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If anyone here has been around kids around the age of 7-11 years old recently then they know exactly why this consensus is emerging. The internet isn't built f

If anyone here has been around kids around the age of 7-11 years old recently then they know exactly why this consensus is emerging. The internet isn't built for parental guidance, and parents don't know how to lock their kids devices down. Now, because of Covid I am living in a big joint family again and my 7 year old niece has been caught watching male strip teases on YouTube. These devices and the content on them (much like television) is designed to be addicting and to appeal to all the immediate gratification systems in our body. Lots of adults are addicted to the internet, and it's not surprising that parents want to take steps to keep their kids from being so too. But now with stay-at-home and online learning, kids have an excuse to be online all day. On a tablet or some similar system, and most parents have no idea how to track what their kids are doing or block bad websites etc. Not to mention kids who download video game apps and then charge their parents cards with $100s in microtransactions. Most people don't want to reckon with how much these devices shape our worldview and the way we live, but when we see it happening to a child, it begins to dawn on us that we've maybe bought in too much on technology. I don't know the way forward. Devices have been an equalizer. That's true. But it's also true that their purpose is to divert our attention from important things to advertising. Their purpose is to be a mini TV that we carry with us everywhere. And who can blame parents for being unsure which side of that they want to stand on?

SpicyLemonZest 6y ago
There's no denying that kids can do things on an iPad you don't want them doing. But for of those of us who mostly grew up with the Internet, "screen time" is just a very strange category. From my perspective, it's like noticing that kids who start reading from a young age often skip homework to read or read dirty fanfics you can't approve of, and arriving at a dark consensus about books.
- watwut 6y ago
  It is strange untill you actually have to deal with kids long term. Then it starts to make sense. Also, kids who read a lot tend to be the ones who also do homework. Yet also, today's kids who engage in reading a lot tend to be the ones who have "screen time" policed. When kids spend too much time reading, parent do treat that as issue too. There just is no peer pressure currently to read, reading is less addictive and people tend to rage less while reading or post reading.

SpicyLemonZest 6y ago

There's no denying that kids can do things on an iPad you don't want them doing. But for of those of us who mostly grew up with the Internet, "screen time" is just a very strange category. From my perspective, it's like noticing that kids who start reading from a young age often skip homework to read or read dirty fanfics you can't approve of, and arriving at a dark consensus about books.

watwut 6y ago
It is strange untill you actually have to deal with kids long term. Then it starts to make sense. Also, kids who read a lot tend to be the ones who also do homework. Yet also, today's kids who engage in reading a lot tend to be the ones who have "screen time" policed. When kids spend too much time reading, parent do treat that as issue too. There just is no peer pressure currently to read, reading is less addictive and people tend to rage less while reading or post reading.