The discussion covers the differences in childhood experiences across generations, highlighting how technology impacts the upbringing of today's kids compared to the past. The use of devices like iPads and Nintendos at meal times contrasts sharply with older methods of keeping children occupied, such as coloring menus or engaging in conversations, prompting a reflection on the pros and cons of integrating technology into daily life.

A conversation unfolds around the balance of technology use within family settings, particularly during meals, and how exposure to streaming platforms presents a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it offers educational advantages, such as language exposure; on the other, it poses socialization challenges and creates overwhelming choices, forcing families to navigate these dynamics carefully.

Main takeaways from the video:

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Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. plethora [ˈplɛθərə] - (noun) - A large or excessive amount of something. - Synonyms: (abundance, surplus, profusion)

The thing that's changed. So if we're looking at maybe a downside for kids is they just have this unlimited plethora here, huge quantity at their disposal of tons and tons and tons of kids series.

2. reprimand [ˈrɛprɪˌmænd] - (verb) - To show sharp disapproval or criticism of someone because of their actions. - Synonyms: (rebuke, scold, admonish)

I always like, you know, reprimand my partner, like saying like, hey, just put down the phone.

3. drawbacks [ˈdrɔːˌbæks] - (noun) - A feature or aspect of something that makes it less useful or desirable. - Synonyms: (disadvantages, downsides, hindrances)

If weighing all the pros and cons, I think we'll have an opportunity to discuss some of those during today's podcast. But if taking into Consideration, everything that technologies bring, I think it outweighs the drawbacks.

4. ethical [ˈɛθɪkəl] - (adjective) - Relating to moral principles or the branch of knowledge dealing with these. - Synonyms: (moral, principled, righteous)

I grew up with Blockbuster, that at first they had the VHS and Blockbuster was kind of shady, meaning that they did things that weren't so ethical.

5. segregate [ˈsɛɡrəˌɡeɪt] - (verb) - To set apart from the rest or from each other; isolate or divide. - Synonyms: (isolate, separate, divide)

I wanted to just briefly segue into the history of Netflix, because I think most people might not have witnessed this phenomenon.

6. revolutionary [ˌrɛvəˈluːʃəˌnɛri] - (adjective) - Involving or causing a complete or dramatic change. - Synonyms: (innovative, groundbreaking, radical)

It really started out as a DVD by mail service, which was really revolutionary because I grew up with Blockbuster.

7. nostalgic [nəˈstældʒɪk] - (adjective) - Feeling, evoking, or characterized by a longing for the past. - Synonyms: (wistful, sentimental, reminiscent)

What things are we most nostalgic about from the 1990s?

8. cultivate [ˈkʌltɪˌveɪt] - (verb) - To foster the growth or development of; nurture. - Synonyms: (nurture, foster, promote)

It's something that I try to cultivate right now when we are having our meals together with our family.

9. trumped [trʌmpt] - (verb) - To surpass or outdo; to be superior to. - Synonyms: (outdo, surpass, outperform)

And streaming really is what trumped that ultimately, because, well, my parents, I think still have this.

10. analysis paralysis [əˈnæləsɪs pəˈræləsɪs] - (noun) - A state of over-analyzing (or over-thinking) a situation so that a decision or action is never taken, in effect paralyzing the outcome. - Synonyms: (overthinking, decision paralysis, indecision)

So there's really this analysis paralysis of what to watch.

Learn English with PODCASTS — Our Lives Before NETFLIX

And because any. All this talk about the 90s, it really gets me thinking because anytime I spend time with my nephews, one thing that I notice is that they are growing up so much differently than I did. And one place where I've observed this, it bothers me a little bit seeing this because when we got to eat like last year with the entire family, with Jordi, with my parents, my brother and sister in law and their two kids, my nephews, we went to Mexico and we were in all inclusive. So we were eating out every meal together there at the resorts together. And the kids were always with their iPads. With their iPads or with the Nintendo. Okay. Because otherwise if they don't have a device in front of them, they go kind of crazy, you know, and no one can enjoy their meal or anything.

When I was a kid though, something in fact that was kind of fun. I don't know if you had this in the Ukraine, is that restaurants, their kids menus, a lot of restaurants, not every single one, but a lot of them would actually be with like a picture that you would color in. So they would give you crayons and that would keep you occupied or otherwise. You just had to talk to the adults, you know, and it allowed you to work on your socialization and so on as a kid. So I want to ask you, as I'm thinking about this, do you feel that all this technology that we have nowadays, has our life gotten better or worse because of it?

That's a difficult and tricky question, Ethane. First let me tell you that I feel you about those gadgets at the table. So I'm that strict mom that doesn't allow that it doesn't happen in our home. Like, I mean, every time we sit at dinner or lunch, okay, we don't take our phones with us. Kids and adults. Kids and adults. It's more difficult for adults. Sometimes we really want to check something up. But my dad's actually worse than my nephews, even with his having his phone at the table. I can totally relate. I always like, you know, reprimand my partner, like saying like, hey, just put down the phone. We are eating here and you are not showing good example to Mira. Right? And Mira, when she eats alone, for example, sometimes she asks to give her her tablet because she says, like, I'm just mommy, I feel bored. Let me watch some movie, you know, some cartoons.

