We live in an era where...
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Because that's easier and faster than saying "Hey Uncle Scott, look at this."
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I have a 15 month old baby, and I proactively keep her away from technology ... So, I don't have TV, no watching Youtube on laptop, no Wi-Fi (switched back to hard-wire), and we avoid using the phone, when around her .. .. No more microwave.. . We do however, play all kinds of music for her, and it's through the day .. .. We show/read her picture/pop-up-books Yes, I know I'm being a bit extreme .. Yes, she does see me use the laptop, ever so often; and these days, it's become the main object of her growing curiosity .. but, I discourage it ...
I've seen kids turn into complete borgs, while in front of a TV, mobile, game .. I know children who prefer to game-away there holidays in front of TVs, computers, instead of playing outdoors, ,or socializing ... and all the parents say is "yeah, he/she's like this only... we can't help it" .....and I'm like .... whaaaat ?
I'd rather buy my kids a $400 racket, than a gaming console for $200...
I've often wondered, if what I'm doing with my tiny tot, is right, or wrong ... After all, we live in an era where technology has become/is becoming an integral part of our lives.. Is there an appropriate age, for introducing tech to children ... ?
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@Veet said in We live in an era where...:
I've often wondered, if what I'm doing with my tiny tot, is right, or wrong ... After all, we live in an era where technology has become/is becoming an integral part of our lives.. Is there an appropriate age, for introducing tech to children ... ?
My kids got their own tablets at age one. The oldest is seven and just got her first full blown laptop, Windows 10 on an Intel i5. She only had a Chromebook up until now. At her age, all I wanted to do was program, and that was well over three decades ago. I don't think she's as tied to technology as I was, even with all of the access that she has.
Kids talking on FB today is not that unlike teens on the phone in the 1970s. Kids playing video games today is way better than kids watching mindless TV in the 1990s.
A balance is important, but I think that people panic about "technology" but it's only technology to us old fogies, to the kids it's just "how you communicate and interact." It doesn't make my kids enjoy the playground or playing tag any less.
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What is a watch?
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@Veet said in We live in an era where...:
I'd rather buy my kids a $400 racket, than a gaming console for $200...
I'm in the middle there. Some kids are all about the outdoors. Some are not. There isn't anything intrinsically better about playing tennis than playing Super Mario Bros. Both improve coordination, both keep your mind active. One is better for health, of course, but as long as kids get exercise, it's exercise. Different kids need different things. When I was my kids' ages, I played with Legos. They do too. Like them, I didn't want to go outdoors, it's boring out there. But when other kids were outside, I wanted to be there too, and so do they. They, like me, look for the socialization wherever it is. It's not about being outside or playing video games, it's about being with other kids (or adults.)
Growing up in the country, going outside meant being alone and having to play with the grass. Video games played back, they interacted.
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We work really hard to let our kids have a good outdoor experience and a good video game one. We live in cool European villages with great playgrounds and stuff. But we also set them up with Steam and loads of interesting, thought provoking games. And lots of games that they can play with others.
The things that I seek to avoid are based on passivity, rather than technology. The things that I like them doing the least are watching television or reading books.... passive activities where you just zone out. They are okay in small amounts, but video games or imagination games or physical activities are so much better. Things that engage the brain, rather than shutting it off.
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My kiddies get limited TV time, mini-nadnerB gets to play games on the iPad (mine from work) sometimes and spends most of his time using his imagination while playing with his toys or outside doing stuff or asking if he can "do gardening" (which equates to playing near by while Mrs nadnerB and I do the weeding or something else garden related).
Miss-nadnerB only sees the TV if she's awake and in the same room as Mini-nadnerB. She stares at it and smiles & claps when animals are on. It's unfortunate that her usual set of toys is near the TV but she's too little to let wander around the house unattended.
EDIT: Mini-naderB also like to play the Lego Avengers game on PS3 but that's rare for it to happen. I also like to play with him.
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@scottalanmiller said in We live in an era where...:
We work really hard to let our kids have a good outdoor experience and a good video game one. We live in cool European villages with great playgrounds and stuff. But we also set them up with Steam and loads of interesting, thought provoking games. And lots of games that they can play with others.
The things that I seek to avoid are based on passivity, rather than technology. The things that I like them doing the least are watching television or reading books.... passive activities where you just zone out. They are okay in small amounts, but video games or imagination games or physical activities are so much better. Things that engage the brain, rather than shutting it off.
