the truth is that the brightest don't always end up at the top and the dumbest don't always end up at the bottom. Brin saw hills because of his personality as well as his confidence.

Many strive for their own benefit, regardless of what skills or resources others possess.

[CRMurray]

While he does have a good point, do kids not have educational competition between schools anymore? I remember being on the Algebra team in HS. There were county and state competitions that I know of at the very least.

You quickly realized that there is ALWAYS someone smarter than you. This was alwasy said to me while encouraging me to be the best I could be. Kids these days seem to expect the grades without the effort.

Some not all that is...

[Jeff Yablon]

Truly Insighful

Yes, he sounds like every adult who's ever uttered a "back in the day" line, but . . .

He's right.

Jeff Yablon
President & CEO
Answer Guy and Virtual VIP Computer Support, Business Change Coaching and Virtual Assistant Services