1KHO 567: How to Resist a Hyperactive Worldview | Kay Toombs, Changing Our Minds

Sep 8, 2025

Dr. Kay Toombs, a philosopher and author of 'Changing Our Minds,' delves into the concept of a hyperactive worldview shaping our children's lives. She discusses how digital technology stifles patience and creativity, advocating for hands-on experiences like crafting and outdoor activities. Kay highlights the importance of community and intergenerational relationships in fostering empathy and connection. By sharing practical strategies for families to reduce screen time, she offers a hopeful roadmap for cultivating a deeper, more meaningful childhood.

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INSIGHT

Hyperactive Worldview Shrinks Patience

Kay Toombs says constant connectivity produces a "hyperactive worldview" that shortens attention and demands instant results.
This mindset makes slow, real-world experiences like watching nature or crafts feel boring and irrelevant.

ANECDOTE

Teens Thrilled By Making A Headband

Kay describes teaching two teenage sisters to knit a headband at a fair and the joy they felt when they finished and photographed themselves.
One girl immediately wanted to knit a scarf next, showing crafts build pride and motivation.

ADVICE

Replace Screens With Compelling Alternatives

Replace screen time with engaging, hands-on alternatives that truly occupy children's attention.
Commit to those alternatives consistently; stopping screens requires extraordinary, sustained effort.

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Philosopher and author Dr. Kay Toombs joins Ginny to name the thing so many parents feel but can’t quite describe—a hyperactive worldview that trains us (and our kids) to crave instant results and reject slow, quiet, real life. Drawing on her brilliantly researched book, Changing Our Minds (get the book), and decades living in an intergenerational, agrarian community, Kay explains how always-on tech reshapes attention, dulls imagination, and erodes empathy, while crafts and time outdoors rebuild patience the old-fashioned way. From the contagious joy of teens knitting their first headbands to kids discovering where dinner actually comes from, this conversation makes a compelling case for trading dopamine-on-demand for the deep satisfaction of making, tending, and waiting.

It’s also a practical playbook for families on the edge of burnout. Kay and Ginny outline how to replace screens with compelling alternatives, form a small tribe of like-minded families, and trust kids with real responsibility—steps that restore attention, confidence, and connection.

If your home feels like it’s speeding up while patience is wearing thin, start here: explore resources at 1000 Hours Outside, then queue the episode and share it with a friend (listen on Apple Podcasts or listen on Spotify). This is a hopeful, hands-on roadmap for resisting hurry and raising children who can notice, wait, wonder, and love well.

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