The Vanishing Art of Idleness: A Lost Generation?
Rethinking The Busy Trap: Are Children Losing Out on ‘Dead Hours’?
In Enrique Alpañés’ recent column for El País, a poignant question lingered: where have the “dead hours” gone?
Remembering a Slower Time
Alpañés reflects on the frenetic pace of modern life, recalling the slow, seemingly insignificant moments of childhood – the summer naps, the quiet TV time, hands clutching matanos.
Children Today: Busier Than Ever?
A tale from the library, ¡Come, Bruno!, hints at a familiar narrative: packed schedules filled with extracurricular activities, exhausted parents and children alike, no time for ‘dead hours’.
“Bruno’s is the day-to-day life of many children.”– El Pais
Pressure to ‘Fill Every Minute’
Parents grapple with work schedules and societal pressure, filling children’s free time with structured activities, often under the guise of personal fulfillment.
Stripping the mass of traditional units of meaning did not give rise to freedom but to new shackles.– Byung-Chul Han
Lost Sense of Self
A tweet from a journalist struggles with defining self beyond work and ideology, reflecting a generation that seems to have lost its moorings.
By the grace of capital I am a man and I am a maker; for my actions, great consumer.– Pablo d’Ors
The Casualty: Idle Time
The ‘dead hours’ have disappeared, taking with them the value of community, transcendence, and a sense of life’s inherent grace. What’s left is a rushed, consuming existence.
Pro Tips:
- Set aside dedicated ‘blank’ time in your children’s schedules.
- Model the behavior you want to see: prioritize idleness for yourself, too.
FAQs
- Why are ‘dead hours’ important? They foster creativity, introspection, and overall well-being.
- How can I encourage idleness in children? Model the behavior, create time for it in their schedules, and support their freedom to just ‘be’.
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