Just a thought or rather question I have had in the last few months. Growing up most of my play time was outdoors running, climbing my neighbor's fence to chase his turkeys lol, climbing trees, riding a bike, fake wrestle-ling etc. Basically, I was very active and so where my siblings.

I see that kids now at a very young age have iPads, Tablets, smartphones, laptops, etc and thus spend less time outdoors and been more social. Heck I got a phone when I was 18 and kids in middle school flash their iPhones around.


What are your thoughts on kids having access to all of these at such young ages?
Pros and Cons?
What would do as a parent? 

Well, I feel like it's no that the technology is a bad thing, but that children need to take it in balance. I mean, iphones are the new GBA, but then we've got 3DS's as well so, this is only kindof a new problem. The thing that makes the different is how children are using communication websites with one another, and the much wider array of things you can do with an iphone.

iphones are not bad. They just need balance. And do parents keep track of what their children are up to to ensure that balance? Nope. lol

Teachers aren't much better most of the time, but they don't even have real power in the classroom anymore. As with all problems the next generation faces, it's the parent's fault for not doing anything. But I think most parents enjoy how much less attention they give their children on account of it, so as long as "everybody wins" There won't be a change.

But society has been derailing for a long time. This is nothing new. I know my children won't have free range of iphones and things like that. I spend a lot of my time on the laptop, and I'm twenty. But I still get outside as much as I can. I walk. I run. I'm not far from a state trail. I end up going outside several times a day in between breaks from my laptop. It's fun. And it's not something I ever plan to change.

So that's my take.

Sword legion : Agreed. When parenting is done right it will be beneficial. Sadly, seems many parents give these devices to keep the children busy and not have to watch them or educate them as needed. That is perhaps the biggest problem there, bad parenting. 

My nephew has learned to talk better using his iPad more than with his speech therapies. He is 4 and games a lot and watches a lot of educational videos there and it's helped him but, also hinder his social skills. He does not want to play much with other kids rather plays alone while surrounded by kids. 

jlove92 : As a 15 year old teenager who has been using the internet since he was of the age of 3, I'd say that the pros of being technologically advanced compared to most, considering my age, to be great for my intellect. Technology grants me access to endless amounts of information, as well as help me develop socially.

No, I'm not very social in reality, but on the internet I'm a really nice guy. And until I have some sort of reason to spend more time socializing irl (such as getting a job when I turn 16), I'll probably continue to study things.

As for cons, I can't say there are any that are apparent to me. Naturally my parents don't understand, so they just assume I'm goofing off all day on the internet.

And I'm not, I'm studying psychology and the rules of causality, as well as various other things that interest me. I also have decent knowledge of the C# programming language, as well as web design languages such as HTML, CSS, Javascript etc. Surely I can make a career out of some of these skills, so the fact that I'm technologically advanced compared to most people means that the only thing anyone has to fear is lack of control.

Knowledge is power, and I'm much too powerful to just sit down and do something "just because".
Nothing is "just because".

yoshirulez! : Really enjoyed reading your post. To my family I have always been off. From a very young age all I wanted was a computer. When I got it, they barely saw me at first but then created a well balance specially since I got it by age 14 so by then I had been very social and active. 

I agree in the sense of acquiring knowledge. Anything college related I surfed the internet for help with, finding an apartment, car, car insurance, all through the internet basically. I have focused recently on learning more about laws in Florida and that has come in very beneficial.

But, to my family, the fact that I spend 5-10+ hours a day whether on my phone's internet, computer, or gaming it has always been an odd thing to them and as you say "goofing off" but, that has paid off as I have been able to aid them a lot with laws, health, and many other topics so by now my mother sees gaming as a past time but finds value on me being on the internet reading. I was always into books and computers but, remained very social. They are concerned that my nephew does the same but, he expresses no desire on actual social activities with other kids. They worry he is too "sedentary" and too comfortable being alone.

Those are great skills to have and yes it comes in very handy when finding a career. To me Visual Basic.Net programming seemed like a torture but, when you grasp the concept it becomes very easy to code. I have yet to go back to pursue Javascript.

Knowledge is power and people are able to stand up for themselves now more than before. Hopefully it remains that way and we don't become like those people from Wall-E!!

Sword legion : or if they do have them, control the usage. Before the end of high school, my father only let us play video games during days when we had no school (or on Friday evenings). It will be crucial if you ever get more than one.

jlove92 : Technological advancements are a mixed blessing. It makes our life easier for sure but (I hope I don't sound too old!) it seems to make people less sociable. I look at my in-laws' younger generation (age 5 or younger) and it seems that they are all stuck to their device. I compare it to my nephew (from Skype meetings at least) age 3, who never seems to hold anything electronic in his hands. I don't believe his parents even own a smartphone because they don't need it as such.

I have read how many posts on here where people admit to being terrible socializers in person, don't have real life friends, and survive on online connections or ask about online dating.

Technology gives so much access to around the world and that's a good thing.

