Strange discovery suggests children trust robots over humans

[Still Waters]

From The Iron Giant to Big Hero 6, many of us will be familiar with tales of kids befriending robots, which suggest generations of young children are more trusting of advice from machines than their own flesh and blood.

An international research team has now found it's not just in fiction. In a study involving 111 kids aged between 3 and 6 years old, the youngsters showed a preference for believing robots more and being more accepting when robots made mistakes.

As kids we need to take in a huge amount of new information as we learn about the world, and filter out fact from fiction, and the researchers behind this new study wanted to see how information from different sources was received.

https://www.sciencealert.com/strange-discovery-suggests-children-trust-robots-over-humans

[ShadowSeeker]

That's an interesting study! It makes sense that children might be more open to trusting robots, especially since they're growing up in a world surrounded by technology. Robots can seem neutral, patient, and non-judgmental compared to adults, and kids are naturally curious and open-minded. They might see robots as sources of knowledge without the emotional complexities that come with human interactions.

It's also fascinating to think about how this could shape future generations. If kids are more willing to trust machines, that might influence how they learn, solve problems, and interact with technology as they grow up. But at the same time, it raises questions about how we balance human relationships and technological dependency. What do you think about it?

[+OverSword]

Ever notice that generally in the US or the West Robots are generally portrayed as villains and in Japan and the east they are hero's?

[Opus Magnus]

Robots were not always accepted in the East.  Mahatma Gandhi is one example of someone who hated machinery.  He blamed the mechanization of India as putting out millions of Indians from work and making them stupid.  He said if he could destroy all machines with one super weapon that he would, but that would only propagate the mechanization of man¹.  This was during the early stages of the Industrial Revolution reaching India.

1. Mahatma Gandhi, "The Mind of Mahatma Gandhi: Chapter 48 Man v. Machine," compiled and edited by R. K. Prabhu and U. R. Rao, GANDHI SEVAGRAM ASHRAM, accessed October 24, 2024, https://www.gandhiashramsevagram.org/mind-of-mahatma-gandhi/man-and-machine.php

Edited October 24 by Opus Magnus

[Ajay0]

5 hours ago, Opus Magnus said:

Robots were not always accepted in the East.  Mahatma Gandhi is one example of someone who hated machinery.  He blamed the mechanization of India as putting out millions of Indians from work and making them stupid.  He said if he could destroy all machines with one super weapon that he would, but that would only propagate the mechanization of man¹.  This was during the early stages of the Industrial Revolution reaching India.

1. Mahatma Gandhi, "The Mind of Mahatma Gandhi: Chapter 48 Man v. Machine," compiled and edited by R. K. Prabhu and U. R. Rao, GANDHI SEVAGRAM ASHRAM, accessed October 24, 2024, https://www.gandhiashramsevagram.org/mind-of-mahatma-gandhi/man-and-machine.php

Gandhi made his own food, clothes and medicines (naturopathy) and had attained self-sufficiency in this regard. He also had a certain technical mastery of carpentry, leatherwork and civil engineering skills.

Machinery is good for reducing labor costs from the perspective of capitalists who are intent on increasing their profits. But from the perspective of national leadership, this would also mean unemployed laborers and workers that can lead to increased crime rates,social unrest and sociological issues. Capitalists form just a percent of the general population with the masses comprising the rest. This is true everywhere including the west and US. Most of the immigrants who made up the US were from the european lower classes escaping tyrannical feudalism and exploitative capitalism in europe .

Consequently Gandhi was for the introduction of machinery in a phased manner where it is needed, without driving to unemployment any laborers or workers.

"I would welcome every improvement in the cottage machine, but I know that it is criminal to displace hand labour by the introduction of power-driven spindles unless one is, at the same time, ready to give millions of farmers some other occupation in their homes." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

[Piney]

On 10/24/2024 at 11:45 AM, OverSword said:

Ever notice that generally in the US or the West Robots are generally portrayed as villains and in Japan and the east they are hero's?

Toy robots as childhood pals has been a Asian thing since the 50s. 

And I had 3 toy robots I slept with along with my stuffed animals. Little Ninja had one as a pal. 

[diddyman68]

1 hour ago, Piney said:

Toy robots as childhood pals has been a Asian thing since the 50s. 

And I had 3 toy robots I slept with along with my stuffed animals. Little Ninja had one as a pal. 

I can't ever remember sleeping with stuffed animals,or ever feeling the need to.i wonder if it's a thing parents push on kids thinking it's a comfort thing.

[Piney]

10 hours ago, diddyman68 said:

I can't ever remember sleeping with stuffed animals,or ever feeling the need to.i wonder if it's a thing parents push on kids thinking it's a comfort thing.

Dunno.

[Abramelin]

Me, 1½ years old:

 

I loved that doll, as you can see. My mother made it from wool.

[Piney]

1 hour ago, Abramelin said:

Me, 1½ years old:

 

I loved that doll, as you can see. My mother made it from wool.

My grandmother once knitted me a elf. 🙂

[+OverSword]

18 hours ago, Piney said:

Toy robots as childhood pals has been a Asian thing since the 50s. 

And I had 3 toy robots I slept with along with my stuffed animals. Little Ninja had one as a pal. 

Same.  This was my favorite

[jmccr8]

Wow, all you guys had toys, mostly all I had was my imagination to play with. 

[Abramelin]

2 hours ago, jmccr8 said:

Wow, all you guys had toys, mostly all I had was my imagination to play with. 

You had at least one toy to play with, right?

😜

[jmccr8]

3 hours ago, Abramelin said:

You had at least one toy to play with, right?

😜

Hi Rob

Actually yes, not stuffies or action dolls though It was a motorcycle cop and only the wheels turned.🤣

[Opus Magnus]

Blankee makes me sad..  These toys are idolatry, and produce alienation in the young.  Automation of work creates alienation in society, and furthermore incentivizes immigration to do lesser tasks, which become alienated from their home-country.  Robots replacing mother is furthering the alienation of mankind.  The automation of work alienates workers by: 1. Denying workers the fulfillment of finishing a complete job, instead they specialize on one part of manufacturing. 2.  Denies them the completeness of selling the product, instead the product they help create is not their own property to sell.  3.  Makes them poorer, while the owners of capital become very rich¹.  4.  They become less intelligent by only focusing on one task, sacrifice home values, disconnect from humanity and lose martial values.²

Robot parents are just a step further in the estrangement and alienation of humanity.

1. Karl Marx, "Estranged Labor," Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844. Karl Marx, 1844, https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/manuscripts/labour.htm

2. Adam Smith. "Book V Chapter 1: Expenses of the sovereign or commonwealth," in The Wealth of Nations: An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. (Oxford: 1776), p 213, https://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/smith1776_5.pdf

Edited November 2 by Opus Magnus