Topics: Excessive tech in schools has adverse effects. Using critical thinking to combat chaos. Brain neuroplasticity, and more in this Café Reflection.
Over the past week I’ve come across some content that adds value to the topics I’ve been writing about over recent weeks. So I thought I’d share it with you in this reflection.
In this article:
- ARC 2025 Conference: Sophie Winkleman The Most Compelling Argument Against Tech In Schools
- Brownstone Institute: Toby Rogers Concientización and the Rebirth of Critical Thinking
- Jordon B Peterson: 12 Rules for Life – An Antidote to Chaos
- Norman Doidge, M.D.: Brain Neuroplasticity
Firstly, welcome to my new readers and subscribers. I hope you enjoy this Café Reflection. Generally I try to handwrite the first draft in a café, as this gives me some time out in a third space to sit and reflect, as well as experience and observe a small slice of life (often with a small slice of something yummy).
I also encourage you to treat yourself to your favourite beverage and something yummy to eat when you read my reflections, as they are often long.
This Café Reflection was sponsored by JB – thanks so much for the coffee and cake shout JB :-). I met a few friends this week at various places, which provided thought provoking discussions. Two friends I met at The Custodian Cafe, Est 1888 Speakeasy inside the Richmond Club (see above photo). The chocolate caramel slice was yum, and probably as calorie laden as the previous weeks’ cheesecakes. I have to say the service was top notch, so if you’re in the area, then I recommend you take time out there.
If you would like to sponsor a Café Reflection by shouting me a coffee, you can do so here. Sponsorship, along with paid subscriptions, helps me to do my bit with keeping the economy growing. Thanks for your support!
The Most Compelling Argument Against Tech In Schools
Sophie Winkleman’s speech at the Alliance for Responsible Citizen 2025 Conference
Sophie Winkleman is an actress and patron of several charities, including CURE International, the Children’s Surgery Foundation, and School-Home Support. She serves on the board for a chain of academy schools in the UK and campaigns against screens for children.
“How will children who are so constantly artificially stimulated ever learn to think, imagine, create or just be still?”
In her 20 minute ARC 2025 speech, Sophie Winkleman lays out a compelling case for the return to an ‘analog’ upbringing for our children and young people, warning of the adverse effects of excessive technology use, particularly in our education systems.
I thought this was a valuable video to share, that supports my previous Café Reflections: Is Technology Dumbing You Down? Part One and Part Two. Please take the time to watch this powerful and thought provoking 19:40 minute talk by Sophie Winkleman.
She paints a very scary picture of British education rushing to bring AI teachers to educate children in schools, rather than human teachers. Plus an increase of surveillance technology to monitor the children in classes. Yikes!
In New Zealand our government has instigated a “phones away for the day” rule in schools. I’d love to hear from readers if this is making a difference for the school age children in their lives. Please comment below.
Or if you’re not in New Zealand, what is the policy in your schools, and what impact do you think technology is having on our young? Please comment below.
Concientización and the Rebirth of Critical Thinking
This Brownstone Institute article by Brownstone fellow Toby Rogers looks at the Spanish concept of Concientización.
Concientización is the process of becoming aware of how the world actually works — the structures, unseen forces, and power relations. It’s about learning to see the habits and patterns that shape our thinking and ultimately finding ways to break free from mental colonization. The verb form is concientizarse, which is a reflexive verb (that is, “a verb where the subject performing the action is also the object receiving the action”). In this case, one is waking oneself up from slumber to become conscious of the world as it really is.
—Toby Rogers
From his Brownstone Fellow profile: Toby Rogers has a Ph.D. in political economy from the University of Sydney in Australia and a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California, Berkeley. His research focus is on regulatory capture and corruption in the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Rogers does grassroots political organising with medical freedom groups across the country working to stop the epidemic of chronic illness in children. He writes about the political economy of public health on Substack.
Concientización lives on in everyone who said no to the Covid regime, says no to vaccines, says no to systems of mental enslavement, and is saying yes to healthy food, sunshine, and connection with others.
—Toby Rogers
I found the article very interesting in light of what we have been through over the past several years. It’s a seven minute read, or a 9:20 minute audio to listen to if you prefer.
