Giving young children screens all the time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up watching TV all the time in the late 90s - early 2000s and I turned out fine as an adult.

Did you carry the TV with you wherever you go? Sit with it in the cart at the grocery store, at every restaurant?

Didn't think so.

It's different than the 90's, and the denial on this thread is unreal.

[Anonymous]

Most are using it as a babysitter. A lot of UMC parents take their kid to dinner and put them in front of a screen instead of hiring a babysitter. I use sitters often and sometimes felt judged but I think it’s better than using a screen.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I'm guilty of defaulting to an iPad as a babysitter from time to time, but my kid is happy, has friends, scores in the 99th percentile on MAP tests, and plays multiple sports. They've also learned a lot of random but cool stuff on YouTube Kids, especially interesting science. It's not ideal, but probably not much worse than the bad TV I watched in the 90s.

There’s a difference between occasionally handing your kid the iPad as a babysitter and letting them constantly be on screens.

The vast majority of parents are not "letting them constantly be on screens." Every single parent I know works hard to limit screens in some way. Some more than others but nobody I know has zero limits.

Do you ever leave your house? All around you are young kids on screens in places where they should be interacting with others or observing the world. I saw a four year old holding the phone in both hands and watching something while walking on a sidewalk yesterday. Kids on phones at restaurants. In grocery stores. At parks. Most parents are not judiciously using screens.

Why don’t you interact with your own kids instead of scrutinizing strangers? You’re not making a good case, you know.

You don't need to scrutinize anything to see that a kid at a park is looking at a phone.

The fact that people like you are so desperate to attack people for noticing what's happening in the world is suspicious.

Yes we all know screens exist

But I don't know where you are where most kids you see are on screens. When I walk to school with my kid, go to the playground, go to the pool, I see zero kids on screens

DP. I wouldn’t say most kids, but I see it frequently, too… in the grocery store cart, waiting at a restaurant, at a sibling’s sports event… small kids are handed screens rather than having a parent talk with them, give them a coloring book, read to them, or give them a non-digital toy.

That's not constant. You may disagree with the choice to give kids screens in those situations, I certainly try to avoid it, but to jump to the notion that kids are constantly on screens based on this is preposterous

Dp. A lot of these kids are on screens constantly. Ask your kid's teacher. They'll tell you.

Because the freaking schools FORCE KIDs to use screens! Seriously, get a clue and then get a life.

Schools are the reason kids are constantly on screens?

Schools certainly don’t help. My kids are all forced to use screens both at school and after school to do their schoolwork.

But I reject your premise that kids are “constantly” on screens. And you are obviously not setting a good example as a parent if you think screentime is horrible. Put your phone down and go play with your kids.

Yep- the only screen time my kid gets is at school. And they use the games to motivate them. And as soon as they finish work they can then spend X minutes on the chromebook.
I HATE it.

Ugh I’m so glad my kids’ school is tech-free. It’s hard enough for my daughter to focus without being trained to expect screen time every time she finishes an academic task…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guilty of defaulting to an iPad as a babysitter from time to time, but my kid is happy, has friends, scores in the 99th percentile on MAP tests, and plays multiple sports. They've also learned a lot of random but cool stuff on YouTube Kids, especially interesting science. It's not ideal, but probably not much worse than the bad TV I watched in the 90s.

There’s a difference between occasionally handing your kid the iPad as a babysitter and letting them constantly be on screens.

The vast majority of parents are not "letting them constantly be on screens." Every single parent I know works hard to limit screens in some way. Some more than others but nobody I know has zero limits.

Do you ever leave your house? All around you are young kids on screens in places where they should be interacting with others or observing the world. I saw a four year old holding the phone in both hands and watching something while walking on a sidewalk yesterday. Kids on phones at restaurants. In grocery stores. At parks. Most parents are not judiciously using screens.

Why don’t you interact with your own kids instead of scrutinizing strangers? You’re not making a good case, you know.

You don't need to scrutinize anything to see that a kid at a park is looking at a phone.

The fact that people like you are so desperate to attack people for noticing what's happening in the world is suspicious.

Yes we all know screens exist

But I don't know where you are where most kids you see are on screens. When I walk to school with my kid, go to the playground, go to the pool, I see zero kids on screens

DP. I wouldn’t say most kids, but I see it frequently, too… in the grocery store cart, waiting at a restaurant, at a sibling’s sports event… small kids are handed screens rather than having a parent talk with them, give them a coloring book, read to them, or give them a non-digital toy.

