Kids and Filters

Once upon a time, there were limits to what a person could learn and know. Skills and knowledge were closely guarded, limited to those with power. We don’t miss those days either.

However, we seem to be at other end of the spectrum at the moment, and that also poses its own challenges. What used to be a sad trickle of information has turned into drinking from the fire hose. Our kids have access to the sum total of human knowledge at any given moment. At times, it seems to be stuffed down their throat. But quantity does not equal quality.

What we need is filters for our kids, ways for them to determine what’s useful, appropriate, and accurate. We need them to be picky about the information they accept and consume. Where do we find these “filters”? Who helps a kid learn how to think, instead of just what to think? This kind of thing isn’t generally a focal point in school, and the powers that be aren’t huge fans of it either (in fact, it’s often discouraged). It’s not even emphasized among parenting skills. Health, happiness and safety make it onto the roster, but maybe not so much critical thinking. We can’t exactly take the brakes off and give our kids free run of all the information out there, but we also can’t cut them off from it entirely.

So, we need to make sure those filters are built into our kids themselves.  If there’s one thing philosophy is useful for, it’s helping thinkers of all ages to sift through the noise, to test out ideas, and to separate fact from opinion.

If you want to help your child build these incredible tools, here are some questions you should encourage them to ask:

·      Do I trust the source of this information? Can I find it in more than one place, so that I can make a comparison?

·      Is someone profiting or benefitting from me thinking this way or that way?

·      Is this the kind of information that is likely to harm me, or lead to others being harmed?

·      Is this information available to everyone, or is it being kept for a specific group of people?

·      Does this information actually make sense? If I play it forward, does the logic add up?

These questions may seem like a tall order for a little thinker, and that’s because they are. The good news is that they can be practiced through play, and they’re much easier to learn earlier on. As is the case with any new skill, if you practice asking these questions often enough, for long enough, it becomes habit. Who wouldn’t want their kids growing up happier because they know this from that, feeling confident that they can think their way through things?