He talks about the millions of resistance warriors at the grassroots who are doing their best to educate and “wake up” their loved ones, neighbours, colleagues and others in their communities. I plan to write more on this in future reflections, but for now, have a read through and comment below if you want to share a thought or two provoked by the article.
12 Rules for Life – An Antidote to Chaos
I’ve started re-reading Jordan B Peterson’s book, 12 Rules for Life – an Antidote to Chaos. I’ve followed the Canadian author, psychologist, online educator, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto for some time.
He provides no nonsense, common sense guidance based on how to live a meaningful life by putting your own “house” in order first. To get an idea of who he is and the foundations he has built his life on, have a look at the books he’s written, as well as his recommended reading list which is available on his website.
What inspired me to re-read 12 Rules for Life was the discussion with friends about how confusing and chaotic the world is becoming, especially for teenagers and young adults. I recalled one of my nephews sharing he’d read 12 Rules for Life and found it extremely helpful. Maybe it will help you or someone you know too.
If you’re not a reader, then there is this YouTube channel you can check out.
The “Jordan Peterson Rules for Life” channel is dedicated to sharing the most impactful lessons from Jordan Peterson’s lectures. Inspired by Peterson’s renowned bestseller, “12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos,” this channel aims to disseminate the book’s core principles, which guide individuals towards a life filled with meaning and purpose. The content spans a variety of topics, including personal responsibility, the significance of free speech, the pitfalls of political correctness, and the value of nurturing deep relationships.
Visit the Jordan Peterson Rules for Life Youtube Channel here.
Brain Neuroplasticity
The forward to 12 Rules for Life is written by Norman Doidge, M.D. As I didn’t know who he is, I looked him up. From his website:
Norman Doidge, M.D., F.R.C.P. (C) is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, researcher, author, essayist and poet. For thirty years he was on faculty at the University of Toronto’s Department of Psychiatry, and Research Faculty at Columbia University’s Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, in New York. Currently, he is a Training and Supervising Analyst (a trainer of psychoanalysts) at the Toronto Institute of Psychoanalysis. He is the author of two New York Times Bestsellers.
His two best seller books are The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science and The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity.
Now, I haven’t read either of these (yet) but I’m starting to see a theme of topics I’m interested in, which releate to how we can reprogram our brains to break free of external conditioning (and the chaos of the external world) and create empowered autonomy in our own lives, and inspire and empower others in our spheres of influence.
In other words, if you want to bring order to the chaos around you, you have to be the calm eye in the storm. It starts with you becoming clear about your morals, principles, values and beliefs, and stand firm in them. And by doing so, you have the courage and confidence to push back against the storm, and in doing so, inspire and empower others to do the same.
From May onwards, I am going to start running a weekly online discussion group, with a focus on various topics and books relating to running your own brain for personal development and self-empowerment.
So if this is something you are interested in, please let me know. I envisage it will be around 12 noon (midday) New Zealand Time on a Saturday (which will be Friday night for the US and Canada) as this seems to currently be the most sociable across Australia, New Zealand and North American Time Zones. I will also record these calls, so if you are in other time zones, you can have access to them.
Choose to Be the Light You Wish to See in the World
Creating the life you most desire starts and ends with you. In an earlier reflection, I looked at free will, and how you always have a choice. I recently came across this quote:
Being a functional adult means recognizing that every choice comes with a cost. You can’t do two conflicting things at once and expect nothing to give. You make a choice, and you live with the trade-offs. That’s life.
—Matt Walsh
Every choice we make (even the unpalatable ones) does have a cost. Life is not the fairy tale utopia we were promised. But when we clarify what is meaningful to us, and what our boundaries are, we can start to exercise our free will by making better, informed choices. This is how we build our calm eye in the storm of life, shine our light brightly, and attract others to us who think similar to us, and want to be part of a healthy, productive communities.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I hope you enjoyed it, along with the beverage and treat you consumed while reading it. If you want to “shout me a coffee” and suggest a topic for me to reflect and write on at a café you can do so here. Every dollar helps support me in my writing, publishing, and mentoring endeavours.
Keep being the creator of your life!
Deb x
