What gadgets do your kids own?

Former_MSE_Debs

Poll started 9 Sep 2013

It’s back-to-school time, but have your kids become gadget freaks over the summer? We live in a tech world where some toddlers are so used to touchscreens, they can’t work out why magazine covers aren’t interactive.

Which of the options in in this week's poll do your children have (ie, for their primary use)?

Vote in this week's poll

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To see the results from last time, click this.

JimmyTheWig

Early days in terms of voting, but so far it appears that the younger a child is the more chance there is of them having an iPad / tablet. Interesting.

Gordon_the_Moron

I voted I don't have kids. Not entirely sure what the point of that option is, I could just as easily have not voted, never mind though :dance:

Nicky101

you cannot believe the gadgets the kids have these days

They want iphones and Ipads these day instead of dolls or Action Men for christmas

i guess its progress but it feels a little sad too.

Root_Ginger

Technology is very important for children to get to grips with at a young age. Not giving them access now will put them at a disadvantage later and there are some fantastic educational facilities to be accessed using the latest technology particularly touch screen tablets or phones.

Primary schools are now encouraged to allow time in the week for children to work on tablets particularly for those who don't have access to it at home. Not all schools currently have the facilities to support this though.

Catriona_P

I agree with Root Ginger. As a child, my husband's parents thought computers were the devil so refused to give him access to one (including games consoles), the only computers he used were at school. He had a major problem when he started university and even now (despite lots of help from me) he's now in his early 30's and struggles with basic computer principles, even Word and Excel.

Technology is the way of things these days and kids need to know how to use it.

chocaholicmanc

Whilst I agree children need access to technology I don't see why they need their own IPAD or smart phone. I didn't get a TV in my room until I was 8 (I'm now 30) and -according to my friends at the time-that made us really rich!!
My little cousin (2) has understood how to 'swipe' for a long time but the concept of an actual book is alien to him. I think that is so so sad. Maybe I'm stuck in the past but I think children should understand books first, technology second!

onetomany

my boys 1 and 11 have phones, tvs, ps3,xbox , laptops, tablets

jules888

As a gadget fan myself it was inevitable my kids now aged 15 and 17 would grow up with gadgets and have some of their own!

muddlemand

My 13yo son has a few of these items, and it would be very strange if a child didn't have. For example he was the first in the family to have a digital camera, which prevented the problem of a littlun taking loads of shots in his natural enthusiasm and running out of film before we got to the event we were going to! Prevented it being a problem, that is.

Also, immediately visible (if tiny) pictures taught him to stop wasting shots like that much sooner than he'd have learnt otherwise. And he's far better at discarding the useless ones than I am even though I've been learning that skill for a long time.

The technological things he has are all high-end spec (within reason - not an iPhone) - and almost all of them paid for by himself with his own saved-up money. His main camera (yes, he has two or three) is a DSLR that I really covet! but he is teaching himself photography and is good at it. He plans to get the software that you get when you sign up for the Open University's digital photography course. That snazzy camera made it to the top of his must-have list and hasn't to the top of mine yet, fair enough.

His laptop was about £700, and though he put a contribution it was mostly a gift. It's rare that he has money spent on him as a treat AND he's competent to build his own computer next time he needs a new one. So fair enough IMHO.

The only thing I resisted much later than other parents was the in-bedroom tv, for multiple reasons. But it's part of how kids socialise, gaming together, and his tv act as the screen of his game console. I try to get him downstairs for as much "jointly watched" tv as possible and at least, when in his room he's more often googling than goggle-eyed couch potatoing.

I don't think simply counting how many kids have what tells us anything at all. And I do agree that they'd be lost without owning some quantity of gadgets. Socially as well as educationally. (So would most of us!) We've moved on from looking up data in little boxes of index cards, after all. Without YouTube my son couldn't have done nearly as much self-educating...:cool:

onetomany

thats 11 and 17 not 1 lol