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All my family's meals are device-free. My kids don't even question it: they turn the TV off themselves when we call them. We have one TV in the house and it can

All my family's meals are device-free. My kids don't even question it: they turn the TV off themselves when we call them. We have one TV in the house and it can't be turned on in the morning. The kids don't seem to suffer at all.

socialist_coder 9y ago
My house is the same way, but I think you have to realize that we're in the vast minority though. Whenever I'm visiting with family in the US, their TV is usually on. It's constantly on. The kids run around with devices with very little oversight or limits. It's absolutely terrible, but's also super common. Sigh.
- Frank2312 9y ago
  My sister does that. She just keeps the TV on at all times. Watching a show on Netflix on her tablet? TV on. Takes a shower and is in the bathroom for 30-45 minutes? TV on. Leaves the house and someone is there, though not watching TV? Let's TV on. I have to shut it down myself. I have absolutely no idea how she picked up that habit. No one in the (immediate) family does it.
  - mixmastamyk 9y ago
    Some people like background noise, not a fan myself.
    - Nition 9y ago
      If pure background noise is the goal, a radio would waste a lot less electricity.
      - TomMarius 9y ago
        You're of course true, but nowadays the consumption of a TV isn't that tragic.
      - Markoff 9y ago
        not so many people have dedicated radio these days compared to TV and listening radio through mobile and BT speaker is kinda PITA
  - jcbrand 9y ago
    My impression is that people generally leave the television or radio on the entire day because they struggle with silence and being alone with their thoughts. The same is true with social media and internet addictions, although there's also the dopamine kick to contend with, which makes them a bit different. Practicing meditation, general mindfulness and taking long (more than a week) holidays without internet or even electricity helps me a lot to avoid getting addicted to distractions.
- rayiner 9y ago
  What makes it "absolutely terrible?"
  - hycaria 9y ago
    Considering your other comment on this thread, it's good news if you don't consider it "absolutely terrible", your life would be quite unbearable otherwise. I hate these environments too. I have yet to meet someone who is glued to some screen or watches tons of TV and would still attract me enough (in a purely intellectual way) to make me want to know them more, and try and pursue a relationship with them/have engaging conversations. Doing the same task most of the time doesn't bring the best out of people (realistically, if you look at your phone during family dinners, when do you give yourself enough time to do something else without distraction ? can anything meaningful happen when you're sucked out of your own life constantly ?). Yes, you can read on your phone, yet people will more likely show you cat gifs and not interesting articles.
- duderific 9y ago
  It's such a slippery slope. My brother in law's twin boys (now 7) started with their own iPads at age 4. You cannot pry them out of their hands. They go everywhere with them. I often see kids as young as 2 or 3 with iPhones in their hands while being pushed in their stroller on a walk, or at a restaurant at dinner. We allow our 3 year old boy a small amount of screen time each day, as he spends the whole day (9-6) at day care and it helps him unwind a bit to watch Sesame Street, and gives us a chance to prepare dinner uninterrupted. But it's always under our control, we do not hand him the remote or device. Nor do we use it when we go out to eat.
soccerdave 9y ago
It's amazing how well kids adapt when expectations are set and they know them. We used to let the kids watch an iPad in the car and there was always fighting because everyone wanted to watch different shows. So we took the iPad out of the car and now the kids only have books to read in the car. Since we did that car rides have been so much better.
- specialist 9y ago
  Kids (0-8) do better when there are (predictable) boundaries. They feel more content and secure. From 9 to 12, just have fun together. From 13 to 25, just keep them alive. YMMV
- Fogest 9y ago
  Do they not get car sick from reading books while driving? I remember as a kid on long car trips I would try and read but I'd always feel sick from it, however I was fine watching movies on a portable DVD player.
  - bashinator 9y ago
    Dunno why you're being downvoted - as a kid I was an avid reader. I could not read on our long car trips to visit relatives - instant nausea.
    - grzm 9y ago
      Speculation, but I suspect the down vote is due to the first sentence "Do they not get car sick from reading books while driving?" It assumes that that everyone gets sick as they do, and doesn't give their parent the benefit of the doubt that what they commented was wholly accurate.
      - Fogest 9y ago
        That's a bit ridiculous, if people are that sensitive they have different problems. I was simply asking a question about whether they get car sick or not from reading while in the car. It does not assume anything, that is exactly why I asked the question. Based on my experience that is what would happen to me, so I was curious to hear their account.
yitchelle 9y ago
> ... it can't be turned on in the morning. How are you doing this? I have been for a solution to this for the last few months but nothing really came up. TIA.
- tisdy 9y ago
  "Don't turn on the TV or <punishment>."
- randlet 9y ago
  You make a rule. This isn't a technology problem.
  - yitchelle 9y ago
    My kids are the kind with the attitude that "rules are made to be broken", which I like. It's like the hacker's ethos almost.
    - randlet 9y ago
      Why bother having a rule if you're not going to enforce it? I agree that questioning authority is healthy, but people also are required to follow rules on occasion and it's your job to teach them how to do that. Using a technological solution to a discipline issue is a short term bandaid for a long time problem.
- NoGravitas 9y ago
  Even if our kids turned on the TV, there would be nothing to watch on it except the Chromecast homescreen. No cable, no antenna. Elder child's phone has no video apps on it except the built-in one they can play their own home videos on (maybe they could cast those to the TV?).
  - Markoff 9y ago
    yeah, that's my definition of "TV" nowadays, it's just external display for content I push there, though I have smart TV with apps, so there is sort of way to display something, but not the traditional passive TV channels

socialist_coder 9y ago

My house is the same way, but I think you have to realize that we're in the vast minority though. Whenever I'm visiting with family in the US, their TV is usually on. It's constantly on. The kids run around with devices with very little oversight or limits. It's absolutely terrible, but's also super common. Sigh.

