Kids and Technology

shegirl

It depends on their use with some things.

I don't see why a child would ever need a mobile until mid teens,if at all.

Consoles,well as long as they're limited I don't honestly see the fuss!Family fun as well as one player use.There were consoles when we were kids too remember!!!

Kindle,not fussed when kids have them but I'd rather see kids with proper books to get the full experience of reading.I can't see any reason why having a Kindle would encourage reading.I also think kids should be going to libraries and bookshops-looking at what's on offer and making choices.Nothing beats a real book and that's coming from someone who loves her kindle!

Laptops,depends on purpose.Ds had his first laptop for his 7th birthday,it done him the world of good and us having separate laptops was a bonus!

ipads can be great for kids-learning,fun etc I think younger kids should have a cheaper tablet though!Should be limited use though and for that reason I don't see the point in many having their own!

katskorner

My hubby wants to let our 8 year old have a Kindle even though he hasn't asked for it but I am not happy as I think there is real value in him reading proper books and getting the pleasure from that - he reads loads and so he is fine without the Kindle.

Mobile phone - at least 10. 8 y/o has asked for one but none of his friends have one and when I pointed this out and asked who is was going to call, he stopped asking.

Laptop - well we got one for our boys last Christmas (8, 6 and 3 but 3 y/o doesn't use it much!) but for full supervision and so I could actually use my computer sometimes! Trouble is now the older two play them both at the same time! They will not be moving them out of my sight for years yet though.

Ipad - buy your own. hubby has a playbook but the kids can wait!

Ds's - eldest inherited one from his dad at about 7 i think it was. Then we got DS 6 one last Christmas and DS3 has one too. The older two want 3DS's now and we are thinking about it but it would be a birthday or Christmas gift.

We got a Wii a couple of years back for all of us.

The boys are not even allowed to keep their DS's in their rooms - we have them off them.

I think they spend far too long on technology and get too absorbed too young and I am pretty strict with the time I let them on stuff, but it isn't easy as it is everywhere and they need to be clued up, but controlled. Everything in moderation.

lilmisskitkat

NewKittenHelp wrote: »

As young as possible. No point in shielding them from technology when it's going to play a huge part in their adult lives.

We didn't shield children from pencils because they were new fangled technology and chalk was good enough for their parents when they were children.

But it's not just about 'shielding' them from technology though. It's about money in many cases and the fact that they can't just have something because they want it or because everyone else has got it.

And once you get into the cycle of buying these things, what do you do as technology advances? Constantly buy the latest upgrades?

K xx

GobbledyGook

For my family;

Mobile Phone - Probably when they start high school if it's the one they are currently likely to attend as it's almost an hour each way every day.

Kindle - My 9 year old daughter loves mine so I can see me getting her one in a year or two. She still loves reading books as well, but likes the flexibility of the kindle as she has a couple of books at a time on the go and it's much lighter to do that on the kindle than carry around a couple of books.

Games Console - We have a Wii. My kids are 9, 6 and 2. Generally when it's being used there's at least the two girls playing and more often than not myself or their Dad joining in. It's hardly been on all summer, but we used it a lot in the really bad winter year before last when the boy was a tiny baby and we weren't out as much. It's like tv/video games and the likes - used in small doses and alongside a healthy, active lifestyle I see no issue with it.

Handheld Console - We don't have them as I feel they are anti-social. If they are going to sit with something only they can use I'd rather they had the kindle and were reading.

Laptop - I don't see the need for individual laptops until they are late, late teens and have college work to do.

Ipad/Android - I bought my girls an Ipad for Christmas last year. They love it, but their time on it is strictly monitored. I decided to get it as I wanted one anyway, they both really wanted it (and sometimes I believe it does them good to get what they want - they know they don't always) and we make good use of it, particularly in the car on long journeys which we do pretty regularly. I needed to replace the portable DVD player that I broke and I decided the extra was worthwhile. That said it is not, and will not, be allowed in bedrooms with internet access until they are much, much older. It stays in the living room. They also don't know the pin and I change it regularly so I have complete control over it's use.

I believe that everything in moderation is fine. They don't get everything they ask for and they have to take good care of their stuff.

balletshoes

Hermia wrote: »

I don't think it's just about age, I think it's also about why they are wanting the item. I would be more than happy to buy a Kindle for a 10 year old who was an avid reader. I would not be happy to buy an iPhone for a 10 year old who only wanted it because it was trendy and probably wouldn't even use half the functions on it.

I would say I'm in this group of parents (or I try to be, but I have an OH who likes gadgets and likes buying gadgets for our DD). My DD is a bit of a sheep who likes having what her friends have, but if its expensive I tell her she can save for it herself from her birthday/christmas money.

From your list Louise -

mobile phone - her first was her Dad's castoff with a payg sim in it, at age 8 I think. She barely used it. She has unfortunately turned into a bit of a phone junkie at age 11 (just started secondary school) and has spent birthday money on her current smartphone. I have not bought her a new phone since her Dad's old one gave up the ghost, and we did buy her an Alcatel less-than-a-tenner job then. In my experience, I think just before starting secondary school is a good age for getting a mobile phone.

kindle - none of us have them, we prefer reading proper books.

games console - her Wii was on her birthday list at age 9, but it was an expensive present for one person to buy her, so she paid half of it from her birthday money from relatives, and we put in the rest.

hand-held console - we bought her NintendoDS for her Christmas when she was nearly 6. She loved it, played with it loads, and she still does (although she upgraded it to a DSI about a year ago, with her own money).

laptop - this again was on her birthday list for her 10th birthday. Again, we considered it was too expensive for one person to buy her for a birthday present, so she put all of her birthday money (and some of her previous Christmas money, she was that serious about saving for it) towards it, and we paid the rest. Having said that, we don't have a home computer that works, so the laptop is used by all of us.

ipad2 - sigh - yes, she has one, got it for her birthday age 11 from us. We had the money, she didn't ask for it, her Dad wanted her to have it, I didn't, but he won (this time ). To be fair, she was absolutely thrilled to get it, she does use it a lot, and she's careful with it at the same time. She's never been a child who trashes her stuff or is careless with it though.