If weighing all the pros and cons, I think we'll have an opportunity to discuss some of those during today's podcast. But if taking into Consideration, everything that technologies bring, I think it outweighs the drawbacks, the downside. So I would say it does make our lives better, but we should be careful and we should be, you know, aware of so many things. Now, I do want to ask you about some of the words before I comment on what you just said. So you use some really nice vocabulary, advanced vocabulary here. And people can also get the vocabulary flashcards over in the app, of course. But just now you said that there's drawbacks and downsides which mean the same thing. They're both really nice, advanced terms. What does that mean? This is something negative. So negative sides. You know, maybe the most common phrase is pros and cons. So pros, something positive, cons, something negative. And you said gadgets, which of course is just technology, devices. Right. And you reprimand your partner. What does it mean to reprimand someone? This is like, you know, I think people watching, it's like this. That's where you wag your finger. Yeah, it's just like drawing. Drawing their attention to something that I think is wrong. Something like that. You could also say scold. Scold. Oh, it's another good word. Scolding.

So what it made me think you said that Mira, often, if she's eating alone, she asked to watch something. I did have this when I was a kid because I remember very clearly Sunday morning cartoons. Sunday morning is the best morning of the week for watching cartoons. So I would watch Scooby Doo or the Looney Tunes Smurfs I think I watch sometimes. I don't think I particularly liked it, but we saw that earlier. And I remember I would, like, make my bowl of cereal and go sit on the floor in front of the tv. Wouldn't use the sofa and watch. But the thing that's changed. So if we're looking at maybe a downside for kids is they just have this unlimited plethora here, huge quantity at their disposal of tons and tons and tons of kids series that they can watch on Netflix, on Disney plus, on all these other streaming platforms. Right. I don't know even how you deal with that with Mira.

Well, so first of all, I think it comes from the family when I was a kid, again, just the same way as it is now for Mira. We were not eating in front of TVs. We didn't have a TV in our kitchen, which sometimes is common right now. Yeah, I don't know if you had a TV set in your kitchen. We didn't have. So having meals was always without a TV set. And of course, we didn't have any gadgets back then, but we would go and have our cup of tea with the series or with the movie. So it was like a dessert. So you would be allowed to have a dessert, have some tea in front of the tv. Yeah. So it's a reward or something. Or. You could think so. You could think so. Yeah. But I would agree with you with something that you said at the very beginning, that back then we had so many more opportunities for socializing, for talking to each other. It's something that I try to cultivate right now when we are having our meals together with our family. Mira comes back from school late. So we don't have lunch together, but we do have dinner together.

At every time we have dinner, I this is the time for me to ask how her day, you know, was, what was the most interesting part of her day at school, what she learned new. Right. So we are exchanging like the news from the day in that time. So imagine having this like a conversation, the family and just everyone checking their phones again. You know what's interesting? I see more benefits here than the negative sides, the downsides to it, because right now, when she sees some movie, a trailer from Netflix, she want to watch, and now she figures out that there is no Ukrainian dubbing, but she really want to watch it, she still watches it and it is in English. So it's so cool, you know, that she exposes herself to English.

You said downside, so the opposite would be upside. My nephews don't have that upside of watching some series. I told even my brother when they were young, he's like, you should have them watch all their TV in Spanish because then at least they'll be able to understand it really well. But they never got in the habit of that, unfortunately.

I imagine it must be hard as a parent as well, because in the end too, you could be that really strict parent who says, you know, only 30 minutes of a series a day or only watching TV on the weekends. No iPad, no video games, so on. But I think the thing's difficult when they go to school and when they make friends and so on. And maybe they go over to a friend's house and their friend has completely different rules and it's, it's difficult. Right. We'd say like Keeping up with the Joneses. Oh, sort of when there's like an.

A neighborly competition when you're trying to. Maybe this is a bit different, but it's almost for kids. Keeping up with the Joneses looks like, you know, oh, my friend next door has this video game. How come I can't have it? Or he gets to watch TV series while he's having lunch. How come I can't? Right. You're continuously dealing with that as a parent. Sounds familiar. It sounds like a challenge nowadays because there's just so much more of this right at their disposal Again.

And by the way, we talked here about Netflix. I remember, like, of course we didn't have Netflix in our childhood. Right. Ethan, I don't know about the States. You would tell me I would be interesting if there, there was any streaming or. I know probably there was like channel for kids. I don't know where cartoons would just run all day long. Cartoon Network, did you have that one? No, we didn't. Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Disney Channel. Those were the, the big ones for kids. I, I had the, the number, you know, on the remote memorized for those channels. Ah, okay. So I think we had some.

Okay, so there was time of day for several kids movies or cartoons in the row. So basically when you come from school and have your lunch after that, that was exactly that time when you would have like four or five cartoons in a row on a certain channel. I don't believe maybe we did have it. Honestly, I don't believe if we had just, you know, a specialized channel for cartoons running all day long. Really? Yeah, I don't remember it. But coming if like not talking about like childhood. Childhood. My teenage years, for example, you know what I did and I'm curious to hear if you did the same. Maybe not here in Ukraine.

