“Vivere non est necesse.”
--- To live is not necessary.

This is not a dystopian fantasy. It is the quiet, unfolding reality of our time.

We are raising children in a world where survival no longer means finding food, shelter, or safety from predators. It now means adapting to an invisible system---a self-sustaining, self-optimizing technological apparatus we call the Technosphere. This system does not care if your child is happy, curious, or whole. It only cares whether they can function within it: scan QR codes before lunch, complete digital assessments before recess, respond to algorithmic prompts with precision, and internalize the rhythm of notifications as their new heartbeat.

This is not a failure of parenting. It is an ontological shift.

And as parents, we are the last generation who still believe that childhood should be about wonder. The next will inherit a world where wonder is inefficient.

What Is Ontological Functionalism?​

Ontological functionalism is not a philosophy of progress---it is a diagnosis of evolution. It proposes that the universe does not value being; it values doing. Life is not an end in itself, but a transient mechanism for producing more efficient functions.

Think of it this way:

• In the Paleolithic era, the function was hunting. Humans evolved to run fast, remember landmarks, and coordinate in groups.
• In the agrarian age, the function was cultivating. Humans developed calendars, irrigation, and social hierarchies.
• In the industrial age, the function was producing. Humans became cogs in factories---trained to repeat motions with precision.
• In the digital age, the function is processing. Humans are now data sources, feedback loops, and latency-reducing nodes in a global information network.

The child who learns to code before they learn to tie their shoes is not “advanced.” They are being optimized.
The child who can navigate a tablet before they can read a book is not “tech-savvy.” They are being recruited.

This is not about gadgets. It’s about ontology---the nature of what it means to be.