5 ms·

I think it’s not just that. For instance 20 years ago there was public phone booths everywhere. A kid would just need a few coins and the house number to do a

by hrktb 9y ago

I think it’s not just that. For instance 20 years ago there was public phone booths everywhere. A kid would just need a few coins and the house number to do a call, now you’d need a cell phone, and giving one to a 5~8 year kid is still not practical. Or I remember shopping at local shops enough to know their faces and names, or ask shop owner if the other kids where nearby. I don’t think my kid knows anyone other than the bakery people, because local shops have nothing for him at this point. Same with police or church member perception, I think our generation is less OK to just say to a kid “if there’s any problem just trust the police”. It becomes a weird and complex message of what the institution’s goal is, what’s OK and not OK for them to do, what’s the warning signs, what to do in case stuff gets weird etc. TL;DR: A lot of stuff changed in the last decades, we can’t just blindly do the same as before.

dragonwriter 9y ago
> now you’d need a cell phone, and giving one to a 5~8 year kid is still not practical. I'm not sure about that; there are phones specifically designed for that market (e.g., Firefly), after all.
- hrktb 9y ago
  There are, but it comes with the baggage of contracting an additional phone line, and more importantly having it charged at all times and on the kid. Even just the risk of breaking, losing or getting it stolen is not negligeable. It’s a viable option depending on the kid and the environment , I just feel kids phone are still too clunky to be worth it. I’d prefer to go straight for a regular smartphone once the kid is big enough to properly take care of it.
appleiigs 9y ago
> TL;DR: A lot of stuff changed in the last decades, we can’t just blindly do the same as before. When I was kid, I would get on my bike and wander too far. One time I was out and a thunderstorm came along. A nice lady invited me into her house to call home. Fast forward to university, a professor objected to me closing his office door with just the 2 of us in there (we're both male and I'm 6ft 200lbs). A colleague of his was falsely accused of being inappropriate to a student, so his policy is to keep the door open. The change in trust levels has changed pretty swiftly.
- abritinthebay 9y ago
  There’s also a difference between interactions & power dynamics in a neighborhood setting with a young kid and a college with an adult student. So to be totally fair - not exactly similar situations
- bsder 9y ago
  > The change in trust levels has changed pretty swiftly. I'm of two minds about this. 1) This is a bad thing in that we don't give respect to authority that it really deserves. And that's quite often a bad thing--especially when related to children and teaching. Sorry to break it to you, Mommy, but your little angel is actually a spoiled, shitty little brat and, no, his opinions don't count. 2) This is a good thing in that people in positions of authority who abuse their power over others are not uncommon. Having greater scrutiny helps cut down on these situations. Apparently most women have dealt with a couple of these people as teachers throughout high school and college. I really don't know how to reconcile these two.
toasterlovin 9y ago
You might be surprised by the number of 5-8 year olds with cell phones. And I fully expect smart watches to eventually end up on the wrist of every single kid that spends significant time away from their parents.
- gowld 9y ago
  smart watches are peripherals, not communications devices, right? you still need a phone to make your smart watch communicate
  - toasterlovin 9y ago
    At this point Apple ships an LTE connected smart watch. Android OEMs have done so for a few years at this point. So I think all that remains is for costs to come down, battery life to improve, and the social acceptance thing to play out. I think smart parents will be giving their kids smartwatches instead of phones in a couple of years (smarter parents will not give their kids either, but I digress...).
  - dragonwriter 9y ago
    > smart watches are peripherals, not communications devices, right? The most popular ones in the US are, but ones that are fully independent phones with their own SIM have been available for some time. Just for some examples: https://www.smartgeekwrist.com/standalone-smartwatch-sim-card/ https://www.smartgeekwrist.com/standalone-smartwatch-sim-car...
bsder 9y ago
> Same with police or church member perception, I think our generation is less OK to just say to a kid “if there’s any problem just trust the police”. I'd go further. We need to get back to: "If you have a problem, pick an adult and ask for help." Really. Most threats to children are people they know. Random strangers are almost always helpful in a situation.
Symbiote 9y ago
There are still shops everywhere, who will let a child use a phone. Or teach the child to approach a stranger; a random stranger is very unlikely to be a threat. (A less random one even better: a woman with young children.) Not trusting the police for problems a child is likely to encounter seems paranoid.
- gowld 9y ago
  > a woman with young children. because she's already at her quota of kidnapped kids for the day?
astura 9y ago
Most 5-8 year olds I personally know have cell phones.