Frank2312 9y ago
My sister does that. She just keeps the TV on at all times. Watching a show on Netflix on her tablet? TV on. Takes a shower and is in the bathroom for 30-45 minutes? TV on. Leaves the house and someone is there, though not watching TV? Let's TV on. I have to shut it down myself. I have absolutely no idea how she picked up that habit. No one in the (immediate) family does it.
- mixmastamyk 9y ago
  Some people like background noise, not a fan myself.
  - Nition 9y ago
    If pure background noise is the goal, a radio would waste a lot less electricity.
    - TomMarius 9y ago
      You're of course true, but nowadays the consumption of a TV isn't that tragic.
    - Markoff 9y ago
      not so many people have dedicated radio these days compared to TV and listening radio through mobile and BT speaker is kinda PITA
- jcbrand 9y ago
  My impression is that people generally leave the television or radio on the entire day because they struggle with silence and being alone with their thoughts. The same is true with social media and internet addictions, although there's also the dopamine kick to contend with, which makes them a bit different. Practicing meditation, general mindfulness and taking long (more than a week) holidays without internet or even electricity helps me a lot to avoid getting addicted to distractions.
rayiner 9y ago
What makes it "absolutely terrible?"
- hycaria 9y ago
  Considering your other comment on this thread, it's good news if you don't consider it "absolutely terrible", your life would be quite unbearable otherwise. I hate these environments too. I have yet to meet someone who is glued to some screen or watches tons of TV and would still attract me enough (in a purely intellectual way) to make me want to know them more, and try and pursue a relationship with them/have engaging conversations. Doing the same task most of the time doesn't bring the best out of people (realistically, if you look at your phone during family dinners, when do you give yourself enough time to do something else without distraction ? can anything meaningful happen when you're sucked out of your own life constantly ?). Yes, you can read on your phone, yet people will more likely show you cat gifs and not interesting articles.
duderific 9y ago
It's such a slippery slope. My brother in law's twin boys (now 7) started with their own iPads at age 4. You cannot pry them out of their hands. They go everywhere with them. I often see kids as young as 2 or 3 with iPhones in their hands while being pushed in their stroller on a walk, or at a restaurant at dinner. We allow our 3 year old boy a small amount of screen time each day, as he spends the whole day (9-6) at day care and it helps him unwind a bit to watch Sesame Street, and gives us a chance to prepare dinner uninterrupted. But it's always under our control, we do not hand him the remote or device. Nor do we use it when we go out to eat.

soccerdave 9y ago

It's amazing how well kids adapt when expectations are set and they know them. We used to let the kids watch an iPad in the car and there was always fighting because everyone wanted to watch different shows. So we took the iPad out of the car and now the kids only have books to read in the car. Since we did that car rides have been so much better.

specialist 9y ago
Kids (0-8) do better when there are (predictable) boundaries. They feel more content and secure. From 9 to 12, just have fun together. From 13 to 25, just keep them alive. YMMV
Fogest 9y ago
Do they not get car sick from reading books while driving? I remember as a kid on long car trips I would try and read but I'd always feel sick from it, however I was fine watching movies on a portable DVD player.
- bashinator 9y ago
  Dunno why you're being downvoted - as a kid I was an avid reader. I could not read on our long car trips to visit relatives - instant nausea.
  - grzm 9y ago
    Speculation, but I suspect the down vote is due to the first sentence "Do they not get car sick from reading books while driving?" It assumes that that everyone gets sick as they do, and doesn't give their parent the benefit of the doubt that what they commented was wholly accurate.
    - Fogest 9y ago
      That's a bit ridiculous, if people are that sensitive they have different problems. I was simply asking a question about whether they get car sick or not from reading while in the car. It does not assume anything, that is exactly why I asked the question. Based on my experience that is what would happen to me, so I was curious to hear their account.

yitchelle 9y ago

> ... it can't be turned on in the morning. How are you doing this? I have been for a solution to this for the last few months but nothing really came up. TIA.

tisdy 9y ago
"Don't turn on the TV or <punishment>."
randlet 9y ago
You make a rule. This isn't a technology problem.
- yitchelle 9y ago
  My kids are the kind with the attitude that "rules are made to be broken", which I like. It's like the hacker's ethos almost.
  - randlet 9y ago
    Why bother having a rule if you're not going to enforce it? I agree that questioning authority is healthy, but people also are required to follow rules on occasion and it's your job to teach them how to do that. Using a technological solution to a discipline issue is a short term bandaid for a long time problem.
NoGravitas 9y ago
Even if our kids turned on the TV, there would be nothing to watch on it except the Chromecast homescreen. No cable, no antenna. Elder child's phone has no video apps on it except the built-in one they can play their own home videos on (maybe they could cast those to the TV?).
- Markoff 9y ago
  yeah, that's my definition of "TV" nowadays, it's just external display for content I push there, though I have smart TV with apps, so there is sort of way to display something, but not the traditional passive TV channels