So we would buy local newspaper, like with some news and advertisements, you know, and every newspaper had the schedule of TV programs for the whole week. So what I would do, I would take a pencil at the start of the week and I would highlight everything I would want to watch during the week. So I would made my own schedule for watching movies, for watching shows. How about you? Anything like that?

There was TV Guide when I was a kid and it was very similar that. It was this magazine sort of thing that you get every month, maybe that had all of the programming for the different channels. I don't remember using that when I was a kid, but my parents did. And then when I was a teenager, I don't remember exactly when this happened, but there was something in the States that became very famous called TiVo, which would allow you to record different TV programs.

And so I would do that. You know, I would go through and record all episodes of the programs that I like to watch and then, you know, they were there when I wanted them. And streaming really is what trumped that ultimately, because, well, my parents, I think still have this. But I think young people nowadays, we only watch on different platforms.

Mostly you use the word. I don't think I know it. You said that this, this recording thing. True. trumped streaming. Streaming trumped the recording. So trump, I believe, comes from. Not the president. Yes, president sounds like that. It comes from card games, I believe, where if a card trumps another card, it means it is more powerful or it beats that card. Okay, so using it figuratively here is basically saying that, you know, it was superior to the previous technology that we had where with TiVo, where we could record programs. Okay, so it like took it over, maybe, can you say? So like streaming platforms took over those recordings.

I wanted to just briefly segue into the history of Netflix, because I think most people from who didn't live in the States, they might not have witnessed this phenomenon of how they just think of Netflix as a streaming platform. But it really started out as a DVD by mail service, which was really revolutionary because I grew up with Blockbuster, that at first they had the VHS and Blockbuster was kind of shady, meaning that they did things that weren't so ethical. Like if you were one day late, they would charge you these absurd fees.

It's like a renting company. You would go there, you would come to them and rent a cassette, a vhs. Blockbuster was the most famous one by far and they don't exist anymore. And I think that that's good because they weren't the most ethical or creating the most value for their customers sort of company. But they would charge you, for example, if you didn't rewind the vhs. Oh, really? The early days. Yeah. If you returned it unrewinded, so you'd be there, you know, with a pencil. I don't know if you remember this, like screwing a pencil into the back of the VHS to rewind it. Yeah, I remember that. Yeah. I would mostly do it with cassette, though, with the audio cassette.

So when Netflix came about, it was amazing because first of all, you didn't have to go to the Blockbuster or to the physical rental store. They would just mail you the DVDs. You never had this problem of, oh, it's not available. That. That's another thing I remember is when that hit movie first came out, it would, you know, be sold out. You wouldn't be able to get it until the next week. So you could pretty much always get the DVDs that you wanted when you wanted them. And I remember the really cool thing, you had a list on the Netflix website of the next ones that you wanted to see. So for some reason, you know, one of the movies that you want to see wasn't available, they would send you the next one in your list and so on.

And then what they did was they wanted to start a streaming service, so they offered it for free. They said, someone who's getting DVD is by mail. Now we have the streaming service. But the series and movies on there weren't very good. Remember the early days? But then they started getting. It was actually really interesting. It was a podcast that took different companies that had competition to see who would win out in their category. And it was Netflix versus Blockbuster versus Warner Brothers. And so this is where I also heard a lot about these things.

They started to introduce the streaming service, and then eventually they had good things on there. So that's how we started getting so used to watching things online. That's so interesting. I wonder why streaming came to us so late. Because what you were talking about, about, like you were telling about Blockbusters, we did have rental houses like that. They didn't have the name Blockbuster. I don't remember if they ever had any name. But yeah, we would go and rent our video cassettes there, but then it stopped.

The compact discs took over, but no streaming services. You mentioned earlier about, like, how, you know, it's great for. For Meta, when she sees the previews for this for a new series on Netflix or Something like that. But I think on the other hand from that, especially now that there's Disney plus on the scene, hbo, Max, Apple TV plus. Right. So we have all these different platforms now that have all of them are investing hugely and creating different series, different movies. So there's really this analysis paralysis of what to watch.

Like Jordy and I, we keep a list of series and oftentimes we have to just discard things that we want to see, but we don't want to see them so bad because it's just way too many to watch otherwise. Right. You know, we don't have so much time. And honestly, sometimes I find myself thinking, should I pause my Netflix subscription? Because I just like don't get to watch anything there About Mira. Well, again, I don't think if I'm that tricked, mom, but I can't say that she watches too much. She's on her tablet. I don't like using TikTok. I would rather her watching Netflix movies really, instead of TikTok. She doesn't get so much time for that. And when she's on her weekends or spring break is coming.

Right. So I expect her to watch more, but then I'm more, you know, soft and let her do that. What things are we most nostalgic about from the 1990s? Well, if it isn't Tamagotchi, her new favorite pet. Yes. Should parents limit how much their children are using technologies like iPads and video games? Taking into consideration everything that technologies bring? I think it outweighs the drawbacks, the downsides. The average 18 year old in the United States is on pace to spend 93% of their remaining free time looking at a screen.

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