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Tablet and Smartphone use for children (www.thelocal.dk)

submitted 3 weeks ago by jjpamsterdam@feddit.org to c/parenting@lemmy.world

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With some jurisdictions categorically recommending that children under a certain age (in the case of Denmark under 13) should not have a tablet or smartphone, what is your opinion on the appropriate age/way to introduce these devices to your children's life? Do you use your own devices together with your children? If so, how and when?

While my own children are still unquestionably too young for tablets or smartphones, I'm already afraid of the social pressure that is likely to arise at an ever younger age when their friends start getting devices.

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[–] Clusterfck 1 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Tablets aren't a baby sitter.

But denying your kids access to them until a certain age and then turning them loose and wishing them good luck is harming them so much more.

My example I always go back to is schools and banning cell phones. My school had an outright ban. You walk into school, you shut the phone off and put it in your locker. Which at its face, kind of makes sense. But then I went to college and nobody cared about my phone. I spent my first semester on my phone near constantly. I had to take weeks to teach myself that, while having my phone is nice, I still need to pay attention in class.

Technology exists to better our lives and outright denying children from learning HOW to use it properly is going to be to their detriment.

[–] Madzielle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 4 days ago

You don't have to own a phone to learn how to use it properly. I didn't own my own computer as I learned to use one as a kid.

Supervised access exists, and parents are responsible for teaching internet safety to children.

Your college experience is a you thing. My much younger BIL did his first year at college this year, and thanked his parents for not letting him have a lot of screen time growing up because he can see the addiction in the people around him.

[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Tablets aren’t a baby sitter.

Goodness, don't even get me started... 😡

I had to take weeks to teach myself that, while having my phone is nice, I still need to pay attention in class.

That tells me that the previous school's ban made sense & bore fruit.