“At school you are engaged not so much in acquiring knowledge as in making mental efforts under criticism. A certain amount of knowledge you can indeed with average faculties acquire so as to retain; nor need you regret the hours you spent on much that is forgotten, for the shadow of lost knowledge at least protects you from many illusions. But you go to a great school not so much for knowledge as for arts and habits; for the habit of attention, for the art of expression, for the art of assuming at a moment’s notice a new intellectual position, for the art of entering quickly into another person’s thoughts, for the habit of submitting to censure and refutation, for the art of indicating assent or dissent in graduated terms, for the habit of regarding minute points of accuracy, for the art of working out what is possible in a given time, for taste, for discrimination, for mental courage, and for mental soberness.” (William Cory, 19823-1892, renowned for being “the most brilliant Eton tutor of his day.” Arthur Coleridge described him as “the wisest master who has ever been at Eton.”)
Are young people having conversations these days? I mean, real conversations. I have the impression that life is actually quite solitary for many, alone in their rooms with their TVs. cellphones or tablets. The reason I ask this question is that my grandson was telling his father that the kids at school don’t socialise much or discuss serious issues. Unless you do it is difficult to foster the habit of attention, the art of expression, the assumption of a new intellectual position, the entering onto other people’s thoughts, or most of the other skills listed by William Cory. These things need practice.
Provided they are not utilised excessively, technology can actually enhance the skills Cory mentions. I wouldn’t be sat here on my laptop, commenting on this blog were it not for the innovations of the modern age. As a young person, I can honestly say that for most people, life is far from unsociable. People still meet, talk and argue as ever. The increased ease of travel means that making and maintaining friendships with those further afield is easier than ever before. I met many of my current friends for the first time online, even if it was inevitable that I would eventually meet them in person anyway; it was very reassuring to meet fellow Exeter undergraduates prior to enrolling at university, so as not to go to an unfamiliar environment totally alone.
Having said that, there is a danger that particularly with young children, technology serves as a direct substitute for real conversations. Young children often suffer from confidence issues, especially when talking to the opposite sex, and so find the prospect of an online meeting less daunting. That’s why reasonable limits on the amount of time a young child can spend online are good parenting. Once a child has established a healthy, fulfilling, productive and sociable life in the real world, limits on the time spend in the virtual world become obsolete.