It also removes the human element and people are used to communicating via written text, like phone texting, facebook chats, gmail chat, and forums like what we have here.

Ultimately, human communication always changes.  I have a career that requires social grace, charisma, and the ability to make people comfortable and make new friends in about 45 seconds of meeting strangers.  It's not easy and fewer and fewer younger people are able to do it.

The folks that do the best are the ones who limited their screen time.  They developed the ability to go outside and make up games.  They have imagination and don't require the work of a computer or a website to help them.  There was a thread about being 'addicted' to Vizzed.com I was browsing.  I would feel helpless if I had to stay up until 5:00 am to play video games or I had to constantly check posts and see what was happening.  I can read a book and put it down to go to bed and that's entertainment for me.

Good or bad?  Neither.  Culture is changing with the technology and we have what we have.  Soon I'll be the uncomfortable one because I can't text 120 wpm on my phone and I don't know the short-hand.  I'll be the weird one with a tan from being outside and maybe pale skin will be en vogue in the second half of the century.

It just is.  No more, no less.

I personally find no good reason for ANYONE to be online if they are under, say...sixteen, maybe eighteen. If one isnt responsible to buy a porn magazine, or a cigarette or beer, what the heck is a CHILD, by legal age, doing on a place where you can just google practically anything? Trust me, I know that they have filters, webnannies, and blocks, but we all know that's just an obstacle. A lock only keeps honest people out. It's just my personal opinion, but there is a TON more negative things online than positive, and many a generation needed no internet before us, so why is it SUCH A MUST HAVE now? But I also know that to label all children as irresponsible is wrong of me, and that many can handle the web, and some can't just like us adults.


EDIT- for the love of all sane I gotta change my layout....

manicman66 :

That's a pretty high age to set your standards on. I'm 15 years old.

I think it should probably be 13 or older if you want to be on the internet. Sadly, some idiotic parents don't know how to parent sometimes and let their 5 year old child on Newgrounds.

manicman66 :  
LunarDarkness2 :

I agree with Lunar.  16 is awfully old for a person to not have any access to the internet.  Think of all the information available online.  Think of all the interact events and activities and learning that take place.  If you automatically think someone goes online just to watch adult entertainment, then you're wrong.  You have online learning, you have education, and since our culture is one of a high level of technology, holding anyone back until they're 16 before you start exposing them to computers is going to make for some dumb people.

Lastly, the idea is that young kids are made aware of the dangers and potential trouble of the internet.  They need to have safe exposure to the volatile world of the web so they can make good decisions when they are alone or when they get older.  An 8 year old can learn the rules and apply them with more control than a 16 year old who's never seen this stuff can.

Teach 'em young.

manicman66 : That seems a little high. Mind you, I agree that parents should SUPERVIZE what their children are looking at, but ban it altogether? As for alcohol: like the Internet it's a matter of responsibility. My parents have let me taste wine (a glass per week), and as a result I believe I've abused the substance much less than those who go to parties and drink mindlessly.

janus I will
agree with controlling usage. Teach them a balance at a young age. My mother
was the same way only weekends or whenever we had holidays the next day.My nieces are the same way; they barely look
up so, they are now involved in extracurricular activities and that’s going
great for them. I am not too crazy about phones though, just computers and
video games. I might keep a phone on for 3 months a year and that’s about it. I
see how beneficial it can be but, quite honestly I’ve done great without it and
well hear less drama too when my family can’t reach me right away lol. So yes a
blessing if done right.


Ghostbear1111Yes, I’ve seeing a few newbie posts like
that. I love the ability of talking to people all around the world- it makes us
that much closer and equal in a way. My job is like that too, constantly talking to strangers and being social face to face with them in meetings of
30-50 people at a time. I struggle sometimes as I am very introvert and that
kind of activities doesn’t interest me; I still do it and do it well just wouldn’t choose to do it if it wasn’t part of my job duties. I love being
outdoors though, I love walking trails, nature, I grew up in a very country
setting surrounded by animals, hills, valleys, beaches so I definitely enjoy
the outdoors but, I see how that isn’t the same for my nieces and nephews as
they much rather be in their phones all day every day and being outside doesn’t
quite interest them as much. I  think it is the lack of parental supervision and balance. Yeah, culture
changes with technology; it’s funny to see movies make fun of what our next
generations will be like years from now.


manicman66 That part
worries me the most. It is so easy to
stumble into porn on the internet. My nephew likes to YouTube Mario gameplays
and I was listening in one day and I heard Mario’s voice and Peach’s voice say
some very naughty things I go and see and it was a porn of Mario and Peach and
he is only 4 so he doesn’t understand so he’s just laughing. So I uninstalled
YouTube and Downloaded YouTube for kids and I check his history and so far
nothing like that has happened. There’s a lot of bad and always will be. That’s
where parenting is needed to teach good values and responsibility because you
can’t filter all the bad out of anything so they will see it no matter what or where so best to handle this at home early. In my opinion, I would not just let
my children have their internet privacy until they are 16-17- (I’ll still
monitor but, not as strict as I will at a young age) I’ll use the internet to
help them learn and be technology savvy as it is a plus in today’s world but, I
will talk about those bad things and make sure they understand before I let
them be all lose in the internet.



