Technology and kids

Smallllmin · November 2014

I hate hate hate how today's teens (and even younger) are wasting their lives away on Instagram and Twitter. And kids even younger are happier to sit on the computer than to play outdoors. I want my kids to love to play OUTSIDE like I did. And I don't want them on social media until they're in college! My thoughts are that if we don't use these things much at home, the kids wont gravitate to them as much. But then I'm sure they will see their friends online and stuff when they go over their houses... Is it inevitable? I'm not one of those parents that's anti-everything... Obviously the world is changing and kids are going to need to know how to use the Internet and technology in general if they're going to survive. And I'm sure there are great educational websites online and apps on the iPad... But where do you draw the line?

When I taught 3 and 4 year-olds last year, we used to go outside for recess as much as possible... Most of the kids would complain that they'd rather be sitting at home on their iPads! These kids knew how to operate my iPhone better than I did! It made me so sad.

Anyone else feeling similarly? Are you planning to censor anything or possibly introduce certain things over time? What are your ideas for making sure your kids have a healthy relationship with technology?
Anyone want to move off the grid with me? (Just kidding... kind of).

Rant over.

... paragraphs are hard on mobile

ashaw512 · November 2014

I'm not to the point yet where my toddler ONLY wants my phone, sometimes I have to put frozen on YouTube to keep her occupied when we are out. She won't get her own tablet now or when she five she *might get one when she's ten, and it will have educational apps on it, like my mom has done for my 10 yr old brother.

Unfortunately even schools are communicating through social media like facebook. Even kindergarteners are encouraged to participate with facebook events. Technology is taking over, pretty soon toddlers will have their own iPhones if they don't already, and know exactly how to use it.

ashaw512 · November 2014

Double post

lbonga1 · November 2014

I work in technology (currently working on a masters in computer science), so its use is inevitable in my home. We'll still limit the amount of time our kids are on the computer/ipad/phone or whatever. FI and I both feel that technology has caused issues with how people treat others. People can be a lot more disrespectful when they say something to someone via text message, vs. when they have to say it to their face. Also, it drives me crazy when people are sitting right next to each other and they're both on their phones. Put them down and have a conversation with each other!

SingleMom31 · November 2014

My husband is in IT and my job requires a lot of computer usage, so you can't really avoid it in our house.

That being said, we haven't encouraged its use with our two year old. She likes my phone, but she'll use it to try to talk on and is equally likely to use the TV remote or anything else that size... So, it's make believe vs truly using it. I think the biggest thing is that her daycare doesn't allow technology at all - there's no TVs, no iPads, etc. So, she has a lot of fun during the day just playing with her friends.

redtoes13 · November 2014

Our daughter had glasses at 14 months as she is farsighted. Unfortunately, one of her eye occasionally turns in as well. Her optometrist said we needed to strictly limit small screen time (iPads and smaller devices) so we did. Apparently the focusing required to read the small screens would worsen her condition. So using our phones is a rare treat.

Ahlome08 · November 2014

We have a lot of technology in our house. That being said, I plan in trying to slowly introduce LO to different things at different times. He def will not be on social media until he is old enough to understand responsibility and it will be supervised. Also, the only reason he will have when he's about school age is so he can call me or dad for emergencies, but it will be like a Disney of phone that can't text and can only program like 5 numbers in and 911. And, we've already decided that there will be no computers in anyone's room, just in the office, where we can supervise and limit time. I want my LO to at least have a chance to experience the outdoors and playing outside with his friends when he's older. Too many kids say they're "bored" these days, even with everything they have to play with.

wieb67 · November 2014

This is going to be a constant battle with my in laws...my MIL truly does not understand why a five year old shouldn't be allowed on Facebook. Also every Christmas they buy iPads or MacBooks or whatever for all of us (not complaining!) but our 8 wk old will prob have one by the time he's 2 if they have anything to say about it.

Ducktapetherapy · November 2014

I am right there with you. Kids need to know how to use technology, but they also need to know how to function without it. There are no easy answers, I think it comes down to a balance that needs to be regulated by the parents. The hard part is the influence of friends. Personally, we never allowed electronics in the kids rooms, they had to be out in the open.

~Ducktapetherapy77

trebekastan · November 2014

https://www.educationnews.org/technology/silicon-valley-tech-execs-sending-kids-to-tech-free-schools/

This isn't the exact article I read last week but you get the idea. People who make their millions off of this stuff don't want their kids exposed to it. I think that says a lot.

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