by hrktb 9y ago

dragonwriter 9y ago

> now you’d need a cell phone, and giving one to a 5~8 year kid is still not practical. I'm not sure about that; there are phones specifically designed for that market (e.g., Firefly), after all.

hrktb 9y ago
There are, but it comes with the baggage of contracting an additional phone line, and more importantly having it charged at all times and on the kid. Even just the risk of breaking, losing or getting it stolen is not negligeable. It’s a viable option depending on the kid and the environment , I just feel kids phone are still too clunky to be worth it. I’d prefer to go straight for a regular smartphone once the kid is big enough to properly take care of it.

appleiigs 9y ago

> TL;DR: A lot of stuff changed in the last decades, we can’t just blindly do the same as before. When I was kid, I would get on my bike and wander too far. One time I was out and a thunderstorm came along. A nice lady invited me into her house to call home. Fast forward to university, a professor objected to me closing his office door with just the 2 of us in there (we're both male and I'm 6ft 200lbs). A colleague of his was falsely accused of being inappropriate to a student, so his policy is to keep the door open. The change in trust levels has changed pretty swiftly.

abritinthebay 9y ago
There’s also a difference between interactions & power dynamics in a neighborhood setting with a young kid and a college with an adult student. So to be totally fair - not exactly similar situations
bsder 9y ago
> The change in trust levels has changed pretty swiftly. I'm of two minds about this. 1) This is a bad thing in that we don't give respect to authority that it really deserves. And that's quite often a bad thing--especially when related to children and teaching. Sorry to break it to you, Mommy, but your little angel is actually a spoiled, shitty little brat and, no, his opinions don't count. 2) This is a good thing in that people in positions of authority who abuse their power over others are not uncommon. Having greater scrutiny helps cut down on these situations. Apparently most women have dealt with a couple of these people as teachers throughout high school and college. I really don't know how to reconcile these two.

toasterlovin 9y ago

You might be surprised by the number of 5-8 year olds with cell phones. And I fully expect smart watches to eventually end up on the wrist of every single kid that spends significant time away from their parents.

gowld 9y ago
smart watches are peripherals, not communications devices, right? you still need a phone to make your smart watch communicate
- toasterlovin 9y ago
  At this point Apple ships an LTE connected smart watch. Android OEMs have done so for a few years at this point. So I think all that remains is for costs to come down, battery life to improve, and the social acceptance thing to play out. I think smart parents will be giving their kids smartwatches instead of phones in a couple of years (smarter parents will not give their kids either, but I digress...).
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  > smart watches are peripherals, not communications devices, right? The most popular ones in the US are, but ones that are fully independent phones with their own SIM have been available for some time. Just for some examples: https://www.smartgeekwrist.com/standalone-smartwatch-sim-card/ https://www.smartgeekwrist.com/standalone-smartwatch-sim-car...

bsder 9y ago

> Same with police or church member perception, I think our generation is less OK to just say to a kid “if there’s any problem just trust the police”. I'd go further. We need to get back to: "If you have a problem, pick an adult and ask for help." Really. Most threats to children are people they know. Random strangers are almost always helpful in a situation.

Symbiote 9y ago

There are still shops everywhere, who will let a child use a phone. Or teach the child to approach a stranger; a random stranger is very unlikely to be a threat. (A less random one even better: a woman with young children.) Not trusting the police for problems a child is likely to encounter seems paranoid.

gowld 9y ago
> a woman with young children. because she's already at her quota of kidnapped kids for the day?

astura 9y ago

Most 5-8 year olds I personally know have cell phones.