That's not constant. You may disagree with the choice to give kids screens in those situations, I certainly try to avoid it, but to jump to the notion that kids are constantly on screens based on this is preposterous

Dp. A lot of these kids are on screens constantly. Ask your kid's teacher. They'll tell you.

Because the freaking schools FORCE KIDs to use screens! Seriously, get a clue and then get a life.

Yeah, no. It’s not about the schools. It’s about lazy parents who don’t want to listen to Cayden and Emma’s tantrums if they don’t let them stare at their iPads like mindless zombies.

What is “It” exactly?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guilty of defaulting to an iPad as a babysitter from time to time, but my kid is happy, has friends, scores in the 99th percentile on MAP tests, and plays multiple sports. They've also learned a lot of random but cool stuff on YouTube Kids, especially interesting science. It's not ideal, but probably not much worse than the bad TV I watched in the 90s.

There’s a difference between occasionally handing your kid the iPad as a babysitter and letting them constantly be on screens.

The vast majority of parents are not "letting them constantly be on screens." Every single parent I know works hard to limit screens in some way. Some more than others but nobody I know has zero limits.

Do you ever leave your house? All around you are young kids on screens in places where they should be interacting with others or observing the world. I saw a four year old holding the phone in both hands and watching something while walking on a sidewalk yesterday. Kids on phones at restaurants. In grocery stores. At parks. Most parents are not judiciously using screens.

Why don’t you interact with your own kids instead of scrutinizing strangers? You’re not making a good case, you know.

You don't need to scrutinize anything to see that a kid at a park is looking at a phone.

The fact that people like you are so desperate to attack people for noticing what's happening in the world is suspicious.

Yes we all know screens exist

But I don't know where you are where most kids you see are on screens. When I walk to school with my kid, go to the playground, go to the pool, I see zero kids on screens

DP. I wouldn’t say most kids, but I see it frequently, too… in the grocery store cart, waiting at a restaurant, at a sibling’s sports event… small kids are handed screens rather than having a parent talk with them, give them a coloring book, read to them, or give them a non-digital toy.

That's not constant. You may disagree with the choice to give kids screens in those situations, I certainly try to avoid it, but to jump to the notion that kids are constantly on screens based on this is preposterous

Dp. A lot of these kids are on screens constantly. Ask your kid's teacher. They'll tell you.

Because the freaking schools FORCE KIDs to use screens! Seriously, get a clue and then get a life.

Schools are the reason kids are constantly on screens?

For our family, yes. My son doesnt have a Kindle, a phone, or Ipad. No DEVICES at home. He does watch TV but its limited and we watch low stim TV, sports, or movies. School, in our experience this year, uses screens to motivate, will gift time if they finish early, if they are ahead of their peers and done with certain aspects then they get told to do "math" games. Not reading, not writing, not self-study, not drawing, not coloring, not origami, not higher-level lessons or instruction...its the chromebook. Always.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I grew up watching TV all the time in the late 90s - early 2000s and I turned out fine as an adult.[/quote]

Did you carry the TV with you wherever you go? Sit with it in the cart at the grocery store, at every restaurant?

Didn't think so.[/quote]

It's different than the 90's, and the denial on this thread is unreal. [/quote]

Yeah it is different because kids are constantly exposed to screens[b] in school[/b]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guilty of defaulting to an iPad as a babysitter from time to time, but my kid is happy, has friends, scores in the 99th percentile on MAP tests, and plays multiple sports. They've also learned a lot of random but cool stuff on YouTube Kids, especially interesting science. It's not ideal, but probably not much worse than the bad TV I watched in the 90s.

There’s a difference between occasionally handing your kid the iPad as a babysitter and letting them constantly be on screens.

The vast majority of parents are not "letting them constantly be on screens." Every single parent I know works hard to limit screens in some way. Some more than others but nobody I know has zero limits.

Do you ever leave your house? All around you are young kids on screens in places where they should be interacting with others or observing the world. I saw a four year old holding the phone in both hands and watching something while walking on a sidewalk yesterday. Kids on phones at restaurants. In grocery stores. At parks. Most parents are not judiciously using screens.

Why don’t you interact with your own kids instead of scrutinizing strangers? You’re not making a good case, you know.