I know a Blackberry is next on her list for her birthday next year (the sheep mentality), but we are in negotiations over that at the moment because her current sim is a good one which gives her 5000 texts free per month as well as 500mb of data, and someone (ie us) would have to pay for a BB add-on if she got a BB. I don't see the point myself.

daska

I think all these suggested ages are irrelevant as they don't take into account individual children's needs or levels of ability. Here's my age 5 comparison.

DSD was loaded down with a playstation, a DS etc that people thought they should buy for her at a young age. In fact she preferred to read and draw. She was given a phone age 7 and it's been nothing but trouble, she's lost/broken so many (1 a month at times but they had to be replaced as they were her main contact with her mum, we eventually put in a rule that it was always kept in the dining room unless she was actually on the phone) and always uses up all her credit within a day or two. Her iPod, age 12, was broken within a week.

DS1 had little interest and preferred to play with his cars and build railway set and building cranes. I bought a DS and learning to use the stylus really helped with his writing - which 10 years later is still childish due to his dyspraxia. He got his first ipod when he was 11 and sold it a couple of months ago to fund his tablet, his first phone when he was 12 and again sold on and a decent phone when he started year 10.

DS2 has severe language difficulties, and is probably autistic/ADHD and he learned more of his letters (phonics) in a week with the iPad (which I bought in February) than he'd learned in his first term at school where they were allegedly concentrating on them and where he had a full time 1:1 support assistant. He's particularly taken to the art apps on there as he can control them directly with his fingers without having to use a pencil/ brush/ crayon etc. which are difficult because of his dyspraxic tendancies. Bugs and buttons/ bugs and bubbles has done wonders for his hand/ eye coordination. I don't envisage ever buying him a mobile phone.

N.B. I try to avoid buying specific gadgets for individuals i.e. the Wii, iPad, DS, all DVDs are 'family' things, only phones and iPods are individual.

So, my advice to anyone who's thinking about it would be to ignore their own and other's prejudices and look at the child's abilities and needs and how they can best be served.

Lexie

My daughter recieved a DS for Christmas aged 7 her first piece of technology. It was then traded in for a DSi for her 9th Birthday (I paid the excess). Then it was traded in last year for a 3DS when released which again I payed the excess but it is now classed as ours as I play on it as much as her.

She bought herself a net book around the age of 9 with her own money that she had saved.

I took out a mobile phone contract (blackberry) for her on first day of High School as she walks to and from school alone, on the understanding that if its lost or broken it will be replaced with the most embarassing old mobile phone.

She saved up Christmas, pocket and Birthday money to buy herself an iPad for her 12th Birthday.

I do think that it depends on the individual child. I know children that have had these things bought for them for christmas or Birthdays but have lost or broken them, just to their parents go out and replace them straight away. What is that teaching them?

My daughter takes extremly good care of all her possessions and knows full well that if lost or broken it will not be replaced.

NewKittenHelp

lilmisskitkat wrote: »

But it's not just about 'shielding' them from technology though. It's about money in many cases and the fact that they can't just have something because they want it or because everyone else has got it.

And once you get into the cycle of buying these things, what do you do as technology advances? Constantly buy the latest upgrades?

K xx

My point was outside of money and addressing people who say that children are 'too young' for computers.

If you're the kind of parent who can't say 'no' then you probably would buy the latest upgrades, but most parents are able to be sensible.:)

kingfisherblue

My son is 14, but with a mental age of about 4-6. He has an Ipad as a communication aid, using the app Proloquo2Go. He does enjoy music, photos, and some games on it as well, though. If I knew how much it would help him, I would have had one years ago, but I didn't know until last year that an Ipad could be used as a communication aid. It was only when his school started to use them that I discovered this. He started with an Ipod in school, but as his eyesight is very poor, an Ipad is better for him.

He does ask for a mobile phone, as he sees others with them, but he couldn't use it for texting, and he can't hear very well. His speech is difficult to understand when he is face to face, and almost impossible over the phone. I doubt if he will ever be able to use a mobile.

Foggster

I dont think there is a right or wrong age for any of the items, as a parent I hope to goodness I can make the right choice, at the right time and really wouldnt take a great deal of notice what others do or think.

Mobile phone - although she had a cast off whilst still in the latter year of primary school, she never used it. Once in secondary school she bought her own and I have upgraded it once for her.

Kindle - not sure why people dont consider these to be "proper books"! As far as money saving goes, these are great gadgets and I have easily realised the cost of the kindle against the cost of e-books as opposed to paper/hard backs. Daughter doesnt have one, she has the app on her...........Ipad!

Ipads - you either love them or hate them, we do share this one (there is only the 2 of us) and she does use it to the full with both the kindle app, films, communications etc. I use it for work and at the moment for reading because I broke my kindle!

Games consoles are not really something that gets used anymore, again the Ipad can do most things and the Wii is sadly gathering dust in the corner.

Due to my work, there have always been laptops and PCs around for most of her life, so it has not been something I have had to make a conscious decision about purchasing, she has had "hand-me-downs" most of the time or we just share my desktop.

Like I said, it really is horses for courses and so many factors that need to be considered on an individual basis.