I think TV is actually worse in isolating the viewer from others. I do like many of the Math iPhone and iPad games. My DD's favorite feature on her phone is the camera, a few card type games, and a few silly ones. I don't see a difference between her playing battleship with her friend on a phone as opposed to pulling out the old style board game. They are doing the same thing and both together.

I impose limits and restrict the device but I've always let my kids choose their toys. Yes, this meant that I had to cringe while DD picked out the princess barbie rather than the cool looking abacus. (DD did grow out of princesses and is a math whiz even without the abacus.)

Its just my opinion but there's not much gained forcing lifestyle choices kids and I'd rather them make independent choices.

Interesting. My kids have iPhones and the ONLY people they communicate with them are their friends that have them. My kids are also very technically savy generally - one has even designed video games and another is adept at programming. All these skill were learned through school or camps. My kids are around adults quite a bit and, thus, they are well mannered and able to talk about many "worldly" things. They look you in the eye and are very engaging. In fact, they get compliments on it. Also, they are athletes. They play plenty of games. So when they "play" on their iPhone, it is mostly waiting for rides or in the car.

So I think it is dangerous to generalize that these kids are anti-social, "ADD" geeks. Like anything, parents have to be vigilant in monitoring the use. But I do not think that the technology itself is damning.

My kids are a bit older so smart phones weren't as common and ipads didn't exist when they were younger. We were the family that limited computer use to weekends and never watched TV on weekdays. BUT, as soon as DS with ADHD and dyslexia got his hands on his first iphone, his world changed for the better. He uses it to set reminders, add items to his calendar and look up information immediately. It has helped him stay organized and on task. So many useful apps! Curiously, facebook has not been an issue. We went from being a very low-tech family, to a family that completely embraces it. I'm still glad that he had a such low-tech childhood but I don't think it made a bit of difference in the long run. In our case, the phone has been a great tool. He has had to learn how to put limits on using it and sometimes that is a struggle, just as we all struggle with limiting our use of the internet...and DCUM!

Mobile devices are super useful. It's seems silly to ban them from the house because you're worried the kids will never play yahtzee or whatever.

Turning on a desktop/laptop and waiting five minutes for it boot up just to check e-mail or the web is such a waste of time. There's no going back once you have an iPad, etc.

How about just setting some rules on how much screen time the kids are allowed?

Anonymous wrote:DS is 8, so we would like him to grow up feeling very comfortable using technology.

My kids are very comfortable with technology, but I don't want them to be passive consumers of it, and I think iPads do a lot more for consumption than creation.

My kids will never get a hand-me-down smartphone. We use ours until they break and hang onto our old computers until they're unreliable, at which point the kids can have them. No Internet access, though.

Anonymous wrote:Snotty comment about ADHD wasn't really necessary.

agree.

OP, in theory, I think you have a good point. Electronics have a way of taking over. We still have them. Glass houses...DCUM is a big time suck and were here "talking" and not face to face with people.

Snotty comment about ADHD wasn't really necessary.

Not their own, but access to mine. I was going to reassess for middle school though.

I do not allow my children unresticted access to devices which stream pornography. This includes tv and computers. There is no reason for them to use an ipad or an iphone. A notebook and a regular phone will suffice.

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else besides our family of this mindset? Our kids are 9 and 12 and they simply do not need these electronic distractions. They play ACTUAL games and ACTUALLY communicate with others. I see no need to hook them on the ADD-friendly tech bandwagon at this age.

Who else?

unfortunately, it is too late now for us. You are doing the right thing, although you will get a lot of argument from your kids since all their friends have them.

We are kind of the opposite. We do have rules about use, and other things have to happen first. DS is in two different sports leagues, and has homework and a tutor. He doesn't have much free time after that, but he's free to play his IPAD as much as he wants. DS is 8, so we would like him to grow up feeling very comfortable using technology. We are working on having the school authenicate his IPAD so he can start doing some of his work on it there. We figure it is better they understand technology while they are young then try to start doing so when they are older. We also like cmputer programs, like Scratch, that develop early coding skills.

My kids play actual games and play ipad/ipod touch games, just like I do.

In fact, I thought about starting a thread asking if people restricted their tween's use of an ipod touch more than their own use, because (unlike say console games, which all of us play rarely) I probably play on my i-device as much as the kids play on theirs...

Well, I was with you, and then the other custodial parent went and gave the kid his old iPhone when he upgraded. :/

So we have rules about it being off. But I am so with you in spirit.

Yes, stick to Walkmans

Anyone else besides our family of this mindset? Our kids are 9 and 12 and they simply do not need these electronic distractions. They play ACTUAL games and ACTUALLY communicate with others. I see no need to hook them on the ADD-friendly tech bandwagon at this age.

Who else?