You don't need to scrutinize anything to see that a kid at a park is looking at a phone.

The fact that people like you are so desperate to attack people for noticing what's happening in the world is suspicious.

Yes we all know screens exist

But I don't know where you are where most kids you see are on screens. When I walk to school with my kid, go to the playground, go to the pool, I see zero kids on screens

DP. I wouldn’t say most kids, but I see it frequently, too… in the grocery store cart, waiting at a restaurant, at a sibling’s sports event… small kids are handed screens rather than having a parent talk with them, give them a coloring book, read to them, or give them a non-digital toy.

That's not constant. You may disagree with the choice to give kids screens in those situations, I certainly try to avoid it, but to jump to the notion that kids are constantly on screens based on this is preposterous

Dp. A lot of these kids are on screens constantly. Ask your kid's teacher. They'll tell you.

Because the freaking schools FORCE KIDs to use screens! Seriously, get a clue and then get a life.

Schools are the reason kids are constantly on screens?

For our family, yes. My son doesnt have a Kindle, a phone, or Ipad. No DEVICES at home. He does watch TV but its limited and we watch low stim TV, sports, or movies. School, in our experience this year, uses screens to motivate, will gift time if they finish early, if they are ahead of their peers and done with certain aspects then they get told to do "math" games. Not reading, not writing, not self-study, not drawing, not coloring, not origami, not higher-level lessons or instruction...its the chromebook. Always.

OP says she is going to the home of a friend and the kid can't eat without a screen. The school isn't giving this kid a screen. It's at home.

It sounds like you have a valid complaint about excessive screen use at your child's school. That's the topic for another thread. That has nothing to do with OP noticing kids who can't even eat at home without having a screen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guilty of defaulting to an iPad as a babysitter from time to time, but my kid is happy, has friends, scores in the 99th percentile on MAP tests, and plays multiple sports. They've also learned a lot of random but cool stuff on YouTube Kids, especially interesting science. It's not ideal, but probably not much worse than the bad TV I watched in the 90s.

There’s a difference between occasionally handing your kid the iPad as a babysitter and letting them constantly be on screens.

The vast majority of parents are not "letting them constantly be on screens." Every single parent I know works hard to limit screens in some way. Some more than others but nobody I know has zero limits.

Do you ever leave your house? All around you are young kids on screens in places where they should be interacting with others or observing the world. I saw a four year old holding the phone in both hands and watching something while walking on a sidewalk yesterday. Kids on phones at restaurants. In grocery stores. At parks. Most parents are not judiciously using screens.

Why don’t you interact with your own kids instead of scrutinizing strangers? You’re not making a good case, you know.

You don't need to scrutinize anything to see that a kid at a park is looking at a phone.

The fact that people like you are so desperate to attack people for noticing what's happening in the world is suspicious.

Yes we all know screens exist

But I don't know where you are where most kids you see are on screens. When I walk to school with my kid, go to the playground, go to the pool, I see zero kids on screens

DP. I wouldn’t say most kids, but I see it frequently, too… in the grocery store cart, waiting at a restaurant, at a sibling’s sports event… small kids are handed screens rather than having a parent talk with them, give them a coloring book, read to them, or give them a non-digital toy.

That's not constant. You may disagree with the choice to give kids screens in those situations, I certainly try to avoid it, but to jump to the notion that kids are constantly on screens based on this is preposterous

Dp. A lot of these kids are on screens constantly. Ask your kid's teacher. They'll tell you.

Because the freaking schools FORCE KIDs to use screens! Seriously, get a clue and then get a life.

Schools are the reason kids are constantly on screens?

For our family, yes. My son doesnt have a Kindle, a phone, or Ipad. No DEVICES at home. He does watch TV but its limited and we watch low stim TV, sports, or movies. School, in our experience this year, uses screens to motivate, will gift time if they finish early, if they are ahead of their peers and done with certain aspects then they get told to do "math" games. Not reading, not writing, not self-study, not drawing, not coloring, not origami, not higher-level lessons or instruction...its the chromebook. Always.

OP says she is going to the home of a friend and the kid can't eat without a screen. The school isn't giving this kid a screen. It's at home.

It sounds like you have a valid complaint about excessive screen use at your child's school. That's the topic for another thread. That has nothing to do with OP noticing kids who can't even eat at home without having a screen.

