Digital Dads Exposed is a monthly interview series that highlights the unique perspectives on manhood and fatherhood held by those we at Digital Dads have come across in our travels. This month, we feature Eric Rice—new media producer and (reluctant to be referred to as) futurist.

Married for 14-years and a father of two young sons (his oldest was born in Y2k), Eric lives on a small rural farm in Washington, across the river from Portland, Oregon—just 700-miles from his native Silicon Valley.

Photo by Kristen Rice © 2010

“We moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2009, and as chance would have it, purchased a woodland farm just across the river from Portland.

My preferred environments, genres of music and art aesthetic are purely dirty, grungy, urban dystopia. From cyberpunk to smelly subways, industrial music to hip-hop—which makes living on a farm with dogs, cats, chickens, sheep and a llama named Carl (yes, really), all the more paradoxical.

It has been thought that I’m working on dozens of various projects at once, I’m usually working singularly with many project facets. Nothing with me is as simple as face value. I can manage a pasture and livestock, yet that doesn’t make me a farmer. I am hyper-digital and have kids, yet that doesn’t make me a digital dad. I’m merely an evolving, sentient human with a relentless thirst for knowledge.

While I’m a perpetual freelance consultant, I’ve been working the past year in R&D in urban cybernetics, something I hope to establish as a emerging field of research. My passions are artificial intelligence, robotics, cybernetics, video gaming, and new urbanism.”

What is your perspective on what it means to be a man living in todays world?

I’ve always believed that there should be a James Bond element to a modern man—one who is able to balance the gentlemanly pursuits of the finer things, while having the capabilities of rugged traditionalism. There’s a certain rationality needed to grow as a human being. That rationality might manifest itself as an open admission of faults or the lack of certain skills—not having all the answers, for example. It might mean the acceptance of changing gender roles. Or perhaps it’s about having a balanced worldview of a global society where winner-take-all exceptionalism might not always be appropriate.

Growing up, what has influenced you the most and shaped the man that you are today?

Honestly, I’m not exactly sure. I grew up in a household with three distinct generational presences. My parents are 11 years apart in age, and my maternal grandmother lived with us. I had attended public, private, and parochial schools; participated in Scouting and Air Force Jr. ROTC. The neighborhood was a painfully boring, middle class suburb. Hardly any historical events stood out during my childhood, except for the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion in grade school. So my influences are a mystery. Maybe a little bit of everything, maybe a little bit of nothing.

In the moments you are able to pause and reflect, what activity do you normally gravitate towards?

Generally, I either doodle or go outside and hang out in the forest.

What is your parental philosophy?

Be fair, be clear, and tell the truth. So much of our world has been steeped in ‘for the children!’ that we’ve swung so far to the extreme when it comes to overprotection and coddling. People win. People lose. People get better. Some people are better at some things than others. There’s always someone better, and there’s always someone worse. We need more honesty when talking to children and hopefully that value gets imprinted on them.

What do you appreciate the most about being a father?

I used to roll my eyes at the cliche “they teach you so much!” in the various articles that focus on parenting– that is, the ones that aren’t focused on moms or the guys who have to be pryed away from sports– but there’s a little truth to that. I think I constantly learn more about myself and people in general. It might sound a bit cynical, but I appreciate how 10 years of rearing children have helped me deal with really, really difficult adults.

What is your favorite activity (or activities) to do with your children?

With my youngest, who is eight, it’s the drawing and building cities out of lego blocks. With my oldest, who is almost ten, it’s playing World of Warcraft with him.

What is the best way for a man and father to impart wisdom to his children?

Lead by example and explain the relevancy of rules, both in life and in things that interest the kids. I can’t even recall how many times some math or teamwork lesson gets compared to a video game level as well as the real world scenarios. The same goes for leading by example. It’s kind of hard to explain to a child the value in challenging himself if we ourselves have been run over by the wheels of complacency.

What piece of technology impacts you most during the day (and is that impact positive or negative)?

Alarms. Alarm clocks, calendar alarms, phone alarms. I can go without email or twitter for a week, but if I don’t pay attention to alarms, everything spirals into disarray. Routines are good things. With an entire family of strong-willed, artistic and technical people, keeping things moving is imperative. We’re not the type of family that schedules every hour of every day, but the things that must happen, happen by alarm.

How does technology shape the way you raise and influence your children?

I had the good fortune of growing up in a technology epicenter, Silicon Valley. So when one of the boys wants to do a little bit of coding or 3D modeling, it’s seamlessly built into our family structure. At the same time, I’m able to be fully informed and aware—and ahead—of the digital goings-on in the house. Yet when I look at technology from a more mundane place, it’s no different than the things that came before it. Lose X or earn Y. It’s not that special and revolutionary that they chat with friends or watch TV or mashups on Youtube. They’re still privileges, and privileges can be revoked or awarded, whether it’s the internet, game consoles, or laptops.

How do you think men’s roles will change in the future?

I’d say that in some ways, men’s roles have already changed, and in others, they have 50 years to go. Some men will be progressive, some will remain traditional. In my personal world, there’s far more gender equality and self-awareness. Yet I can venture outside my comfort zone and see men’s (and women’s) roles the same as they were decades ago. The idealist in me hopes there will be less ‘men’ or ‘women’ in the future, and more ‘person’.

‘Preciate it, Eric!

Follow @Spin on Twitter for more from Eric on a diverse array of subjects.

/// Digital Dads Exposed returns next month with more unique and interesting perspectives on manhood and fatherhood. Is there someone you would like to see featured? send us an email.