Poll: The new generation of children.

[TinyToaster]

Depends, does microchipping my son count as "too many electronics"?

Just kidding

But I think that it's insane for a kid to have a cell phone, shoot give your 7 year old an Elmo Phone and that should do until their at least 11

 

[simmeh]

Eh, cellphones are the sticking point for me. MP3 players, I'm okay with. Cellphones just seem over-the-top. I mean, what does an 8 year old need a cellphone for? Calling their parents to be picked up from a birthday party? When I was 8, my parents arranged the rides with their parents, and I had nothing to do with it.

Of course, this is coming from the guy who didn't have his own computer until he was 19, didn't have any form of portable music player until he was 20, and still doesn't have a cellphone.

 

[Shaenightbird]

Hey, the technology is there, why shouldn't kids be able to have access to it too? Of course, parenting is essential here, if I had an 11 year old I wouldn't want them texting the equivalent of amateur porn. But we live in a high tech society, and if someone grows up with it, they can keep their knowledge current.

 

[xChevelle24]

Kids these days (myself being 17) listen to too much rap and hip hop. Electronics are going to be always developing and advancing, and I agree that this new generation of kids do nothing but text (myself included), which leads them to not being very social, and not learning new social skills. In my opinion, this generation (my generation) is not going to go very far if we have to be on TV for more than 2 minutes at a time.

My 2 cents.

 

[Woundingisfun]

Besides, a child having a cellphone is great.

Got lost in the forest? Call home!

Seriously, I can't stand it when people are this anti-change and über conservative. The world is changing, and there's nothing you can do about it.

Oh and no kids on the internet?
Research for school, can be done so much easier on a computer than in a book. I know alot of schools have crap where you have to look in a certain book and get the exact answer, but replacing those exact books with computers would only be a good thing. More information could be found for those who actually care.

The thing that concerns me most is that if the kids use all their time on computers, videogames and just sits around all day chatting with their friends on MSN or whatever, they will be more and more over-weight until the new major worry for us is cardiovascular diseases that will slowly but surely become more and more heritable.

 

[scarbunny]

As for keeping kids of the internet Kuhul I couldnt agree more, my 11 year old neice has be caught looking at porn more than once, Im completly baffeled by it! I say kids should only be aloud on the internet while supervised, and only for school research, not alone in their room where they can look at anything.

WHAT THE FUCK? Firstly, that's stupidly young. Secondly, She's a girl!

Justt.. WTF?

I know its completly fucked up!

But its down to my sister being a shit parent, well at least to her she fine with my nephew. My parents are trying to do something about it but my sister wont listen she just gets pissed off that their telling her how to raise her kids.

Bah back on topic though I had a 10 year old laugh at my mobile a while back, i wouldn't have minded but I have an LG Renoir (8mp camera touch screen jobbie that cost a fair bit for those who dont know). FFS just because it wasnt an iPhone, needless to say I gave the little sod a slap and carried on walking.

 

[traceur_]

I hate mobile phones and Ipods, I just can't stand mobile phones. I hardly ever use my phone and I don't know where it is. I hate the texting function with the fiery fury of a supernova.

 

[Ophiuchus]

I'd have to answer a question with a question...

What do little kids need mobile phones for?

I mean, the ones who aren't old enough to go out on their own. They don't need 'em to keep in touch with their parents because they're not going anywhere without them... honestly, I fail to see why they need them at all. I can't say I really have a problem with it per se, I just don't see the point. I say exactly the same of my parents, who are both disabled and rarely go out, but have five mobile phones between them for some utterly arbitrary reason.

I didn't get a mobile until my 16th birthday, though that was ten years ago and they weren't so ubiquitous that everyone and his dog had one at that time. I didn't need it even then, it was just a luxury. I could've waited another year until I went out to work before considering it really useful to have one. I rarely use the one I've got now.

As for other technology... I have no issue with kids having iPods and such, it would be a little hypocritical of me considering I always have mine in my earholes. In the case of the internet, well, I'd be quite happy if everyone under the age of 18 was banned from the internet, or at least forums, but that's probably just me being a grouchy old git.

 

[xChevelle24]

I hate mobile phones and Ipods, I just can't stand mobile phones. I hardly ever use my phone and I don't know where it is. I hate the texting function with the fiery fury of a supernova.

Most adults do..Mainly because this wasn't around when they were children, so they can't relate, but I do agree with the text feature. Why not just call someone? Oh, because it's too inconvenient!

(and if you're not an adult, my mistake)

 

[TeebenJohnson]

I was in Gamestop the other day, when a group of younger kids came in and started looking for an xbox 360 game. I, myself, was looking for an xbox game and overheard them talking. They proceeded to talk about how much Left4Dead sucks and how they're friend shouldn't buy it. They immediately started talking excitedly about the new NBA street game. I nearly cried. This generation of kids is going to suck. They'll all just end up being casual gamers and this makes me angry. So i started talking across the store to my friends about how much of a noob each of the kids was. I got kicked out. (but not before I had said my fill)

 

[Woundingisfun]

Besides, a child having a cellphone is great.