I agree but its a circular argument. Teachers make the argument that all kids want are screens because parents are giving it to them. Parents are complaining because screens are in schools. Its true in both cases but public education shouldnt be giving into BS. I would also make the case that quite a few early childcare centers and preKs use screens a bit too much (ex. smartboards).

Not only that but there was a whole equity conversation when technology was rising in use because it wasnt available to lower income homes and that they would be left behind because they didnt know how to "use" technology. Then it started being pushed in schools and you get ABCMouse and all the other early education models so parents start thinking well, if it helps them learn ABCs then it cant be harmful. Their kids get addicted to the screens because its high stimulation and they dont want to play or cant be entertained by non-screen toys. You can include light up toys, music toys, seizure-inducing rave toys, etc. Sometimes the devices are also a status symbol for some parents because they are expensive. And add in that many parents dont seem to think that the hours of watching TV is any different than Youtube.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guilty of defaulting to an iPad as a babysitter from time to time, but my kid is happy, has friends, scores in the 99th percentile on MAP tests, and plays multiple sports. They've also learned a lot of random but cool stuff on YouTube Kids, especially interesting science. It's not ideal, but probably not much worse than the bad TV I watched in the 90s.

There’s a difference between occasionally handing your kid the iPad as a babysitter and letting them constantly be on screens.

The vast majority of parents are not "letting them constantly be on screens." Every single parent I know works hard to limit screens in some way. Some more than others but nobody I know has zero limits.

Do you ever leave your house? All around you are young kids on screens in places where they should be interacting with others or observing the world. I saw a four year old holding the phone in both hands and watching something while walking on a sidewalk yesterday. Kids on phones at restaurants. In grocery stores. At parks. Most parents are not judiciously using screens.

Why don’t you interact with your own kids instead of scrutinizing strangers? You’re not making a good case, you know.

You don't need to scrutinize anything to see that a kid at a park is looking at a phone.

The fact that people like you are so desperate to attack people for noticing what's happening in the world is suspicious.

Yes we all know screens exist

But I don't know where you are where most kids you see are on screens. When I walk to school with my kid, go to the playground, go to the pool, I see zero kids on screens

DP. I wouldn’t say most kids, but I see it frequently, too… in the grocery store cart, waiting at a restaurant, at a sibling’s sports event… small kids are handed screens rather than having a parent talk with them, give them a coloring book, read to them, or give them a non-digital toy.

That's not constant. You may disagree with the choice to give kids screens in those situations, I certainly try to avoid it, but to jump to the notion that kids are constantly on screens based on this is preposterous

Dp. A lot of these kids are on screens constantly. Ask your kid's teacher. They'll tell you.

Because the freaking schools FORCE KIDs to use screens! Seriously, get a clue and then get a life.

Schools are the reason kids are constantly on screens?

For our family, yes. My son doesnt have a Kindle, a phone, or Ipad. No DEVICES at home. He does watch TV but its limited and we watch low stim TV, sports, or movies. School, in our experience this year, uses screens to motivate, will gift time if they finish early, if they are ahead of their peers and done with certain aspects then they get told to do "math" games. Not reading, not writing, not self-study, not drawing, not coloring, not origami, not higher-level lessons or instruction...its the chromebook. Always.

OP says she is going to the home of a friend and the kid can't eat without a screen. The school isn't giving this kid a screen. It's at home.

It sounds like you have a valid complaint about excessive screen use at your child's school. That's the topic for another thread. That has nothing to do with OP noticing kids who can't even eat at home without having a screen.

Eh, I bet OP texted this rant from her friend’s dinner table.

I refuse to entertain the pearl clutching judgements of a bunch of screen addicted gossipy grown women.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guilty of defaulting to an iPad as a babysitter from time to time, but my kid is happy, has friends, scores in the 99th percentile on MAP tests, and plays multiple sports. They've also learned a lot of random but cool stuff on YouTube Kids, especially interesting science. It's not ideal, but probably not much worse than the bad TV I watched in the 90s.

There’s a difference between occasionally handing your kid the iPad as a babysitter and letting them constantly be on screens.

The vast majority of parents are not "letting them constantly be on screens." Every single parent I know works hard to limit screens in some way. Some more than others but nobody I know has zero limits.

Do you ever leave your house? All around you are young kids on screens in places where they should be interacting with others or observing the world. I saw a four year old holding the phone in both hands and watching something while walking on a sidewalk yesterday. Kids on phones at restaurants. In grocery stores. At parks. Most parents are not judiciously using screens.

