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Instead of giving kids an iPad / Android device, what about giving them a lightweight Linux laptop / tablet so they can play games and watch YouTube with an ad
by ohazi 8y ago
Instead of giving kids an iPad / Android device, what about giving them a lightweight Linux laptop / tablet so they can play games and watch YouTube with an ad blocker?
The complaints are the same every time this issue comes up: "I wish I could pay to turn off the ads."
This isn't going to happen. Take control of your computer and get rid of the ads yourself.
- saagarjha 8y agoLinux just doesn’t have the polish that an iPad does. There are very few, if any, games, and it’s not really a good fit for younger children.
- ndnxhs 8y agoThe computer most of us had as a kid was a hell of a lot less polished than a modern Linux system.
- saagarjha 8y agoYou can give a two year old an iPad and they can figure it out. I doubt you were using a computer at that age. There is an age at which it’s possible to introduce Linux computers, it it might quite young, but I think it’s quite later than the average age that one can grasp how to use an iPad.
- quadrangle 8y agoTwo year olds should NOT have iPads or any such devices, period.
- saagarjha 8y agoDisagree. It's entirely possible to introduce children to iPads as an introductory device. Should you give them unrestricted access to the internet and App Store? Probably not. But load up a couple of high-quality apps, and you can make it a very good tool for learning.
- quadrangle 8y agoI didn't oppose introducing iPads per se. I opposed it at a certain AGE. Introduction should happen later for all sorts of reasons.
- TeMPOraL 8y agoSounds like there's a need for a Linux distribution created by parents for parents. And also a curated list of ad-free videos and games for kids.
- de_watcher 8y agoIt may be hard to operate the touchpad/keyboard for younger children, but there are tones of simple casual games on Steam. There is stuff with abstract themes or some specific neutral themes like gardening or cars.
- SmellyGeekBoy 8y agoMy Acorn Electron wasn't "a good fit for younger children" either. God forbid they start to learn how a computer actually works instead of watching hours of ads.
- Cthulhu_ 8y agoYoutube with an ad blocker doesn't solve the problem - there's loads and loads of ads in regular videos now, as well as a ton of disturbing content. Youtube has promised to be better, hopefully they're manually curating content in the youtube kids app nowadays. Also youtube offers a premium service nowadays to remove ads (iirc).
- imhoguy 8y agoYT is a rabbit hole, even without ads. I prefer to curate and download content with youtube-dl to play it later with Kodi. Kids can get back to liked stuff at any time and don't get lost in another "suggested" video bait.
- _amy 8y agoYoutube ads are not the only problem. If you are not watching with the kids (and I assume few of us want to), they end up seeing questionable/scary content in minutes. The recommender system is a russian rulette.
- whywhywhywhy 8y agoOnce you sit them in front of YouTube it's already over.
- josefresco 8y agoKids use a Chromebook with an ad-blocker and we pay for YT premium which supposedly removes ads - although I still see plenty on YT TV. Our iPad has become a YouTube/Netflix appliance - app discovery is dead (or rather never existed for my kids)