> When I was a kid my parents (and my friends' parents) didn't let us stay up all night watching TV. And the TV had parental controls so we couldn't watch the r

> When I was a kid my parents (and my friends' parents) didn't let us stay up all night watching TV. And the TV had parental controls so we couldn't watch the restricted channels. > They generally supervised our computer usage and computer time. They weren't hovering over our shoulders but they regularly checked in so we knew they were around Right, and this would have been when you had the family computer in the den or something similar, correct? Maybe in your room. Not at all times in your pocket. And you never got exposed to anything graphic that you didn’t intentionally seek out? If not, your childhood was very different from mine and those I grew up with. > Parents on HN often say it's socially damaging to not let kids have smartphones because the other kids have smartphones. My daughter doesn’t have a smartphone, understands why, and isn’t too bothered by it. Her friends do have them and think it’s weird that she doesn’t. She’s a good kid, but it’s still is uncomfortable to be out of the loop on things like that. Socialization is an important part of childhood. > If smartphones are such a big issue (and not just for porn) then why don't parents get together at a PTA meeting and agree to only get their kids dumb phones? Because other parents want their kids to have smartphones. They don’t want them to be able to do certain things on them. Just like they might want them to walk down the street but not enter a BDSM club. Technology can be a great thing, and it’s not too much to ask to have access to it for your child without opening them up to everything anyone has ever put online. > You know pornography has existed for ages right? The pre-internet movie trope of teenagers keeping dirty magazines under their mattress is a trope for a reason. That’s a little before my time, but from what I gather nudie mags and grainy cable channels with simulated sex weren’t quite the same as the offerings on PornHub’s homepage. Just as sneaking into a slasher film was somewhat different than industrial accident videos. > about establishing trust Trust is important. So are reasonable safeguards. > As an aside, with regards to the vokda bit. Here in Louisiana there was alcohol at most parties I went to in high school. It was almost absurdly available. Absolutely. Vodka came to mind because Taaka was the go-to when I was growing up (also in Louisiana). But everyone knew there was alcohol at high school parties, including parents. Usually parents supplied it. It was an agreed-upon, healthy outlet. Taaka wasn’t something your 8-year-old could just randomly, inadvertently consume by playing Roblox. > Afaik it's was sometimes (usually?) even legal. Teenagers aren't allowed to purchase alcohol but possession/consumption on private property (or with legal guardian approval) can be. Right, and the barrier to purchasing is what I’m talking about. When my daughter is at an appropriate age, I’m fine with letting her drink. I’m fine with her doing normal growing-up things. That’s not at all what this is about.