Why don’t you interact with your own kids instead of scrutinizing strangers? You’re not making a good case, you know.

You don't need to scrutinize anything to see that a kid at a park is looking at a phone.

The fact that people like you are so desperate to attack people for noticing what's happening in the world is suspicious.

Yes we all know screens exist

But I don't know where you are where most kids you see are on screens. When I walk to school with my kid, go to the playground, go to the pool, I see zero kids on screens

DP. I wouldn’t say most kids, but I see it frequently, too… in the grocery store cart, waiting at a restaurant, at a sibling’s sports event… small kids are handed screens rather than having a parent talk with them, give them a coloring book, read to them, or give them a non-digital toy.

That's not constant. You may disagree with the choice to give kids screens in those situations, I certainly try to avoid it, but to jump to the notion that kids are constantly on screens based on this is preposterous

Dp. A lot of these kids are on screens constantly. Ask your kid's teacher. They'll tell you.

Because the freaking schools FORCE KIDs to use screens! Seriously, get a clue and then get a life.

Schools are the reason kids are constantly on screens?

For our family, yes. My son doesnt have a Kindle, a phone, or Ipad. No DEVICES at home. He does watch TV but its limited and we watch low stim TV, sports, or movies. School, in our experience this year, uses screens to motivate, will gift time if they finish early, if they are ahead of their peers and done with certain aspects then they get told to do "math" games. Not reading, not writing, not self-study, not drawing, not coloring, not origami, not higher-level lessons or instruction...its the chromebook. Always.

What is on your low stim TV and movie list?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guilty of defaulting to an iPad as a babysitter from time to time, but my kid is happy, has friends, scores in the 99th percentile on MAP tests, and plays multiple sports. They've also learned a lot of random but cool stuff on YouTube Kids, especially interesting science. It's not ideal, but probably not much worse than the bad TV I watched in the 90s.

There’s a difference between occasionally handing your kid the iPad as a babysitter and letting them constantly be on screens.

The vast majority of parents are not "letting them constantly be on screens." Every single parent I know works hard to limit screens in some way. Some more than others but nobody I know has zero limits.

Do you ever leave your house? All around you are young kids on screens in places where they should be interacting with others or observing the world. I saw a four year old holding the phone in both hands and watching something while walking on a sidewalk yesterday. Kids on phones at restaurants. In grocery stores. At parks. Most parents are not judiciously using screens.

Why don’t you interact with your own kids instead of scrutinizing strangers? You’re not making a good case, you know.

You don't need to scrutinize anything to see that a kid at a park is looking at a phone.

The fact that people like you are so desperate to attack people for noticing what's happening in the world is suspicious.

Yes we all know screens exist

But I don't know where you are where most kids you see are on screens. When I walk to school with my kid, go to the playground, go to the pool, I see zero kids on screens

DP. I wouldn’t say most kids, but I see it frequently, too… in the grocery store cart, waiting at a restaurant, at a sibling’s sports event… small kids are handed screens rather than having a parent talk with them, give them a coloring book, read to them, or give them a non-digital toy.

That's not constant. You may disagree with the choice to give kids screens in those situations, I certainly try to avoid it, but to jump to the notion that kids are constantly on screens based on this is preposterous

Dp. A lot of these kids are on screens constantly. Ask your kid's teacher. They'll tell you.

Because the freaking schools FORCE KIDs to use screens! Seriously, get a clue and then get a life.

Schools are the reason kids are constantly on screens?

Schools certainly don’t help. My kids are all forced to use screens both at school and after school to do their schoolwork.

But I reject your premise that kids are “constantly” on screens. And you are obviously not setting a good example as a parent if you think screentime is horrible. Put your phone down and go play with your kids.

+1
I am at a public library right now and have seen at least as st 15 kids. The only ones on a screen are playing games on the library computers. Don't get me started on my rant about why someone thought it would be good to provide video games for kids to play in a library

Our library also has a whole bank of computers just for children smack dab in the middle front area of the kids section. It's crazy. Can't even go to the library to have a low screen area! To get to picture books, chapter books, story time, or the librarian's desk, you have to pass about 10 computer screens, usually full of elementary aged students who were dropped off by parents to spend time at the library, or full of even younger kids with their nanny or parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guilty of defaulting to an iPad as a babysitter from time to time, but my kid is happy, has friends, scores in the 99th percentile on MAP tests, and plays multiple sports. They've also learned a lot of random but cool stuff on YouTube Kids, especially interesting science. It's not ideal, but probably not much worse than the bad TV I watched in the 90s.

