Neutral technology
Sir: Jenny McCartney’s ‘wake-up call’ (22 September) reminded me of a 19th-century Scientific American piece I discovered describing a dangerous new trend ‘which robs the mind of valuable time that might be devoted to nobler acquirements, while it affords no benefit whatever to the body’. The fad? Chess.
I grew up bingeing on video games and cable TV. I heard similar concerns to Jenny’s from my parents, who were scolded for listening to The Beatles. Before them, books were seen as promoting sedentary behaviour. New technologies are neutral — they reflect both the light and dark sides of human nature. It is worth remembering that smartphones have helped get youngsters out exploring together (Pokémon Go), and taught them engineering and creative skills (Minecraft). Young people now are creative, entrepreneurial and less tempted by vice thanks to the access to information that technology allows. We should celebrate this.
Adam Waters
Ashtead, Surrey
What the people want
Sir: In response to Matthew Parris’s question, ‘Must the will of the people always be respected?’, I fear that the answer is unequivocally: yes.
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