What is Creativity?

In The New York Times, "Is Creativity Endangered?", there are multiple viewpoints held by debators that discuss the controversial entities that creativity draws. These insightful debators argue that the innovation and creativity that we may lack or attain can be affected by the ubiquitous commercialism that has become more technologically advanced than ever, environments around us that may or may not grant flexibility or autonomy, or from societal influences. Moreover, I decided to choose Susan Linn's standpoint.

Susan Linn, the director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, believes that creativity dwells in children's ability to "invent, conjure, envision, think divergently, and to change the status quo." However, Linn argues that we are minimizing and dismantling our possibillites to bolster creativity because the denizen places barriers onto children such as: over-scheduling, less time to interact and freely enjoy their recreational centers, and the heavy reliance on technology that children are capable to use. Linn states " a commercialed, screen-saturated culture deprives children of what is essential to creativity: time, space, and silence." Additionally, as the world implicate more stress upon their children and themselves, the time to enhance their innovation is being taken away. Furthermore, she also introduces the impact that media-related, licensed toys deter children's ability to nurture their creativity. Linn claims that commercialism, technology, and electronics are deteriorating children's ability to unconsciously be creative because these culprits often hold purposes behind them, instead of allowing them to foster their environment and inner world.

Although her viewpoint is very strong and valid, I disagree with her because technology has enabled our creativity to grow. Technology isn't completely ruining our creativity. I believe that technology explicates the purpose of feeding our curiosities, and it has a sole purpose to make them use more resources and explore new things. Curiosity is the foundation that leads us to be more innovative and creative; thus, technology serves as a nurturing center to fuel the many curiosities that are inevitable to the human brain.

Nikk Chhou