• CatZoomies@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      1 year ago

      Happy to help. As I sat here and reflected on my post I figured out a good way I can satisfy the “Explain Like I’m Five” better. So I’ll share this for posterity:

      • Google and Chrome is like mom and dad. You live in your house in a nice neighborhood. You use the internet, watch tv, and go to your friends’ houses to play with them.
      • One day mom and dad want to make sure that you’re safe since they don’t know what you’re up to. So they now request you to ask them for permission before you can go to your friends. You also now have to let them know what you’re doing. It goes well, your mom and dad are happy.
      • Other moms and dads notice how nice and respectful you are, and they decide they’ll be like your parents since they can trust them.
      • Over time, other parents also enable these same rules so they can keep the kids safe while knowing what they’re up to.
      • Moms and dads monitor your sleepovers. They press their ears against your closed door while you hang out with your friends.
      • They didn’t like that show you were laughing at, so they decided you shouldn’t watch it any more and stopped it. Now, you have to ask permission for some things you want to watch, and some shows you really loved because they were more adult and had bad language are… not there anymore. I guess mom and dad hid them from you. Oh well.
      • Eventually your mom and dad decide you don’t need your computer and phone, and they give you new ones that are so much easier to use but require their permission to use. You can still visit your friends and message them, but you have to do it on that computer or phone, else you won’t be able to talk to them.
      • Other moms and dads do the same, seeing that they can now trust everyone.
      • The neighborhood is now safer. All the parents know what the kids are up to.
      • You on the other hand, miss what it was like before. It makes you a little sad that you have to get all this permission and you feel like you’re being watched. But, you guess it’s okay. At least you can see your friends. But it just feels different for some reason and you can’t really explain why.
      • The kids aren’t alright.