QOTD: Would You Ban Gadgets from Your House?

[ridgeracer528]

I'll admit, banning gadget is a bit extreme, however it brings up the point about our over reliance with new technology and how it easily can affect our social skills. What I'll do is limit the usage of these new gadgets because you can't get rid of them, and if you have kids, at some point they'll use them for need or for recreation, but we can't use them or be around them all the time, especially if there is a bigger world out there.

 

[UbeRveLT]

If I didn't spend so much time around computers when I was growing up, I would have never got to where I am today.

While they may think gadgets are causing problems for their children, it can be controlled and used in the correct maner, rather than being completely excluded, which could very well help their children develop the computer skills and productivity needed in todays workforce.

I think the parents here are on the right path, but have gone a little too far on this one.

 

[San Pedro]

[citation][nom]Rick1982[/nom]Computers are becoming more essential to human activity everyday. They may claim it wont hurt them but wait until their children apply for jobs. Unless they are becoming laborers, they will be at a severe disadvantage versus the rest of the work force.[/citation]

Yeah, they'll have a real tough time getting a job as any thing other than laborers after they finish their schooling at Cambridge. As we all know being able to send text messages, constantly update your facebook, and playing computer games are much more important than people skills and a top notch education.

 

[FlorinR]

While they may think gadgets are causing problems for their children, it can be controlled and used in the correct maner, rather than being completely excluded, which could very well help their children develop the computer skills and productivity needed in todays workforce.

^ +1

 

[mitch074]

It is a worthy idea, however I'd personally nuance it - if only for the main problem: computers are today's and tomorrow's main tool.
Banning TV? No problem! I already scrapped mine (it had sat almost unused for five years in my living room).
Banning gizmos? All right!
Banning cells for kids? Yes! At best, a pager.
Banning computers? Well, no - it wouldn't be fair. I need one for my work, so does my wife. But limiting its use (and completely suppressing them during holidays) should be a best-of-both-worlds solution: kids who know how to use a 'puter, and how to get by when they lack one.

 

[Dkz]

For me computer/television have always be a tool for learning, i learned English from TV series/movies, at least my first steps into this language.
PCs well.. I'm trying to become a professional in this PC things, to do it my profession.
I would be banning my own origin if i banned computers from my Home, this days I rarely watch tv, i find it annoying, too many adverts between shows, i just cant stand that.
Although i would ban PCs/TV if this things would be making my kids aggressive or obsessive. Although i think the problem about kids being violent or obsessed it's because parents do not know what kind of things they are allowing them to do. My parents for example never knew what kind of games i was playing, I think I'm gonna be able to isolate the bad things from my house, and not just all, i wouldn't like my kids missing things like chatting with friends, or learning from wikipedia.

 

[back_by_demand]

Depends... If you are Amish or not

Ouright banning a TV, computer or mobile phone is just ridiculous.

 

[stromm]

As with all things, excess is bad. As a parent of two (one now 20 and the other 16), we have always monitored their TV, computer (inc. Internet/Email/etc.) and phone use. That is our right as a parent and tough crap if they don't like it. Non-negotiable.

The only times they lost all PRIVILAGEs to electronic devices was when their quarterly GPA dropped below a B (not B-, B) or when they failed to do chores/etc. multiple times. Of course, they were normally on limited use outside of school required use. However, being a network engineer and legally responsible for everything coming/going through my house, I log everthing on the network and Internet and phones. The wife is of the same mind. So my kids knew long ago that they wouldn't hide anything they shouldn't be doing. I don't watch all the time, but do spot checks and they have tested that and found I wasn't blowing smoke about it. It's amazing how a kid will act like nothing's wrong when all of a sudden they can't access the Internet and no one told them why (they already know).

 

[dark_lord69]

Wanna bet they're a hard core religous family?

 

[mikecs]

my parents tried something similar with my brother and I. It failed miserably IMO. I'm nothing but a hardcore gamer/computer enthusiast now and spend MUCH of my time vegging out my wife and kids now. When we were kids my brother and I never wanted to be at home since we were so restricted on game playing times (under 1 hr/day) and since we had no cable tv we were sick of every movie we owned. As for our home PC we were scarcely allowed to even touch it for fear of the internet sucking our brains out through the insane dialup connection we were rocking at the time. I remember always wanting to go to my friends houses's or other relatives just so that I could get a taste of what others had and I was being denied. IMO parents shouldn't do what these did by denying everything but instead just moderate a bit. When something is available on a daily basis it becomes the day to day norm and not something that you HAVE to do or HAVE to play. when you deprive your kids of something typically it makes them want to do that activity all the more. This is merely my perspective since after our very strict upbringing my brother and I are both big technology junkies and make up for our lack of childhood internet and gaming daily now as adults. parents dont inhibit your children by denying them access to technology its the way of the future just monitor them and tech them the right/prudent way to use what they have.

 

[biometricsguy]

I know a lot of kids who spend way ... way too much time reading. Often, they're overweight and desperately in need of some sun-light. Should we ban them from reading storybooks so that they will go get some much needed exercise?

Come to think of it they could probably spend the rest of their adolescence avoiding books (except for school activities) and they'd probably still be able to get into a good college, and they likely wouldn't have too much difficulty catching up with the reading level of the other college-aged students because they're naturally bright kids.

Should their parents ban reading in the home? NO!! The whole idea is completely asinine! Frankly, there is little difference between this analogy and what these parents are doing.

Can a child grow up without computers and still be an intelligent,socially capable individual who is some-what computer literate? Absolutely. Could they be even more intelligent, more computer-literate, with even more social proficiency if their parents allowed & even encouraged computer use? Quite likely, but for these children the world will never know. Whose to say that the young man mentioned in this article couldn't have made it into MIT had his parents allowed him to use a computer?

When I started showing interest in computers, my parents actively encouraged it and supported me in my interests. As a result, I now have a master's degree in electrical engineering and have a fulfilling career. Is this the be-all end-all of career choices? Certainly not. However, I frankly just didn't amount to much until I finally found my passion, and I hate to think where I would have ended up had my parents not been so supportive.

I now have two daughters of my own and you'd better believe I'm going to encourage them like my parents encouraged me, and try to expose them to as many career opportunities as I can so that they can find their passion.

While avoiding technology may remedy some immediate vises that your children may be experiencing, it is NOT solving the real problem. They need to learn self-control. Avoiding the problem won't teach this to them, and in the process, you could be robbing them of their future.

I know a lot of the parents who have posted here feel very strongly about this, but as you can tell, I do too. I simply don't see any two ways about this, it is a horrible solution to a problem.

 

[glass330]

I am absolutely sick of this older generation against technology simply because they don't understand it. These kids will be way behind in the workplace all thanks to the parents "teachings" I know if my parents did this I wouldn't have a job right now. I still had a very great social life in high school, I had way too many friends, and yet I still spent a fair amount of time using my computer ( I DONT PLAY THE GAMES ONLINE THAT SUCK YOUR LIFEAWAY - WOW). These parents are just plain stupid, and I really ready for this generation to be phased out.

 

[matt87_50]

wow, in the UK? so what does that leave the kids to do? sit indoors all day and look out at the shit weather? I'd rather go to jail.

 

[delayedreaction]

I see great difficulty occurring when it's time for those kids to get a job.