I grew-up in the 80s , where although we had TV, the programming was rather dull .. We mostly watched recorded sports telecasts ...Sundays, were the only days, where there would be something better to watch ... Only the uber rich kids had video games .. So, for us, it was mostly going out and playing with the other kids, which I thoroughly enjoyed .. time indoors was spent reading, snakes-n-ladders, scrable, 1etc with the family ... All this reduced, as the programming on the tele improved, I got my first computer, and then the internet ... quality family time reduced drastically ..
But yeah, I agree - The key is "Balance ", which is challenging, to achieve, but not impossible
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We have a no tech at the table policy.
We all sit at the kitchen table together to have dinner. While that's happening, all phones, tablets, etc are moved away. -
@momurda said in We live in an era where...:
What is a watch?
This is a watch.. It's got more parts and an iPhone, iWatch, iwhatever... It takes longer to make, than an i-whatever, and is infinitely more beautiful ...
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@Veet said in We live in an era where...:
@scottalanmiller said in We live in an era where...:
We work really hard to let our kids have a good outdoor experience and a good video game one. We live in cool European villages with great playgrounds and stuff. But we also set them up with Steam and loads of interesting, thought provoking games. And lots of games that they can play with others.
The things that I seek to avoid are based on passivity, rather than technology. The things that I like them doing the least are watching television or reading books.... passive activities where you just zone out. They are okay in small amounts, but video games or imagination games or physical activities are so much better. Things that engage the brain, rather than shutting it off.
I grew-up in the 80s , where although we had TV, the programming was rather dull .. We mostly watched recorded sports telecasts ...Sundays, were the only days, where there would be something better to watch ... Only the uber rich kids had video games .. So, for us, it was mostly going out and playing with the other kids, which I thoroughly enjoyed .. time indoors was spent reading, snakes-n-ladders, scrable, 1etc with the family ... All this reduced, as the programming on the tele improved, I got my first computer, and then the internet ... quality family time reduced drastically ..
But yeah, I agree - The key is "Balance ", which is challenging, to achieve, but not impossible
For me it was... only uber rich kids had other kids close enough to go see. I grew up on a farm miles from any other kids. Seeing another kid was a very special occasion thing.
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@Veet said in We live in an era where...:
This is a watch.. It's got more parts and an iPhone, iWatch, iwhatever... It takes longer to make, than an i-whatever, and is infinitely more beautiful ...
Because... Swiss
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@scottalanmiller said in We live in an era where...:
@Veet said in We live in an era where...:
This is a watch.. It's got more parts and an iPhone, iWatch, iwhatever... It takes longer to make, than an i-whatever, and is infinitely more beautiful ...
Because... Swiss
brings me to the question ... whereabouts in Europe ?
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@Veet said in We live in an era where...:
@momurda said in We live in an era where...:
What is a watch?
This is a watch.. It's got more parts and an iPhone, iWatch, iwhatever... It takes longer to make, than an i-whatever, and is infinitely more beautiful ...
Beautiful watch but there are a couple billion transistors in any given iDevice
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@tiagom said in We live in an era where...:
@Veet said in We live in an era where...:
@momurda said in We live in an era where...:
What is a watch?
This is a watch.. It's got more parts and an iPhone, iWatch, iwhatever... It takes longer to make, than an i-whatever, and is infinitely more beautiful ...
Beautiful watch but there are a couple billion transistors in any given iDevice
Yeah yeah ... transistors .. building blocks of all microchips, n all that ... but we don't say "oh, my iDevice has 3 GB RAM, and 200 million bazillion transistors", now do we ...
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@Veet said in We live in an era where...:
@tiagom said in We live in an era where...:
@Veet said in We live in an era where...:
@momurda said in We live in an era where...:
What is a watch?
This is a watch.. It's got more parts and an iPhone, iWatch, iwhatever... It takes longer to make, than an i-whatever, and is infinitely more beautiful ...
Beautiful watch but there are a couple billion transistors in any given iDevice
Yeah yeah ... transistors .. building blocks of all microchips, n all that ... but we don't say "oh, my iDevice has 3 GB RAM, and 200 million bazillion transistors", now do we ...
Well, I do.
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lol... you're an exception(al)
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btw, you mentioned you're in Europe ... but, whereabouts, in Europe ?
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@Veet said in We live in an era where...:
btw, you mentioned you're in Europe ... but, whereabouts, in Europe ?
LOL, well at the moment, Texas. I was in NY last week.
We are calling Romania home, more than anywhere else these days. I was just talking to some kids in the village not half an hour ago on Facebook. Central Transylvania, we are house shopping there out in the country.
We move around a lot. Current best guess plan is that we will be spending the autumn in Mexico and Belize, then winter in southern Italy and up to the house in Romania in the spring.
