Ever watched your kid wrestle with a puzzle, transforming frustration into chaos-fueled triumph? That gritty little glow – pure, trembling human ingenuity? Right there’s our secret weapon for raising future-ready kids. While panic spreads about AI crushing jobs, Marc Lewis (the ad school guru shaking things up) drops a hot truth: the real threat hit way before bots entered the chat. Turns out, AI automation isn’t why 25% fewer young folks under 25 work in advertising now. Leaders tore down the ladder themselves, trading potential creators for power-hungry perfectionists.
Why Did We Demolish the Ladder Before AI Even Touched It?
Let’s paint a picture—literally. Imagine parents watching first paintbrush attempts. Do we scold smeared masterpieces? Of course not! Celebration time – glorious smudges and chaotic strokes fuel genius. The problem in adland was never bots; it started earlier. Before AI even blinked, we gutted apprenticeships. Newbies became ‘meatbots’ trapped in perfectionist rat races. Like stopping toddlers mid-wobble – why eliminate growing-pains building today’s thinkers? Smooth sailing is boring, right? Those sticky moments ignite invention’s spark!
Why Is Prompting Really Creative Problem-Solving For Kids?
Let me unpack this. Last week, my 7-year-old spent 28 straight minutes building a Lego maze. Three restarts later – boom! That fireworks moment wasn’t just plastic victory – it was the perfect metaphor for prompting magic. See, giving computers instructions isn’t sterile coding. You and I do it constantly: directing dad bot through 431 Pokémon questions, guiding snack-time AI (a.k.a. shop talk), even leading blanket fort blueprints in Minecraft mode. Every real-time reinvention habitates the same creative muscle apps now measure in interview candidates.
How Can We Grow What Bots Cannot Clone?
We’ve been pondering this 54% distrust number from Ipsos lately – teaching kids to unlock their non-copyable crafts:
- Savor the ‘Why?’ tsunami: When kids ask ‘Why do worms dig holes?’ 87 times daily, do this: Grab your tool kits. Storm the garden. My daughter traced this through 5 different dirt varieties this Spring before making her
very detailedslightly terrifying mud church basement. - New method errands: Food runs? Please. Milk jars become physics puzzles – ‘Can we carry 4 without dairy-styleearthquakes?’ Suddenly casual cart maneuvering = storytelling training ground where heroes wear grocery haversacks.
- Celebrate slow-mo triumphs: When tying shoes took 103 frustrating days, did I panic? No! That same persistent fire builds minds no code-scanner can replicate. Machines process pixels; we cultivate compassionate kids connecting curiosity dots in 3D splendor.
You know that bumper sticker iIpsos stat? 72% of execs now admit – companies failing the human-AI handshake get steamrolled. But scores bounce back when parks become engineering jams – “Map the backyard ant highway digitally, then construct it physically for invasion prevention.” Pathfinders and compassionate kids thrive together in these hybrid mindscapes, yeah?
Source: Direct your anger not at AI but the adland bosses choosing it over young people, The Drum, 2025-08-14 12:34:00