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Combine that with ensuring that your child's computer is in a public place, not their bedroom. Not really practical advice in an era of tablets and mobiles.

vertex-four 10y ago
Very practical - don't give your <12yo child a tablet or smartphone. They're not necessary parts of human existence, and certainly not of a child's existence.
- ipedrazas 10y ago
  of course, how we parents didn't think of that before!
  - mobiuscog 10y ago
    Many don't. Unfortunately.
- mobiuscog 10y ago
  Exactly. Unfortunately, this seems less usual than you would think.
- rayiner 10y ago
  My 4 year old has a tablet, and I'm getting her a smart phone as soon as she can figure out how to text. She uses it to watch shows, draw, play games, facetime with her grandparents, look at family photos, etc. Most of the "harms" of screen time disappear when adjusted for things like socio-economic status: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/screen-time-for-kids-is-probably-fine; http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/screen-time-for-kids-is-... http://daily.jstor.org/screentime-feminist-issue http://daily.jstor.org/screentime-feminist-issue. Basically, like most parenting advice, exhortations to limit kids' access to screens is based on pseudo-science and old wives' tales. It should not be taken seriously.
- Unbeliever69 10y ago
  There will always be that kid at school or at a friend's house that DOES have access to these devices. We are already a paranoid, helicopter parent society as it is. Next step, strap kids into their beds and chairs and spoon feed them only what you want them to consume. Never let them leave home. Problem solved.
  - vertex-four 10y ago
    Cool. The idea is that theoretically, you're opening your kid's mind to more and more things under some degree of supervision. By the time they're looking up horrific or immoral stuff on their own or with friends, hopefully you've given them the tools to handle it. The idea isn't to stick a filter on their computer until they turn 18 and assume that there's no further parenting needed.

vertex-four 10y ago

Very practical - don't give your <12yo child a tablet or smartphone. They're not necessary parts of human existence, and certainly not of a child's existence.

ipedrazas 10y ago
of course, how we parents didn't think of that before!
- mobiuscog 10y ago
  Many don't. Unfortunately.
mobiuscog 10y ago
Exactly. Unfortunately, this seems less usual than you would think.
rayiner 10y ago
My 4 year old has a tablet, and I'm getting her a smart phone as soon as she can figure out how to text. She uses it to watch shows, draw, play games, facetime with her grandparents, look at family photos, etc. Most of the "harms" of screen time disappear when adjusted for things like socio-economic status: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/screen-time-for-kids-is-probably-fine; http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/screen-time-for-kids-is-... http://daily.jstor.org/screentime-feminist-issue http://daily.jstor.org/screentime-feminist-issue. Basically, like most parenting advice, exhortations to limit kids' access to screens is based on pseudo-science and old wives' tales. It should not be taken seriously.
Unbeliever69 10y ago
There will always be that kid at school or at a friend's house that DOES have access to these devices. We are already a paranoid, helicopter parent society as it is. Next step, strap kids into their beds and chairs and spoon feed them only what you want them to consume. Never let them leave home. Problem solved.
- vertex-four 10y ago
  Cool. The idea is that theoretically, you're opening your kid's mind to more and more things under some degree of supervision. By the time they're looking up horrific or immoral stuff on their own or with friends, hopefully you've given them the tools to handle it. The idea isn't to stick a filter on their computer until they turn 18 and assume that there's no further parenting needed.