article: Principles that shape good Stories
Ideas that will change the way we see kids' screen time, for healthier child development, better nurtured imagination, and potentiated creativity
Want to dive deeper into the principles that are shaping Stories? These are some ideas and principles any parent can adopt to make better choices about their children's screen time.
I’ve found myself sifting through thousands of videos to select the few that contribute to the mood board which is defining Stories. There's no hard science or pre-prescribed guidelines, other than avoiding themes of violence and other obvious undesirables that any conscientious parent would want to steer clear of. Instead, I've attempted to capture some of the recurring and overlapping principles that I tend to adhere to—the subtle nuances that, in my intuition, define what makes these sources of inspiration effective in creative and overall development at any age.
I hope these few insights provide just enough aha moments to empower us to guide our screen time habits by noticing the ideas and subtleties that might not always be obvious. Consider this a work in progress, and please do share your own thoughts and experiences in the comments below👇.
Here goes…
Thoughtful screens:
One overarching idea of Stories is to encourage relationships with our screens to be more meaningful and thoughtful than habits might have become. The idea is to permit ourselves to proactively choose the information and material we display to our kids with critical thoughtfulness, thereby feeling a little more empowered and connected with our kids in the process.
Natural variety:
Encouraging natural variety in children's experiences and perspectives can cultivate creativity through instinct, curiosity, and play. By embracing more of the true diversity of real-world influences, in place of artificial fantasies and themes abundant in most kids' material, we allow our kids space to discover their own imaginative explorations, crucial for developing autonomy and creativity.
See my other post on this here.
Inspiring ideas:
The digital landscape is awash with material over-engineered to 'capture' our kids' attention, rather than present anything genuinely meaningful. Stories lean towards material that isn't burdensome or demanding but does present ideas and realities that can inspire deeper thoughts, conversations, and activities if opportunities arise. These are the valuable ideas nested within all Stories, some of which plucked out as the 'inspiration words'.
Incredible medium:
Stories encourage our physical devices not to be used as toys or a button to mute kids, but the as the embracing of the screen more as an incredible medium for presenting ideas. Admittedly, this requires a subtle shift in our psychological adoption of screens, but this is a powerful game-changer. A potentially challenging subject to get one’s head around, and which deserves its own article, so more on this soon.
Sacred time:
Kids naturally crave learning. The precious screen time we do allow is a huge opportunity of multiple dimensions, something not to be wasted on material that doesn’t contribute in any way. The screen can be seen as a valuable window that grants access and opportunities for natural connection, even moments of enlightenment. The themes Stories have been dancing around also tend to complement physical development and experiences in crafting, creating, and getting outdoors, rather than replacing skills with screen time.
Respect for narratives:
Similarly, the narratives nestled within our everyday stories are rich and full of depth. We don’t have to worship ourselves or the mundane and irrelevant, but rather a simple skill of acknowledgement, and respect for other people's interests, their ideas, and their worlds can go a long way in open-mindedness and widening the potential for kids to develop their own ideas.
Deep ends:
Stories have become a bit like pools - a place where pushing is not allowed. Kids and imaginations can paddle in the shallows if that's where they’re finding a footing, but the deep end is there for diving as they feel ready. There are hidden depths within every Story that repeat visits throughout all stages of development can be a positive experience to be encouraged.
Considered perspectives:
This could also be called 'ways of seeing'. This is the rare skill of taking the time to consider things, build thought processes, and develop one's perspectives in the mind. Too often kids’ material is fast and flashy and permits no time for contemplation. Stories are often quiet, with little distracting talking or sound, and often contain long shots which encourage a little extra space for processing and developing curiosity. Crucially, this space also allows kids to embrace imagination and develop deeper creative intuitions.
Embrace disinterest:
Stories embrace themes and styles that will not resonate with everyone, and this is an opportunity to be acknowledged and embraced as a positive thing. Most material 'designed for kids' is either over-optimised to grip and/or over-stimulate, but imagine the longer-term pacifying effects. In reality, life is not a continuous feed of stimuli upon demand, and the negative implications of kids being conditioned to expect or perceive this into adulthood are only now being understood.
On the contrary, we want to encourage space for things that may not interest everyone or are even deemed as boring. We can have respect for others' interests and acknowledge that not everything will interest us, and that’s perfectly okay. This is a key subtlety of the natural variety of themes Stories touches on. It's the gentle encouragement and calm habits of kids being able to explore their own interests, modes of stimulation, and autonomous thinking.
Eclectic experience:
Like a visiting artist to an art school, Stories come with a diversity of themes, ideas, and styles. By immersing children in a variety of experiences, Stories expand perspectives and increase empathy by allowing kids to see things from other points of view, thus broadening an understanding of the world.
Similarly, Stories tend to depict how things work, how different people do things, and explore various aspects of human nature. This eclectic exposure helps children connect various ideas and concepts, fostering critical thinking and creativity.
Inter-cultural exploration:
Stories embrace styles and narratives from all cultures around the world, sometimes in other languages, sometimes with no sound. The emphasis is on embracing what we interpret and intuit, recognising that we can't always understand all languages or what's being said and that this needn't be a barrier to curiosity. Inter-cultural Practice is also an emerging field of utilising creativity to dissolve cultural barriers, and for kids, this can be an intuitive life skill and a rich way to approach creativity.
Potentiated creativity:
Lastly, this is the overarching theme that celebrates the unique gift of human imagination. Stories aim to inspire and nurture creativity, permitting kids their potential to confidently embark on their journeys of self-expression and natural discovery. Perhaps better understood as a contrast to the mainstream material that stifles imagination through pre-packaged fantasy and obscure narratives.
Instead, the Other art school strives to empower everyone to engage with and embrace their own imaginations and ideas, exploring the limitless possibilities of creativity on their own intuitive terms.
xR
