Once upon a time, in a land not that long ago, children didn't stare blankly into their phones. For good or bad, we're all more connected digitally than ever. Except that in many ways, we aren't. Christine Rosen, in her insightful book "The Extinction of Experience," warns of a world where direct, embodied interactions are being replaced by experience is mediated by screens and algorithms if not by Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg directly, where the experiences your children get are the ones a stranger thinks they ought to be getting. A land where online is more real than real life, where things you can reach out and touch, a broom, a vacuum cleaner or a washing-up brush, are less real than a social media influencer's pretend mansion. This "extinction" isn't just a technological shift; it's a human one. We did it to ourselves. And its impact on our children is profound.
You've seen family gatherings, train carriages, and possibly evand possibly even your own sofa, where every sentient being is lost online in the isolated world of their device. Have you ever got the impression many real-world skills are being forfeited in favor of passive digital consumption? These questions echo the concerns Rosen raises. If you're worried about screen time replacing time replacing me-time in your household and the impact that can have on child development, then you're not alone.
The "Extinction of Experience" in the Home:
The constant barrage of notifications, the endless doom-scrolling, and the instant gratification of online interactions detach people from the physical world and from each other. This "extinction" manifests in diminished empathy, a reduced sense of responsibility, and weakened family bonds. Preparing a meal together, once a cornerstone of family life, is often replaced by individual consumption in front of a screen. More often, one person ends up doing all the chores.
Thousands of years ago, the philosopher Aristotle came up with the concept of eudaemonia, a flourishing life achieved through virtuous action. They didn't have mobile phones then, not even wooden ones, but the idea offers a powerful antidote to digital detachment. Wellbeing isn't found in digital pleasures, but in cultivating character traits that contribute to a meaningful life. Within the home, this translates to fostering responsibility, kindness, and moderation – virtues eroded by excessive screen time. The experiences being lost to digital consumption, are the same experiences that help to achieve eudaemonia.
And the point is?
Household chores are mundane, boring and essential if you don't want a messy house. They're also vital opportunities for "embodied experience." They connect us to the physical world, fostering a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. Sweeping the floor, washing dishes, or getting all the rubbish out of the car engages our senses and grounds us in the present moment. More to the point, household chores need to be done. These everyday real-life tasks teach valuable life skills, cultivate a sense of contribution, and counteract the passive nature of digital consumption.
The Harvard Grant Study and Montessori: Real-World Validation:
The Harvard Grant Study has been running since 1938, investigating what makes a "good life." Overwhelmingly, it finds year after year that healthy, fulfilled, and happy adults have something odd in common. They have practical skills and strong social connections. And they got involved with housework, whether voluntarily or not. Similarly, Montessori education emphasises "Practical Life" activities, fostering independence and self-reliance through hands-on experiences. These methods validate the need for embodied experience. And they are the opposite of the isolation of screen time.
HelpingCards offer a playful, engaging face-to-face way to reclaim real-world experiences within your home. Transforming chores into interactive challenges encourages face-to-face interaction, shared experiences, and the development of practical skills in your household, not a digital, online facsimile of real life——a tool to intentionally take back the experiences that are being lost. Helping Cards help to build the very things that are needed to achieve edaemonia.
You get children who can actually hold a conversation. Who can do useful things around the house. Who can be proud of new skills they'll need as they go through life, and who you can be more proud of too. Just as important, you get a cleaner house. And you don't have to do it all yourself.