What age for child to own a kindle/tablet device?

bitemebankers

It depends...

If it's a pure Kindle or e-reader with no browser or media player, then pretty much any age. If they're old enough to independently read a proper book, they're old enough to have one of these. E-readers are the future IMHO - may as well start them early!

As for devices that allow internet access, I wouldn't allow a child of any age unsupervised access to one of those. Well, maybe when they're 16 or 17, if they're very trustworthy and responsible. Otherwise, an unequivocal NO.

Tropez

hgotsparkle wrote: »

I imagine it produces a lot of introverted children (not that its bad to be an introvert - I'm one myself) but how are they socialising properly when they're glaring at a screen?

Chances are they're not glaring at a screen 24/7.

Admittedly, I didn't have a tablet growing up. I had a PC, a PC capable of playing all the latest games so I spent quite a bit of time doing that.

Shockingly, I also spent quite a bit of time outside socialising with friends, particularly on warm, summer days when the thought of being cooped up in the house was akin to be poked and prodded by burning knitting needles by someone resembling Jason Voorhees.

It is quite possible to have an active social life and still use technology, particularly if the technology is merely regarded as an assistant to that social life. A kid can still own a tablet, laptop or games console and go outside and play with friends but what a kid cannot do is permanently go outside and play with friends because we have school, homework, crap winter weather, earlier dark nights, curfews in effect in some areas etc. that prevent the child from doing that safely.

hgotsparkle

Tropez wrote: »

Chances are they're not glaring at a screen 24/7.

Admittedly, I didn't have a tablet growing up. I had a PC, a PC capable of playing all the latest games so I spent quite a bit of time doing that.

Shockingly, I also spent quite a bit of time outside socialising with friends, particularly on warm, summer days when the thought of being cooped up in the house was akin to be poked and prodded by burning knitting needles by someone resembling Jason Voorhees.

It is quite possible to have an active social life and still use technology, particularly if the technology is merely regarded as an assistant to that social life. A kid can still own a tablet, laptop or games console and go outside and play with friends but what a kid cannot do is permanently go outside and play with friends because we have school, homework, crap winter weather, earlier dark nights, curfews in effect in some areas etc. that prevent the child from doing that safely.

Young children though get very attached to devices as its something grown up, I've seen kids endlessly playing on their parents iphones and when its taken away, they scream and have no idea how to interact with other people. Yes this is probably the minority but why do children need technology? For homework yes, if thats what schools are doing now but they why can't that be done on the parents computer with supervision? Children should be children.

Running_Horse

We are getting a Kindle Fire for our seven year old, but it will be kept and used in the lounge, with internet access switched off.

bitemebankers

hgotsparkle wrote: »

Yes this is probably the minority but why do children need technology?

We are discussing a device for reading books. It's exactly the sort of activity many kids should be doing a lot more of!

hgotsparkle

bitemebankers wrote: »

We are discussing a device for reading books. It's exactly the sort of activity many kids should be doing a lot more of!

I'm focusing more on tablets here as the title is 'kindle/tablet device'. And I have previously mentioned that I would get a child a kindle for reading only.

bitemebankers

hgotsparkle wrote: »

I'm focusing more on tablets here as the title is 'kindle/tablet device'. And I have previously mentioned that I would get a child a kindle for reading only.

Fair enough. I think we're probably in agreement then. The last thing children need is their own, personal, unsupervised tool for accessing the web.

Tropez

hgotsparkle wrote: »

Young children though get very attached to devices as its something grown up, I've seen kids endlessly playing on their parents iphones and when its taken away, they scream and have no idea how to interact with other people. Yes this is probably the minority but why do children need technology? For homework yes, if thats what schools are doing now but they why can't that be done on the parents computer with supervision? Children should be children.

Statistics show that those in my generation who had regular experience and interaction with technology growing up now have better employment opportunities. The truth is that it doesn't harm a kid to allow them to have access to something that, like it or not, is going to become a huge part of the future.

I'm sure you have seen kids scream when they have an iPhone taken off them and that's because their parents are bloody useless and thankfully it is a minority.

Allowing a child access to a computer or tablet isn't going to suddenly turn them into a social leper. The majority will still prefer to hang around with their friends. A lot of kids these days also socialise at times when I was a kid I would have been bored and alone because they can use VoIP to talk while playing a game of FIFA on a computer or console. This whole "kids should be outside" argument is sensationalist claptrap that ignores the benefits of allowing responsible access to and education about technology in favour of horror stories about them turning into socially inept zombies, conveniently ignoring the many threats that exist outside.

Regardless, it isn't at all difficult for a child with a decent upbringing to balance access to technology with an active social life in a healthy, controlled manner. A lot of kids already do.

bitemebankers

Tropez wrote: »

The truth is that it doesn't harm a kid to allow them to have access to something that, like it or not, is going to become a huge part of the future.

Depends what you mean by "access". Allowing unsupervised access to the internet is one of the most irresponsible things a parent can do these days. You may as well give them a selection of guns to play with.

Tropez

bitemebankers wrote: »

Depends what you mean by "access". Allowing unsupervised access to the internet is one of the most irresponsible things a parent can do these days. You may as well give them a selection of guns to play with.

You mean like where I said...

Tropez wrote: »

the benefits of allowing responsible access to and education about technology

?

Was there a need to quote out of context in order to present some extremist, strawman comments about guns?