We need to stop asking kids what they want to be when they grow up
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Summary
A straphanger argues we should stop asking kids what they want to be when they grow up, sparking a conversation with Kareem about the rapidly changing workforce and whether career-focused questions put too much pressure on children. The rider points out that most jobs today might not even exist in the future. "Explain your job to somebody in the medieval times," Kareem says. "They would look at you with slow blinks." The conversation shifts to what we should ask instead. How do you want to make the world a better place? What are you curious about? The rider suggests focusing on imagination and leisure rather than the 9 to 5 grind, proposing we ask kids what they want to do for fun when they grow up. Sports would still exist, they joke. Kareem agrees that asking who they want to be, not what, might be the better question.
Full Transcript
So, what's your take? I think we need to stop asking kids what they want to be when they grow up.
100% agree. I think it's way too early to ask kids. I think you shouldn't ask anyone until they're like 40. Nobody likes the person that walks into the room and is like, "So, what do you do?"
True. But I feel like kids, they don't think in terms of work. We bring that to them. I know. But I think we're trying to pressure kids to start thinking about the job market early.
What job market? Because if you look at technology, I mean, most of the jobs that exist today might not exist. Tennis player will exist.
So, are we anchoring everyone to the sports industry? Sure, why not? If we have all this time on our hands, because we don't have jobs. So, instead of asking somebody, "What do you want to do for work when you grow up?" You ask kids, "What do you do want to do for leisure when you grow up?" And it has to be sports.
I don't know about I'm a literal brilliant genius. In 10 years, the workforce could look so different that we just don't recognize it. Like explaining what you do to somebody in the 1500s, okay, explain your job to somebody in the medieval times. They would look at you with slow blinks. Literally, I would say I'm the gesture. You're the gesture except on the phone.
Okay. And then I would explain a phone and then they would say you're not well and call the guards. What do we want to ask kids? Are we not asking kids any questions?
Yeah. I just think we just don't talk to them at all. No, I think maybe like I think we do have to ask about the future so that they have something to look forward to. What's in their imaginations? Like could they bring that to life? Like what are what are you curious about? Don't worry about work. Don't worry about 9 to 5. Don't worry about making money. Just like what are you imagining right now and how could everybody else be a part of that?
Maybe this is the question they should ask. How do you want to make the world a better place? Exactly. I'm going to do my own little sample. I'm going go up to a 5-year-old. I have a baby so I can also take the baby so that I'm not weird. And I'm going to say, "Hey, nice to meet you, Marcus. How do you want to make the world a better place when you grow up?"
That's a great question to ask little kids. Or ask them who do they who does Marcus want to be like a kind person, a good person. Some people just might not even want to be. What if they say they want to be bad?
Then I guess that's their journey. No. No, I'm joking. No.