There’s a difference between occasionally handing your kid the iPad as a babysitter and letting them constantly be on screens.

The vast majority of parents are not "letting them constantly be on screens." Every single parent I know works hard to limit screens in some way. Some more than others but nobody I know has zero limits.

Do you ever leave your house? All around you are young kids on screens in places where they should be interacting with others or observing the world. I saw a four year old holding the phone in both hands and watching something while walking on a sidewalk yesterday. Kids on phones at restaurants. In grocery stores. At parks. Most parents are not judiciously using screens.

Why don’t you interact with your own kids instead of scrutinizing strangers? You’re not making a good case, you know.

You don't need to scrutinize anything to see that a kid at a park is looking at a phone.

The fact that people like you are so desperate to attack people for noticing what's happening in the world is suspicious.

Yes we all know screens exist

But I don't know where you are where most kids you see are on screens. When I walk to school with my kid, go to the playground, go to the pool, I see zero kids on screens

DP. I wouldn’t say most kids, but I see it frequently, too… in the grocery store cart, waiting at a restaurant, at a sibling’s sports event… small kids are handed screens rather than having a parent talk with them, give them a coloring book, read to them, or give them a non-digital toy.

That's not constant. You may disagree with the choice to give kids screens in those situations, I certainly try to avoid it, but to jump to the notion that kids are constantly on screens based on this is preposterous

Dp. A lot of these kids are on screens constantly. Ask your kid's teacher. They'll tell you.

Because the freaking schools FORCE KIDs to use screens! Seriously, get a clue and then get a life.

Schools are the reason kids are constantly on screens?

For our family, yes. My son doesnt have a Kindle, a phone, or Ipad. No DEVICES at home. He does watch TV but its limited and we watch low stim TV, sports, or movies. School, in our experience this year, uses screens to motivate, will gift time if they finish early, if they are ahead of their peers and done with certain aspects then they get told to do "math" games. Not reading, not writing, not self-study, not drawing, not coloring, not origami, not higher-level lessons or instruction...its the chromebook. Always.

What is on your low stim TV and movie list?

Tumbleleaf, Puffin Rock, Little Bear, Bluey, Molly of Denali, Mister Rogers,- under age 5/6
Add in more stuff from 7-10 like I Love Lucy, Leave it to Beaver, some higher stim shows, anime, and sports. We watch tennis, rugby, basketball, football, baseball. Older movies such as Home Alone, Land Before Time, Lilo & Stitch, Charlottes Web/Brave, Sandlot, AirBud, BadNews Bears, Big Green

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most are using it as a babysitter. A lot of UMC parents take their kid to dinner and put them in front of a screen instead of hiring a babysitter. I use sitters often and sometimes felt judged but I think it’s better than using a screen.

Ironically nowadays, a lot of the younger sitters - high school and college aged ones - are addicted to their phones so they just plop the kids down in front of the TV.

My kids have pretty much aged out of sitters but back in the day I had to lecture them on staying off their phones and actually, ya know, babysitting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guilty of defaulting to an iPad as a babysitter from time to time, but my kid is happy, has friends, scores in the 99th percentile on MAP tests, and plays multiple sports. They've also learned a lot of random but cool stuff on YouTube Kids, especially interesting science. It's not ideal, but probably not much worse than the bad TV I watched in the 90s.

There’s a difference between occasionally handing your kid the iPad as a babysitter and letting them constantly be on screens.

The vast majority of parents are not "letting them constantly be on screens." Every single parent I know works hard to limit screens in some way. Some more than others but nobody I know has zero limits.

Do you ever leave your house? All around you are young kids on screens in places where they should be interacting with others or observing the world. I saw a four year old holding the phone in both hands and watching something while walking on a sidewalk yesterday. Kids on phones at restaurants. In grocery stores. At parks. Most parents are not judiciously using screens.

Why don’t you interact with your own kids instead of scrutinizing strangers? You’re not making a good case, you know.

You don't need to scrutinize anything to see that a kid at a park is looking at a phone.

The fact that people like you are so desperate to attack people for noticing what's happening in the world is suspicious.