P.S. lol Yes, it was hard to read, had to highlight it.


LunarDarkness2 I think
internet at a young age if monitored is not bad at all. It gives them tools and
skills for the future. Around 15-17 I would allow more freedom but, still
monitor from time to time for their protection since there are bad people that
like to take advantage specially online and so on. That’s the biggest problem
of them all, substituting parental duties with the internet. Smh.

Ghostbear1111 In that I
agree, 16 might not be the best time to introduce them to the internet- heck it’s
a very tough age with dating and developing and I think it would hinder more
than do any good. I agree with that point, you can’t filter dangers in the real
world at all, you can only prepare for them and make good choices and the
internet is now as powerful as anything else in the real world so you must be prepared
and savvy. I agree 100% start teaching responsibility at a young age so they
can have better judgment later on in life.


NintendoFanKimmy Awesome
post. Tolerance is a big point there; people learn about other cultures so much
more on the internet than by word of mouth which is by far more biased than
anything else. Yes, everyone is different and handles responsibility different
so it’s hard to label everyone alike. I feel that these bad things will be
searched; we are curious by nature and there’s nothing wrong with that at all-
just need to have good parents to teach you how to make good life choices
regardless of what you see or hear. Actually, throughout my Writing class in
college 50% of my grade came from having to post my essays online and obtain feedback
and report that feedback and improvements. The internet is a tool to unite the
world and make information easily available- what people choose to post and add
there is up to them and well people like good and bad so again it is down to
responsibility and knowing to make better choices in life. I think access to
the internet is a must have for my future children but, I will be there to make
sure they are able to make good choices. I think is best to expose them to good things in the internet and teach them all they can search and learn rather than
to not let them have any access to it because it will hinder their learning
progress in today’s world . Good for you for making such great choices! I would
like to read some of your writing. 

I'm a perfect example of someone who's derailed into the realm of too much gaming and technology, although I'm not going to take the "bad parenting" card out on it. I'm going to take responsibility and say I'm to blame for it. I'm 18 years old, less than a month away from turning 19. I should be able to control myself, and I can't.

But I don't mean to derail the conversation. I agree with Sword Legion here. With younger kids, parents should keep closer tabs on what they're doing, especially with everything that the powers of the internet and technology allow you to possess, and access, at will.

SWTerra : The first step to cure addiction is to recognize you have a problem . Seriously, if you admit that technology is overwhelming on you, then you can take steps to make technology more "reasonable" around you. I don't see my younger relatives on in-laws ever taking steps for that.

janus : Again, I don't want to derail the subject here. I only gave a slight statement to it because it is relevant, but I don't want to go into detail or continue talking about it. Thanks for the advice anyway, but let's stick to the point of the thread, please.

SWTerra : I guess we all go through that at one point in time. For me it is now as an adult living alone. I can say it just increased because I am somewhat avoiding negativity and drama from my family at the moment so it serves as a great escape to sit and focus on certain objectives within a game. The technology part, I rely a lot in it; that's how I pay my bills, track my online banking account, car insurance, and all of that, and also that's how I communicate with family and friends in Puerto Rico. Thanks to the internet I found my half brother in Puerto Rico after 10 years of not talking to him. So, I think the internet has great benefits it's just creating a healthy balance as an adult which would really depend on how well your parents guided you as a child so, overall parents play a key role.

If I don't understand something, I usually ask advice from my youngest brother who is 14 years younger than me and he is usually happy to help. May God help us both when he also becomes a confused grandpa like me. Then there wont be no one to turn to. But I guess the lesson is more about just never growing too old to find help on things you don't know about than being stubborn and trying to find the things out the hard way.

Brigand : It stars to seem that way; the younger generation is getting smarter when it comes to technology. My nieces are great when it comes to photo editing while I can barely crop anything out. I have used the internet in many great ways to learn things I didn't know- I fixed things in my car from YouTube videos, crafts around the house, Calculus help, and cooking tips to just about anything. I think it makes Do It Yourself that more easier. Overall, I think kids should be technology savvy for their own sake but, all in moderation. My nieces are always thrilled to show me something I don't know and viceversa; they are gamers too so we collaborate quite a bit. I hope the day does not come when technology is so far advanced and I don't know my way around it; we also have to keep up with it but, it's always great to let younger siblings get a shot at being right and helpful for a change.

I would say it is a blessing and a curse. It is nice that your kids can know what they are doing with the device and can help you out if you screwed yours up. It is a curse because kids are less active,becoming weaker and apathetic,and they whine when you ask them to get something somewhat heavy from the store,like a sack of dog food.

The key is balance,but neither the parents,or teachers,or the kids themselves want to take that first step. Even if it is for half an hour,set the device down and go do something. Take a walk,ride a bike,work out,play,just do something. Moderation is the key here.