Youngsters, Angry Birds & Worm Grunting
February 8, 2022 · Kris Tyte & Sean Snodgrass

Youngsters, Angry Birds & Worm Grunting

In this episode of Positively Pedestrian, we discuss our older perspective on the younger people and render our unfair critique therein. We talk about education and educational technology, the pros, and cons, and what may be possible in the future. Then Kris tells a story about Infowars, Fox News, and a white-collar rhetoric war gone wild and high-tech. Lastly, we joke about a local man we see getting ready to go fishing for the day and being guilt-tripped by Sarah McLachlan into saving suffering animals.

Quotable
“Just want to find out what they need to do and get out of there. ”
— Kris Tyte
Captures a task-oriented mindset where learning is minimized to required outputs rather than driven by curiosity or intellectual exploration.
Quotable
“Learn by doing makes way more sense to most people than it used to. ”
— Sean Snodgrass
Advocates for experiential learning over traditional passive educational models.
Photo
Infographic showing a platform where students rate and rank lessons, allowing the most effective teaching content to rise to the top globally.
Crowdsourced education ranking system
Quotable
“The attention span has been decimated. ”
— Kris Tyte
Reflects the impact of digital environments on sustained focus and deep thinking.
Photo
Infographic illustrating how notifications, apps, and multitasking fragment attention and reduce deep cognitive engagement.
Fragmented attention in digital age
Quotable
“Attention is the modern world's most scarce resource. ”
— Sean Snodgrass
Frames attention as the core currency in modern digital economies.
Photo
Infographic breaking down communication into tone, energy, vocabulary, timing, and emotional awareness across different contexts.
Components of effective communication
Quotable
“When you're first learning, you undercut yourself when you cheat because you don't learn it. ”
— Sean Snodgrass
Emphasizes the importance of foundational understanding before leveraging shortcuts.
Quotable
“It's a narrative. It's a worldview, it's a philosophy. It's not necessarily grounded in fact. It's carefully grooming an approach. It's carefully grooming a way of looking at things, a way of filtering and processing information. ”
— Sean Snodgrass
Highlights how media can shape perception frameworks rather than just deliver information.
Photo
Infographic showing how repeated narratives influence perception, beliefs, and decision-making over time.
Media shaping worldview
Quotable
“I mean the time you spend on the app is the money. That's the holy grail. It's all about focus and attention. ”
— Kris Tyte & Sean Snodgrass
Summarizes the core business model of attention-driven platforms.
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Infographic illustrating how user behavior feeds algorithms, which then reinforce similar content to maximize engagement.
Algorithmic behavior loop
Quotable
“Because you're more successful. Because they're more successful. ”
— Kris Tyte
Proposes a future model where technology aligns its success with improving user outcomes.
Photo
Infographic showing a system where technology supports productivity, health, and meaningful engagement rather than addiction.
Technology aligned with human success
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