Why IGs “They’re only little for 4 years” is so cringey

[fruitb]

https://slate.com/human-interest/2022/03/instagram-reels-kids-peak-experience-guilty.html

I keep seeing Instagram and TikTok videos with little kids doing cute stuff and the voiceover says something to the effect of “they’re only this little for 4, maybe 5, years.” It always rubbed me the wrong way, maybe because I often saw it after a particularly hard day and was using Instagram to disassociate for a minute. I finally decided to look into a little more and, yeah, there’s an even bigger reason it’s cringey: it’s Jordan Petersons voiceover and he’s talking about discipline.

“If a child has not been taught to behave properly by the age of four, it will forever be difficult for him or her to make friends.”

How does he advocate disciplining your kids? Physical punishment, stern tones, force feeding, flicking them in the head, etc.

Gross.

For all of you saying BuT hE NevER SaYs tO SPanK YouR KIdS:

”If that fails, being turned over a parents knee might be required”

https://twitter.com/x/status/1023698574360621056

 

[d33smth]

@fruitb I hate Jordan Peterson. Once he said a woman’s purpose in life is children, but men have to find their purpose. Pissed me off to no end b

 

[roguefriar]

@d33smth He’s completely worthless. Racist, sexist BS abounds. I listened to a good podcast about just how weird and unqualified he is.

 

[celizabethdavis]

@roguefriar Which podcast? A friend was talking about how weird he is, but I don’t know too much about him and would like to learn more (and I’m always looking for new podcasts!)

 

[mariehall]

@celizabethdavis I bet it was Behind the Bastards.

 

[roguefriar]

@mariehall It was!

 

[roguefriar]

@celizabethdavis It was the Behind the Bastards podcast

 

[erickem]

@fruitb This is like people who buy a ‘puppy’. No, you’re getting a puppy you’re getting a dog that will live for up to 14 years.

Having a baby also means taking your 10 year old to sports practice, staying up worrying every time your teenager goes out late at night and supporting your 30 year old when they’re having a hard time at work.

 

[cosgrove2210]

@fruitb Even if you take the tiktok trend at face value, Its weird to imply that the only special years are between birth and age 5 so you better enjoy them before they're gone.

 

[mm1992]

@fruitb Yikes I didn’t know that but I knew I did not like this voiceover other even the message without that context. Like parents are not trying to enjoy the ride the best they can and we’re missing out on something trying to rush it. Dumb.

 

[writergirlrs]

@fruitb When I see an IG or TikTok video using this sound, I will direct them to this information. Thank you for exposing this

 

[knersus]

@fruitb I’ve seen the original long segment and he’s talking about your kids knowing how to behave in a social setting… not necessarily just at home. Your kids need to learn how to play with other kids by the age of 4 or 5 because that’s when most of their social development is done. He wasn’t talking about disciplining your kid. Unless we saw different clips.

 

[fruitb]

@knersus The article I linked does a good job of describing how the clip links to his bigger ethos of child rearing, one of power and hierarchy, which doesn’t mesh well with my personal philosophy of raising children or with modern developmental psychology.

 

[rebeccaanderson686]

@fruitb The guy is Incel Central, as f-ing misogynistic as they come, anything that comes out of his mouth should be ignored.

 

[butterflybee]

@knersus Is there any actual research to back this idea up though?

 

[adelita]

@knersus That's how I always understood what he says, I've watched his full lecture. He says specifically "properly socialized", because like you've already stated, the most important social development is done from ages 2-4. This is already backed by research.

Whenever he's talked about discipline he's advocated for the time-out method. I've never heard him speak of physical discipline. He doesn't do many lectures on child-rearing as it isn't really his area of expertise.

 

[knersus]

@adelita I have also never heard he speak of spanking of physical punishment. People do tend to assume what he believes.

 

[fruitb]

@knersus

”if that fails, being turned over a parents knee might be required”

https://twitter.com/x/status/1023698574360621056

 

[adelita]

@knersus Yeah...it's funny because it's not like he hasn't put out hours upon hours of lectures for you to listen to and pick apart. But nobody can clip him and make it sound bad without misconstruing what he's saying