QOTD: Would You Ban Gadgets from Your House?

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jacobdrj

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As long as it is just no computers in the home, it is cool. I am of the belief that things like TV have been learning tools for me, and those who want to learn. Computers are very useful for research and are usually required for word processing in many doctoral/graduate/undergraduate papers and reports, and for undergraduates in many universities, it is the only way homework can be completed (MyAccountingLab anyone?) However, I know may people who do without computers in their every day life and are fine with it. However, computer skills are very important for the workplace, so having skill in the school are more important than in the home. A ban in the home is just fine.
 

kingnoobe

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It's their right as parents. And the school has no place to say anything. Personally I wouldn't go that far, but they feel as though it's good for the kids, and their not abusing their kids in anyway.

More power to them for actually taking time to care for their kids. If more parents would care this much while being reasonable this world would be much better off.
 
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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.
 

ominous prime

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I disagree. And I'm that kid in the thumbnail.

I think this is really bad, I mean, when these kids end up getting jobs they will be way behind in terms of their proficiency with a computer. Wouldn't a simpler solution be to just install a program on the computer that locks them out after x amount of hours?
 

twisted politiks

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honestly, if they think that keeping kids from using the gadgets of tomorrow's everyday world, then good for them, just leaves more jobs for the rest of the people who actually know how to use current technology ;)
 

dman3k

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I'd ban Apple products and Foxconn brands.

(With the exception the electronics that contain parts from Foxconn cause it's near impossible to tell without cracking them open)
 

Gulli

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Besides, it would only be fair if the parents chipped in to: as in getting rid of their car (cycling or walking is better for them, right?) I'm pretty sure that if you were to propose that to the parents they would make up the same excuses the kids made when their consoles were taken away.
 

jacobdrj

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While these kids may be at a disadvantage on the computers themselves, there is a place for the old school research skills and reading skills that many of us computer kids just don't have. There is always a pro and a con to these kinds of decisions. My parents wanted me to have an advantage in the workplace so staring almost 20 years ago they exposed me to computers. It has given me a leg up, but I think it still came down to overall skills and personality that got me and my siblings success in the workplace...
 
Technology is the growing future of the world. It will not stop, and eventually, it will be a requirement for everything. Most (90%+) jobs currently use some form of technology (electronics, computers, etc), with the most high-paying jobs having technology as a requirement (save for political jobs (lawyers, etc)).

I can tell you one thing. If it wasn't for my frequents to forums, chatrooms, facebook, etc, I wouldn't be able to graduate high-school. We have to have a 35-WPM average (I get 90), and a lot of the people at my school can't manage 30. Also helps with grammatical structure, and especially helpful for learning new languages.
 

jerther

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HAHHAA!!! Oh my god this pic is so me when I was 14!!! I even brang my desktop computer on out family vacations! Did I miss something? Of course I did. The world was moving and I didn'T notice much. Do I regret it? Absolutely not!!! I learned in those years a big bunch of what I know and still use today!!! It made me develop a sens of analytics!!!

I don't have children yet, but this really makes me wonder what I would do as a parent.
 

Judguh

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I wouldn't ban things from my household (if I had kids that is and if they were to get out of control or refuse to go outside) because I love my gadgets, tv, computers, etc... I would just take everything away from them (computer, console, anything electronic) and make them work their asses off. For example, I live in Minnesota. I would make them move a giant hill of snow over 10 feet and I would want to see dirt by the time their done :)
 

jacobdrj

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Also, there is using a computer and there is USING a computer. I have noticed with a lot of people younger than myself, there are may people who can turn on their laptops, open a word processor and go check their facebook, but they still get glitches, driver problems, and viruses, and they generally have no idea how to even go about getting around these problems, let alone fixing them. I am glad people no longer think the CD drive is a place to put their cups, but not that much progress by the general public has been made beyond that...
 

dannyaa

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If that's what it takes, yes. I think gadgets can be an amazing tool but for kids can also cause them to miss out on life. I would probably do something where I kept things very limited rather than an all out ban. IE, making video game/TV time a part of their allowance, where when they did their chores they could earn 3 hours of either television, video game, or internet time. I would keep one central family computer in the living room for internet/homework use. Cell phones, sure, but not smart phones - or smart phones with games/apps disabled except for a few necessities.

Once I felt good habits had been established early on, maybe then I would get rid of restrictions at the age of 16 or so. Childhood habits carry over; I have a feeling they would be less inclined to become addicted to video games and internet, and better able to choose and enjoy them in moderation.
 
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I disagree with the banning. I believe that Gadgets such as computers and cellphones shouldn't be blamed. Instead, it should be how you handle your time with them. In an emergency, a cellphone is very useful but people talk on them all day because most parents don't limit them.
 

Bolbi

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I'm a proficient computer user, and it has helped me a lot in school. I can't imagine revising my 2,000 word exams with pencil and paper. Chat with a professor 1,000 miles away when I have a question? No problem. However, it is the parents' right to do what they did, and I can easily understand that it might be better for some families, especially if the kids were spending all their free time with their gadgets. Addiction can be just as bad as the disadvantages in not having a computer.
 

jacobdrj

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[citation][nom]Jehutiy[/nom]I disagree with the banning. I believe that Gadgets such as computers and cellphones shouldn't be blamed. Instead, it should be how you handle your time with them. In an emergency, a cellphone is very useful but people talk on them all day because most parents don't limit them.[/citation]
That is a good point. I believe that this is a case by case decision, but in genera, I believe balance is the way to go. My 1st cell phone was an emergency device, and served more as a flashlight than a phone. But sometimes some kids are just so into their video games, and it is scary. I think perhaps a moratorium on these kinds of devices when a family has gone too far the other way is probably a good start, and a gradual reintroduction of devices like cell phones and computers may be a more realistic way of handling the situation.
 

tikrjee

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Like the Gates household, there's a ban on Apple products at my home. I even have a sign and "amnesty" box at the door for people to check i-whatever when they enter.
I've contemplated adding other products, but I just don't like Apples (both fruit and electronics)
However, banning an entire type of product seems a bit extreme. I can understand some households banning video games or even cell phones, but computers and television? We're far enough in technological progression to understand these are optimum sources for up-to-the-minute information.

Besides, how else would we know when it's peanut butter jelly time?
 

jacobdrj

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[citation][nom]drksilenc[/nom]lol this couldnt help them. its just parents being cheep. cheep xmas and all that stuff[/citation]
Or maybe they are saving up all those 50's and 100's for really BIG gifts, like a car (or a pony)... Ponies ain't cheap, and neither are Mustangs, particularly in the UK...
 
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