Is this accepted now? Young children and electronics on public transport.

[AnneGrommit]

The last few times I've been on a train (not in quiet coach) and quite often on the bus I've had my peace disturbed by toddlers with phones/tablets either playing noisy games on them or watching programmes. When I've asked parents to rein them in I've been invariably met with either passive aggressive remarks about not liking children (I have three myself) or outright hostility and a statement along the lines of "it keeps them quiet". No, it doesn't. It stops them from pestering you but it's far from quiet. AIBU or is this an accepted "thing" now? Because it's fucking annoying.

Anti-social and rude behaviour is subjective though

Yes, in that people who are anti-social and rude don't think they are being, and don't care anyway.

Oh come on people voices are not the same as noises from devices, we re hard wired to absorb human voices. Give your kid a set of headphones and stop being so selfis

Glad that most people agree with me - I was starting to wonder if everyone else was fine with this and it was just my strange quirk not to be.

I don't know why I find it so annoying - maybe because we're talking about a device that is designed for personal use and therefore the content shouldn't be broadcast to others who haven't chosen to listen to/watch it but are having it imposed on them regardless. Also electronic noise is continuous, repetitive and (in the case of games) non human so it is by its nature more intrusive than regular human interaction like talking etc which has ebbs and flows.

Also, it's just not necessary! My kids all have devices and use them on public transport but they have headphones and always have done. Talking chatting etc it's necessary to make a noise but it's perfectly possible to plug yourself into a tablet and not make any noise at all.

It seems the biggest issue here is peppa pig so easy solution - ban peppa pig!

Now that I agree with. Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom is far better :o

If you sweat the small stuff like this, you're only upsetting yourself. My DH was stabbed on a train once (it wasn't related to inappropriate electronic device use). Now that is anti-social behaviour.

YANBU electronic noise is fucking annoying. I'd much rather listen to singing, chatting, giggling, etc.
My worst experience of this was on a train. I asked the adult to turn it down and was told no because the child was 2 and couldn't use headphones. Later on the father appeared and it became apparent that he was sat (in peace) elsewhere, leaving his children and rather hapless nanny to annoy other passengers.

Peg I totally agree with you. There seems to be a lack of ability to deal with boredom these days. And almost no space to think and daydream. It's really sad.

But I think I'm probably in the minority. We don't have an iPad and DD is probably going to end up that weird kid at school who doesn't have a tablet or a laptop. I honestly can't see the point in getting her hooked on something so anti-social and addictive.

On a plane I think it's fine, as you can't hear anything over the engines anyway. On a train? Hmmmm could be irritating, but I can see why people do it if it's the choice between that and a tantrum / hours on whining. Obviously, it would be lovely if babies came out of the womb capable of doing the Times crossword, reading a book in silence and engaging in stimulating chat for a long train journey, but as it is, most of them hate travelling. I'd rather put up with the noise than have all families with youn children think they have to drive everywhere. There are too many cars on the road imo and I'd rather there weren't.

How do you feel about parents reading to their dc on trains? I'm guilty of that one I'm afraid! DD is two so sadly unable to read / entertain herself for long, in silence, on her own.

I don't tend to give DD my phone to watch (don't have an iPad), but that's for selfish reasons as I don't want her to have too much screen time.

If you sweat the small stuff like this, you're only upsetting yourself. My DH was stabbed on a train once (it wasn't related to inappropriate electronic device use). Now that is anti-social behaviour

No, the people doing it are upsetting me. And "anything less than getting stabbed is fine" is inane as benchmark.

I recall once reading The Tiger Who Came to Tea once to DD (three times in a row probably 😫) on a train as quietly as possible to read aloud to a then 4 year old. People tutted.
They can be a great way of entertaining/educating kids of all ages but common sense is needed on the disturbance front.

It is antisocial and annoying to most people. It is also easily solvable for most (although I accept not all) people by the use of children's headphones. The fact that worse behaviour occurs in public areas is entirely irrelevant. Surely it's that simple?

I agree that the noise should be kept low, but not mute. Some children don't like having earphones in either. My ds who has asd certainly doesn't like earphones. I think people would rather him watch something on low volume than listen to me try and force earphones on to him.
Really, parents can't win with some people. They've given their child a tablet/phone to keep them quiet and people pull their face at that. The same way people pull their face if the child starts getting restless and noisy.

I'd rather listen to a child crying than electronic devices. I can tune that sound out, I can't tune out artificial sound like that, I just can't - it's not an active choice. If I could, believe me I would. It stops my brain working properly as it involuntarily focuses on the sound.

All of mine have tablets etc, we use them a lot in such circumstances and they are so paranoid about making sure they're on mute because I'm so hot on it.

I've also been slammed nastily when very politely asking other parents to turn theirs down. I hate confrontation so now I'm afraid to ask.

Juicy but generating electronic noise isn't " being quiet".

They've given their child a tablet/phone to keep them quiet and people pull their face at that

They aren't quiet. You've just swapped one noise for another, worse, noise.

I hate to say it, as my DD does use gadgets but if your child doesn't like using headphones then maybe you should tell them that, in that case, they can't listen to their device in public. We do need to teach kids to be aware of the people around them and have respect for them.

abigcupoffuckyou you seem like quite an angry person. I suspect you find a lot of other people's behaviour upsetting. 'Tis the beauty of AIBU that you can vent this frustration and it turn I can counter your position by offering mine. I think you possibly need to calm down a bit because, as I said, the person you are upsetting the most is yourself. I just think the downside of public transport is having to tolerate other people's noise, manners, smells etc

You'd rather a child was upset and crying to avoid you being a little irritated . Sounds a little cold.

Before you leap on me, I've already said i don't give my dc videos on public transport, I just find the "I'd rather listen to a crying child than a happier child watch a video in my presence" argument a little unusual.

Oh and I think you'll find that I never wrote "anything less than getting stabbed is fine" I was just musing that worse things happen than a bit of electronic noise.

ou'd rather a child was upset and crying to avoid you being a little irritated confused. Sounds a little cold.

No, I'd rather a parent actually comforted their child if they were upset and crying, rather than just shoving a phone in their face. Your child is merely fobbed off AND you're pissing off everyone else. IT's lose-lose.

It's just awful and so, so selfish to allow this. It's basically teaching your kids to act like entitled shits from a young age. Headphones are widely available.

Don't say "you're child" thanks. I just said I don't do this.

"Your child" even.

Your as in the general you.