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Or maybe they are just angry at you for taking away their fun toy. Previous generations had moral panics about novels and then comic books. Parents were warned

Or maybe they are just angry at you for taking away their fun toy. Previous generations had moral panics about novels and then comic books. Parents were warned to not let their kids become "book-worms" (aka reading addicts).

graeme 12y ago
A more useful question would have been "does your child react similarly to any other toys?" I've come to think the principle of charity is a useful one to apply in arguments, especially online. It's possible you're correct – but that would likely require that the original poster has utterly ignored the evidence of their senses to focus on electronic devices exclusively. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_charity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_charity
- DanBC 12y ago
  > It's possible you're correct – but that would likely require that the original poster has utterly ignored the evidence of their senses to focus on electronic devices exclusively. Which is possible when we consider just how strong the effects of bias are.
  - graeme 12y ago
    Yes, it occurred to me I did overstate my case slightly. I ought to have said there are two possibilities: 1. They're right, or 2. There is a very strong bias causing them to ignore their senses And the OP should have enquired which is the case. I think either is possible, while I edged too strongly towards the former.
- balabaster 12y ago
  My children react this way to precisely three things in their life: TV, iPads, the stuffed toys they've decided they "need" to go to sleep. Everything else they seem to pick up on a whim and only react badly when the other tries to tear it from their hands - yet 2 minutes later and they've forgotten that toy and moved on to the next. Electronics, however, they're glued to from the second they get their hands on them until they're eventually taken from them because something else must take priority - such as bed time, school or some family engagement (i.e. meal times are always taken together as a family - electronics free). I find also that their interaction with electronics seem to evoke an attitude of entitlement to do whatever they want. For example, when bed time rolls around, if they've had electronics leading up to bed time, all hell breaks loose when bedtime is announced... despite 30 minute, 15 minute and 5 minute warnings ahead of the call for bed. When the electronics are removed so they can begin the bed time routine, they both have full fledged tantrums which don't happen if they're curbed from having any electronics or TV and if we spend time say reading with them or letting them play independently away from electronics. It's the same if we need to leave the house to go get groceries or visit relatives.
- ZeroGravitas 12y ago
  I'm reminded of the "sugar causes hyperactivity" hysteria, which also required parents to ignore the evidence in favour of targeting something that was seen as culturally low value. http://www.essentialmums.co.nz/family-life/health-nutrition/7916488/Is-sugar-really-the-root-of-all-evil http://www.essentialmums.co.nz/family-life/health-nutrition/... Some of the research seems to suggest that parent's beliefs about what causes behaviour are self-rienforcing.
- prof_hobart 12y ago
  Only one data point, but my daughter (who's 8) does. If she's tired, it could be the iPad, Lego, a TV show, a book or anything else - when we tell her it's time to stop using it, she'll have a strop for a few minutes before calming down. When she's not tired, she'll just as happily put down the iPad as anything else. The only big difference I see between iPad/computer use and most other toys is that it's easier to be sucked in to spending hours on it if no one intervenes - but I believe that's mostly down to the simple fact that they can do more than one thing. She'll happily spend half an hour or more playing with her dolls, or reading a book or whatever. But she'd rarely go several hours on any one of them. Eventually she'll get bored and go and do something else. With iPads/computers, when she gets bored with one game she can just switch to another game.
- prawks 12y ago
  > the original poster has utterly ignored the evidence of their senses to focus on electronic devices exclusively. I think given the pervasiveness of electronics and their popularity with youth, this is decently probable.

graeme 12y ago

A more useful question would have been "does your child react similarly to any other toys?" I've come to think the principle of charity is a useful one to apply in arguments, especially online. It's possible you're correct – but that would likely require that the original poster has utterly ignored the evidence of their senses to focus on electronic devices exclusively. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_charity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_charity

DanBC 12y ago
> It's possible you're correct – but that would likely require that the original poster has utterly ignored the evidence of their senses to focus on electronic devices exclusively. Which is possible when we consider just how strong the effects of bias are.
- graeme 12y ago
  Yes, it occurred to me I did overstate my case slightly. I ought to have said there are two possibilities: 1. They're right, or 2. There is a very strong bias causing them to ignore their senses And the OP should have enquired which is the case. I think either is possible, while I edged too strongly towards the former.
balabaster 12y ago
My children react this way to precisely three things in their life: TV, iPads, the stuffed toys they've decided they "need" to go to sleep. Everything else they seem to pick up on a whim and only react badly when the other tries to tear it from their hands - yet 2 minutes later and they've forgotten that toy and moved on to the next. Electronics, however, they're glued to from the second they get their hands on them until they're eventually taken from them because something else must take priority - such as bed time, school or some family engagement (i.e. meal times are always taken together as a family - electronics free). I find also that their interaction with electronics seem to evoke an attitude of entitlement to do whatever they want. For example, when bed time rolls around, if they've had electronics leading up to bed time, all hell breaks loose when bedtime is announced... despite 30 minute, 15 minute and 5 minute warnings ahead of the call for bed. When the electronics are removed so they can begin the bed time routine, they both have full fledged tantrums which don't happen if they're curbed from having any electronics or TV and if we spend time say reading with them or letting them play independently away from electronics. It's the same if we need to leave the house to go get groceries or visit relatives.
ZeroGravitas 12y ago
I'm reminded of the "sugar causes hyperactivity" hysteria, which also required parents to ignore the evidence in favour of targeting something that was seen as culturally low value. http://www.essentialmums.co.nz/family-life/health-nutrition/7916488/Is-sugar-really-the-root-of-all-evil http://www.essentialmums.co.nz/family-life/health-nutrition/... Some of the research seems to suggest that parent's beliefs about what causes behaviour are self-rienforcing.
prof_hobart 12y ago
Only one data point, but my daughter (who's 8) does. If she's tired, it could be the iPad, Lego, a TV show, a book or anything else - when we tell her it's time to stop using it, she'll have a strop for a few minutes before calming down. When she's not tired, she'll just as happily put down the iPad as anything else. The only big difference I see between iPad/computer use and most other toys is that it's easier to be sucked in to spending hours on it if no one intervenes - but I believe that's mostly down to the simple fact that they can do more than one thing. She'll happily spend half an hour or more playing with her dolls, or reading a book or whatever. But she'd rarely go several hours on any one of them. Eventually she'll get bored and go and do something else. With iPads/computers, when she gets bored with one game she can just switch to another game.
prawks 12y ago
> the original poster has utterly ignored the evidence of their senses to focus on electronic devices exclusively. I think given the pervasiveness of electronics and their popularity with youth, this is decently probable.