Children Technology usage

[Jaspreet05]

Hi!
I was just wondering over your opinions over the technology usage your child/ren consumes? how do you feel about this?

[sirfredfredgeorge]

I find her use of the wheel and knives rather annoying, and feel she should go back to just using rocks and sticks like the proper neanderthals that we are...

[Feenie]

I feel it would be fairly difficult to deliver an entire computing curriculum without technology.

[TrojanWhore]

Mine usually prefer to consume crisps, which might not be ideal but are easier to digest than technology.

[JustMumNowNotMe]

Sir! 😂

I find the aversion to technology on MN baffling, to be honest.

Unless you are planning to up sticks to Pennsylvania and become Amish, why wouldn't you want your child familiar with and efficient in the use of it?!

The term "screen time" that gets banded about on here makes me irrationally annoyed!

[AuntieStella]

I think I'd rather my DC played with tech (eg engineering with meccano) than was forced up the chimneys.

[jamdonut]

This baffles me.
Technology is everywhere.
Most people use screens in their workplace.
Why is it wrong to allow children to use said technology,? Because it takes them over their hour's daily limit or something?
I've never had screen time restriction for my kids. They are all perfectly normal young adults, can hold intelligent conversations, and are bloody useful when said technology goes wrong and their poor old parents need sorting out!!

[sirfredfredgeorge]

It's not really just mumsnet that avoid screen time, I've heard it from others. But it's strange, technology is just an access to something, so it would have to depend on what the something being accessed was.

So if "too much technology" equals watching Silence of the lambs at 5, that's probably bad.
But if it equals writing code to control the robot you just built, I cannot imagine a scenario where that's a negative.

For me, outside of accessing inappropriate content, I can't see any scenario where I'd want to limit DD - she's perfectly able to limit herself, and if I did genuinely feel she needed some time away (it's never happened yet), I wouldn't be banning the computer or anything, I'd simply go out with her.

[user789653241]

I don't restrict either, but my ds self regulates himself. He is equally interested in reading books, drawing, playing with lego, scooting on the skate park, etc.
So far it hasn't done any harm at all.

[AuntieStella]

OP- why do you want to know? What age are your DC and has something concerned you?

[Mamabear12]

I am sure the OP is just curious about the amount of time other kids are spending on gadgets/screen time etc. For us, its a mixed thing. The kids are young 3 and 5, but love their kindles to play games and also like to watch tv on occasion. I think a little is great, as it teaches them. For example, my DD at the age of 3 when we were at a museum, pointed at a bird and named it, which I had to then read the sign and couldn't believe she was correct. Another time at the zoo, one adult asked what the heck is that? Pointing to an animal, all the adults were like uh duh and my 3 year old answered, we all quickly read the sign as our jaws dropped realising she was correct. We also use screen time as a way for the kids to watch cartoons in french and games to practice french and help with their reading or math. But we also let them have fun using the screens as well :)

Some days they do not use kindle at all and some can spend 2 hours on! But they also spend at least 1 or 2 hours outside a day, we read to them several books a day, also do art activities, crafts at home etc. In addition they also have sports activities every week (swim, gymnastics, play ball, football, tennis). I think screen time is fine, as long as they are not spending 5 hours a day!

[sazzleevans]

I didnt allow any of my kids a kindle or access to internet until last week. They are 8,8 and 6. School has introduced google classroom so I have allowed that to use it for that and have also signed them up to an online maths program which they have been doing once a day for around 30 minutes. At my mums they use her ipad ALOT if they visit her so know how to use tech.

[Mamabear12]

I forgot to mention my kids use the kids kindle fire, so they do not have access to the internet and its got good parental control. You have your own profile with password if you want to use the kindle, but on the kids profile they are not able to access internet (not that my kids would even know how at this age!). It comes with a years subscription to a ton of children friendly apps for games, learning, reading, videos etc. I LOVE it bc they can try all the games for free...instead of us buying a game and realising its a dud!