Don't Raise a User. Raise a Builder.
In 2035, using a tablet is not a skill. It is basic. The world splits into two groups: Users and Builders. Users consume content. Builders create value. Many parents raise Users by mistake. They let screens do the work. This leads to Cognitive Atrophy. The brain gets lazy. We need to protect the mind. Give kids problems to solve, not just screens to watch. Don't raise a User. Raise a Builder.
Don't Raise a User. Raise a Builder.
In 2035, nobody'll care if your child can use a tablet. Every human on earth will be able to use a tablet. It'll be the lowest common denominator of skill.
The world is splitting into two distinct groups of people. The Users and the Builders.
The Users are the batteries. They consume content, they click ads, and they feed the algorithm data. They’re passive endpoints in a network designed by someone else.
The Builders are the architects. They understand how the system works. They can focus deeply, solve original problems, and create value that an AI can't replicate.
Most parents are accidentally raising Users. They hand their children the shiny device and say, "Look how good he is at technology!"
That isn't being good at technology. That’s being good at consumption.
Cognitive Atrophy
We need to talk about what happens to a brain that never has to do the heavy lifting.
If you carry your arm in a sling for six months, the muscles wither. That’s atrophy. The same thing happens to the mind.
When an algorithm curates your entertainment, predicts your next text, and answers your questions before you finish asking them, your cognitive muscles go soft. You lose the ability to hunt for information. You lose the ability to structure a complex thought from scratch.
This is Cognitive Atrophy.
I see it in resumes already. I see young adults who are incredibly tech-savvy but completely helpless when the interface doesn't guide them. They can't navigate ambiguity.
The Builder's Mindset
At Tobi, we’re obsessed with the Builder's Mindset. This doesn't mean we want every kid to be a software engineer. It means we want them to be active agents in their own lives.
A Builder builds with Legos, not Minecraft creative mode. A Builder writes a story, they don't just watch a movie. A Builder argues a point at the dinner table, they don't just repost a meme.
We delay the smartphone because the smartphone is the ultimate "User" tool. It’s a consumption device.
We prioritize "slow" tech. We like coding on a command line. We like taking apart a toaster. We like tools that require the human to do 51% of the work.
Protect the Hardware
The economy of the future won't reward people who are good at scrolling. It’ll reward people who can command their own attention.
We protect the hardware (the developing brain) so the software (the mind) can run correctly.
If you want your child to thrive in a digital future, don't give them a screen that does the thinking for them. Give them a problem that forces them to think for themselves.
Don't raise a User. Raise a Builder.
The Bridge Script
Try asking this at dinner tonight: "If the internet turned off tomorrow forever, what is one thing you know how to do that you could teach to your friends?"