‘Best way to get children ready for a high-tech future’ is ‘a low- tech childhood,’ says doctor and researcher

In the last few decades, as many parents have tried to prime their kids for success, their focus has largely been on academics, such as helping kids learn advanced math.

“We’ve been optimising our children to be more computer-like,” said Dana Suskind, paediatric otolaryngologist, researcher and author of Human Raised: Nurturing Connection, Curiosity and Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI, at the Fast Company Innovation Festival on Wednesday.

And while those skills will continue to be useful going forward, she said, in our tech-heavy world, it’s possible AI may end up handling the kinds of tasks associated with them down the line.

Instead, what kids will need for success in the future is their uniquely human skills.

“Connection, critical thinking to be able to intuit right from wrong, curiosity, creativity, resilience,” she said, adding that’s what will “allow children to thrive in the age of AI.”

That’s what will distinguish them in the work world.

So how can parents ensure their kids are prepared for the jobs of the future?

“The best way to get children ready for a high-tech future is, ironically, a low-tech childhood,” she said.

‘Let the process be as important as the end goal’

The following are some examples of how parents can foster those inherently human qualities, according to Dr Suskind.

• Critical thinking: Encourage curiosity. When your child comes to you with a question, such as what’s the dirt in the backyard made of, instead of offloading that question to AI or Google, encourage them to try to figure it out. “Let the process be as important as the end goal, which is what the answer is,” Dr Suskind said.

• Creativity: Scarcity can be a great instigator for creativity, she says. Cultivating it can be as simple as creating a context with just a few analog items to play with. “A cardboard box is probably the most powerful stimulant for creativity,” she says as an example.

• Empathy: If you’re reading a book with your kids, discuss the different characters and their motivations. If your child’s friend is mean to them, validate your child’s feelings, let them feel seen, then say something like, “maybe your friend had a really hard day.”

• Resilience: Similarly, when a child is having a difficult time socially, support them through those cycles and let them experience them fully. Say something like, “you can still be friends with that person, or not be friends with that person,” says Dr Suskind. “But life will go on, and mommy and daddy still love you.”

Ultimately, the best way to be a parent is to make mistakes and model the messiness that comes with being human. Parents’ imperfection “is actually what makes them perfect,” she says.