Yes we all know screens exist

But I don't know where you are where most kids you see are on screens. When I walk to school with my kid, go to the playground, go to the pool, I see zero kids on screens

DP. I wouldn’t say most kids, but I see it frequently, too… in the grocery store cart, waiting at a restaurant, at a sibling’s sports event… small kids are handed screens rather than having a parent talk with them, give them a coloring book, read to them, or give them a non-digital toy.

That's not constant. You may disagree with the choice to give kids screens in those situations, I certainly try to avoid it, but to jump to the notion that kids are constantly on screens based on this is preposterous

Dp. A lot of these kids are on screens constantly. Ask your kid's teacher. They'll tell you.

Because the freaking schools FORCE KIDs to use screens! Seriously, get a clue and then get a life.

Schools are the reason kids are constantly on screens?

For our family, yes. My son doesnt have a Kindle, a phone, or Ipad. No DEVICES at home. He does watch TV but its limited and we watch low stim TV, sports, or movies. School, in our experience this year, uses screens to motivate, will gift time if they finish early, if they are ahead of their peers and done with certain aspects then they get told to do "math" games. Not reading, not writing, not self-study, not drawing, not coloring, not origami, not higher-level lessons or instruction...its the chromebook. Always.

Terrible. What grade is your child in?

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Anonymous wrote:I'm guilty of defaulting to an iPad as a babysitter from time to time, but my kid is happy, has friends, scores in the 99th percentile on MAP tests, and plays multiple sports. They've also learned a lot of random but cool stuff on YouTube Kids, especially interesting science. It's not ideal, but probably not much worse than the bad TV I watched in the 90s.

There’s a difference between occasionally handing your kid the iPad as a babysitter and letting them constantly be on screens.

The vast majority of parents are not "letting them constantly be on screens." Every single parent I know works hard to limit screens in some way. Some more than others but nobody I know has zero limits.

Do you ever leave your house? All around you are young kids on screens in places where they should be interacting with others or observing the world. I saw a four year old holding the phone in both hands and watching something while walking on a sidewalk yesterday. Kids on phones at restaurants. In grocery stores. At parks. Most parents are not judiciously using screens.

Why don’t you interact with your own kids instead of scrutinizing strangers? You’re not making a good case, you know.

You don't need to scrutinize anything to see that a kid at a park is looking at a phone.

The fact that people like you are so desperate to attack people for noticing what's happening in the world is suspicious.

Yes we all know screens exist

But I don't know where you are where most kids you see are on screens. When I walk to school with my kid, go to the playground, go to the pool, I see zero kids on screens

DP. I wouldn’t say most kids, but I see it frequently, too… in the grocery store cart, waiting at a restaurant, at a sibling’s sports event… small kids are handed screens rather than having a parent talk with them, give them a coloring book, read to them, or give them a non-digital toy.

That's not constant. You may disagree with the choice to give kids screens in those situations, I certainly try to avoid it, but to jump to the notion that kids are constantly on screens based on this is preposterous

Dp. A lot of these kids are on screens constantly. Ask your kid's teacher. They'll tell you.

Because the freaking schools FORCE KIDs to use screens! Seriously, get a clue and then get a life.

Schools are the reason kids are constantly on screens?

Schools certainly don’t help. My kids are all forced to use screens both at school and after school to do their schoolwork.

But I reject your premise that kids are “constantly” on screens. And you are obviously not setting a good example as a parent if you think screentime is horrible. Put your phone down and go play with your kids.

+1
I am at a public library right now and have seen at least as st 15 kids. The only ones on a screen are playing games on the library computers. Don't get me started on my rant about why someone thought it would be good to provide video games for kids to play in a library

Our library also has a whole bank of computers just for children smack dab in the middle front area of the kids section. It's crazy. Can't even go to the library to have a low screen area! To get to picture books, chapter books, story time, or the librarian's desk, you have to pass about 10 computer screens, usually full of elementary aged students who were dropped off by parents to spend time at the library, or full of even younger kids with their nanny or parent.

Exactly. I am one of those parents with a younger kid who gravitates towards the computer. The fact that it is there means I can either prohibit DC from using the computer, leading to a fight, or let her use it and hope we can read a book after she finishes. Honestly when we first started going to the library I did think that the computers could be valuable educational tools. If I had known then what I know now I would have told her from a young age she isn't allowed to use them. Now she associates the library with computer games.