Got lost in the forest? Call home!

Seriously, I can't stand it when people are this anti-change and über conservative. The world is changing, and there's nothing you can do about it.

Oh and no kids on the internet?
Research for school, can be done so much easier on a computer than in a book. I know alot of schools have crap where you have to look in a certain book and get the exact answer, but replacing those exact books with computers would only be a good thing. More information could be found for those who actually care.

The thing that concerns me most is that if the kids use all their time on computers, videogames and just sits around all day chatting with their friends on MSN or whatever, they will be more and more over-weight until the new major worry for us is cardiovascular diseases that will slowly but surely become more and more heritable.

I recently moved to the middle of nowhere.

I don't go to school here or anything.

My only way of communicating with people my own age is through a computer. I'm not fat or anything, I'm average on that part.

This fear of everything new is getting out of hand.

Well I doubt that you are 8 years old either.

 

[traceur_]

I hate mobile phones and Ipods, I just can't stand mobile phones. I hardly ever use my phone and I don't know where it is. I hate the texting function with the fiery fury of a supernova.

Most adults do..Mainly because this wasn't around when they were children, so they can't relate, but I do agree with the text feature. Why not just call someone? Oh, because it's too inconvenient!

(and if you're not an adult, my mistake)

I'm 16 which makes my opinions weirder, I don't see why people don't just call, instead of crippling their thumb and waiting 5 minutes for someone to text back, when they can call, get an instant reply, then done, it pisses me off.

 

[ae86gamer]

Yeah I agree with you. My niece is three and she takes my ipod to listen to it. She saw my sisters cellphone and said that she wanted one. Geez.

 

[xChevelle24]

I hate mobile phones and Ipods, I just can't stand mobile phones. I hardly ever use my phone and I don't know where it is. I hate the texting function with the fiery fury of a supernova.

Most adults do..Mainly because this wasn't around when they were children, so they can't relate, but I do agree with the text feature. Why not just call someone? Oh, because it's too inconvenient!

(and if you're not an adult, my mistake)

I'm 16 which makes my opinions weirder, I don't see why people don't just call, instead of crippling their thumb and waiting 5 minutes for someone to text back, when they can call, get an instant reply, then done, it pisses me off.

Exactly, it makes me mad. You can't just text your boss and say "Hey, I'm going to be late for work today, sorry." No, that just doesn't work. The only time I text is during school, where, for obvious reasons, I can't call someone. After school, however, I always call because you can make a 3 hour text conversation last 4 minutes. Then you can spend the other 2 hours and 56 minutes playing xbox!

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

I agree. My five year old cousin doesn't go anywhere with out his cell phone, iPod, DS, and his parents keep a portable dvd player in their car to keep him amused on long rides and if they take him to dinner with them but want to keep him occupied.

I think it's total bullshit. Kids today spend all of their time with electronic devices around them and never actually do anything that a normal kid would do. He has a tree house in his back yard that he never plays in, a pool that is only used when people come over during the summer for parties. I think it's just sad that he doesn't do any of the normal kid things.

DOES NO ONE ENJOY READING BOOKS ANYMORE?! AM I THE ONLY ONE?!

No, I agree with you completely man. My little cousin is the same way, except he gets grounded from all his crap at least three times a month.

 

[Spleenbag]

Hmmm...

I'm 14. Do I still count as a kid/child? I consider myself mature enough to make a point, so here goes:

General rules: bells and whistles need to be shot. Camera phones look like shit. Unless it's also a protective device, you don't need a skin on whatever gadget you've got. Yes, text messaging can be convenient in some cases, but if you are texting someone a message that would be much more suitable to audio contact, you suck. It's taking you far longer and costing you extra money in some way. If it's during class, PUT IT THE FUCK AWAY AND LISTEN TO THE GOD DAMN TEACHER. Socialize during passing period, that's what it's there for. And for the love of God, don't ***** if your phone gets taken away. They have rules about that crap for a reason.

Cell phones: no kid needs one of these until mid-to-end middle school or beginning high school. Certainly not a elementary-level student, and certainly not a five-year-old. What the hell is a five-year-old going to do with a cell but play with it? Or make calls to weird long-distance numbers or something.

MP3 players: roughly the same guidelines as above. If you can find a phone/MP3 combo device (most things are, nowadays) then that should do fine. If they're younger than the suggested ages above, a simple disc player or something should suffice, but seriously: where the hell is your child going that they need portable music and you're not going to be with them?

Laptops: you don't need a laptop until college, unless you're going to study abroad for extended periods or something like that. Again though, most people studying abroad are in college. Some HS students do spend summers in other countries though so maybe.