The great philosopher Jacques Ranciere says that the idea that people will get overstimulated or overloaded by all of the images and sounds and information flows coming at them dates back to the 19th century. It originated with the elites who feared the spread of literacy and expressed their anxiety that the unwashed masses would learn to read and write through a fake concern over this so-called overload.
So according to Ranciere, whenever you hear about the sensory overload or people being bombarded by information you need to know that those who say it want to keep you down, controlled and uninformed.
Yeah, I’m simplifying but it’s 10:20 pm, and if you can retell Ranciere any better at this hour, go ahead.
So, my question: if Ranciere is right, then all of these parents who are fretting that children will get overstimulated by screens, Internet, phones, TV, etc, what is it that they really fear?
Clarissa's Blog 
Dreidel here…
NEWS FLASH:
Have you been watching the anarchy raging in the streets of Charlotte, NC, where rioters have been looting and destroying property undeterred for hours, while the city’s clueless mayor went on television to assure cable television viewers that her hapless police force had the situation under control?
The state governor has finally come to his senses and called out the National Guard.
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Ok, let’s not exaggerate either. I’ve had the TV on all night with a live feed and there is a few dozen people mulling about aimlessly while police seem prepared for the invasion of Russian troops armed with nuclear weapons.
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Dreidel here…
Well, those prepared-for-nuclear-war police are one-row deep in a few areas and non-existent in other blocks, while “a few dozen” looters and criminals have been continually smashing windows and stealing property, with no attempt by any authority to arrest or even stop them. (Most of that hasn’t been shown on TV — which mostly has apologists for the rioters tut-tutting — but it is being reported.)
The IDF would never allow such chaos in an Israeli city.
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The reference to IDF makes it clear how much you miss SB. 😉
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Dreidel here…
I have no idea what “SB” refers to — but if the first letter stands for “sane” and the second refers to anything about governance in this country, you’re probably right. 🙂
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I always thought sensory overload was an overstimulation thing. Like when I get anxious because of too many people, bright lights, and loud sounds all in one place. On a off day, it becomes overwhelming quickly. This makes it difficult to concentrate and often gives me a headache and shuts me down. It can also make a good day into an off day, and turn an off day into a nightmare.
From that angle, sensory overload is a huge problem. But it’s related to my autism, and completely unrelated to the number of screens I sit in front of or the number of books I read. I’m not sure what those parents are afraid of according to Ranciere’s definition of sensory overload, though. Change, maybe. Change in social order? Fluidity of social order? The collapse of identity associated with firm social boundaries and the new structure and uncertain structure that replaces it?
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Loss of control and not being the sole source of information about the world, I’d say. This definitely deserves to be analyzed.
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This makes sense. Hard to control someone when they start thinking for themselves. Why would anyone want that kind of control, though? Is it because they don’t have enough control in their own lives, so they feel the need to control the people around them?
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It’s supposed to make you really frenetic during the day, and sleepless at night. The issue is that the parents want the children not to be bouncing off the walls during the day and staying up all night, then getting exhausted and strung out, etc. It’s about not having the kids so hyped up that they can’t rest, and therefore (importantly) not having the kids keeping the parents awake 24/7. Later on, it’s supposed to be about concentrating and getting things done; I can work in silence or noise, for instance, but if I am listening to something compelling like a symphony, I will be distracted
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“all of these parents who are fretting that children will get overstimulated by screens, Internet, phones, TV, etc, what is it that they really fear?”
You grew up in the CCCP and you have to ask? They fear that their children will find out something that conflicts with the world view the parents have been trying to instill in their children. This world view (whether religious, political or something else) is liable to be very delicate and unable to withstand any inquiry, especially from children who are known to ask indelicate common sense questions.
In short: They are terrified that if their children can learn about the world on their own, it might explode the world the parents have been building for themselves.
I do think sensory overload is a real thing and have experienced it myself. (examples upon request) The fact that some people use the term as justification to prevent others from learning about the world on their own is a coincidence (maybe those who invented the term didn’t realize it was also a real thing).
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I knew there was something very familiar in all this! I’m glad you confirmed it for me.
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I certainly sometimes suffer from sensory overload myself. For example, if I am driving and listening to music, and a passenger says something, it can easily lead to my missing a turn I need to make.
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Parents are always concerned about cell phones because teenagers might use them for gasp sexting and other sexual activities. So controlling media is definitely a way to control sexuality.
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Touch screens have been shown to disrupt sleep patterns; apparently something about the bluish light prevents you from feeling sleepy when you really are. My main concern with my kids is disruption of sleep patterns, loss of interest in other, nonelectronic activities, and for small kids the exposure to inappropriate content.
We do try to limit the amount of time spent with screens for the younger two. We did it for Eldest but he has more freedom now, plus he’s shown to be conscientious and disciplined about his work so he has total freedom with content, but his computer locks at 10 pm so he would go to sleep; he also has a phone that I occasionally have to take away and bring downstairs to charge so he’d go to sleep on time (friends google chat and facebook and whatnot till the wee hours in the morning), he’s usually very disciplined. As for content, again, the eldest kid can do what he will but for the younger kids we loosely oversee what they do. The little one is too little for the web, but plays some video games. The middle one is 9 and likes to watch YouTube videos; most of the stuff he watches is pretty innocuous (e.g., Minecraft or Pokemon) but then he stumbles across scary stuff (couldn’t sleep for a week on account of some creepy puppet video) or videos with a lot of swearing or sex (we are not prudes, but he’s 9 — girls still have cooties — so not exactly mentally equipped to process porn). We do not micromanage what they view and do, but generally try to make sure it’s reasonably age-appropriate, that it doesn’t interfere with homework, exercise, or sleep, and that’s about it.
This may be a bit off topic, but you have to show kids what some call “benign neglect” — you have to leave them be, and have them make choices for themselves, and generally not be on their case all the time. This holds for little kids and big kids alike. There is a big difference between letting them have freedom to explore and not giving a toss about what they do. If everyone around them is exposed to electronics, they will want to be as well, and you have to let them be part of their peer group to the extent to which it doesn’t impede the important aspects of their life.
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When I was small “overstimulation” had to do with lights, noises, music, and stuff, not information. I thought it was overdone — babies were supposed to have calm music, etc. I guess screaming and chaos would not have been good, but I liked things like rock music better than I liked the restrained atmosphere that was supposed to be good for me.
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