To NOT get WIFI??

[loveitorleaveit]

Me and my DP have a phone each with more than enough data to use when we are at home for internet etc. We have 3 TVs throughout the house with more than enough channels, a DVD player and a PS4 with mass amounts of dvds and games. We have never felt the need to pay an addition cost for sky/virgin/WiFi

My DP has an 11 year old son who comes to ours every other weekend and twice each week on week nights. Since he got his own phone and iPad for his birthday we allow him to connect to our data so he can use them to play on games and access the internet.

I am just about fed up of hearing his comments about us not having WiFi or sky ‘you’re like old people’ ‘it’s just stupid’ ‘I guess I’ll have to waste my mobile data AGAIN’ ‘oh great we have to watch NORMAL tv’ ‘god sake I can’t play online here on PS4’

Really!!?? I’ve told him to doesn’t know how lucky he is! He just roles his eyes at me. My DP doesn’t say anything to his comments, and tells me that’s kids nowadays!

Maybe it is but it still frustrates me!

AIBU???

Oh, and he is right about PS4. Surely the whole point of most of the games is to be able to play online?

I don't usually side with the child, but he is right on this. His schoolwork is even at stake, over time. You are being obstructive and patronising for no good reason.

As several of us have said, schools assume availability of a good home internet connection. They will look at you very askance if you refuse to believe it is necessary.

No WiFi is ridiculous in 2017.

You can crap on about "kids these days" as much as you like, but this is the reality of the world we live in now, and WiFi is a current baseline of the rapid technological advancement we have experienced and will continue to experience, regardless of your protestations.

Honestly, if you feel like you don't need WiFi, then don't get it! I would not give in to an 11 year old's demands just because he grumbled a bit. You are allowing him to use your data, so he gets to access the Internet. There's a perfectly functioning TV which he can watch if he wanted to.

see, if he was actually going without technology completely I would think YWNBU, very good for kids to be disconnected at times, gets back into books or other things (although there may be a problem with homework!)

but this is not the case here, basically you are saying WE don't need it, so why should he have it? and how does he dare complain?

It seems to me you are not taking his needs into consideration, it is his home, too, it is not "being dictated to by a child" to take his needs into consideration, it is what families do!!

We’ve never felt the need for it! Both work long hours, not big tv fans and don’t feel we have an arm or leg missing without it.

That's the problem though isn't it. All you're really thinking about is what you want, not what he wants.

Way to make him feel welcome.

I’m with the kid on this one; I couldn’t live without WiFi.
Wifi is cheap, and the amount of stuff that needs good WiFi keeps growing: working remotely, streaming services, online gaming, backing up docs/photos,... We don’t have a landline,so to communicate with family abroad we use Skype voice/video calls...etc.

Times change. Maybe you don’t need it but the 11yo belongs to another generation where everyone/everything is connected. Online services will just keep growing.
I’d suggest you get WiFi; if you don’t need it, you don’t have to use it, but at least when the 11yo stays at yours he can be happy and you will avoid unnecessary drama...

Of course YABU

Also, if it was your 11 year old ds, I'm pretty sure you'd get Wi-Fi.

Shelter, water, food, heat and WiFi are basic human essentials. YABU.

As has been said already, he’s going to need the internet for homework soon, if he doesn’t already. I think it’s a bit tight of you.

Not having wifi in this day and age is akin to not having a fridge, you really do need to get it.

Also, if I was 11 and couldn't get WiFi I'd be straight onto Childline.

YABVU

YOUR DSS WILL NEED WIFI TO BE ABLE TO DO HIS HOMEWORK IN SECONDARY SCHOOL.

HE IS IS NOT A GUEST IN YOUR HOME, HE IS PART OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD AND THIS IS MAKING HIM FEEL VERY UNWELCOME.

My 10 year old DS would be totally with him.

Our WiFi went down for 3 hours today and DS was annoyed and said he thought this had to be a terrorist attack. Only a terrorist could be so cruel as to take WiFi away from small boys. A channel on the TV also went black at the same time further proof of terrorist activity according to DS.

Why did OP post in AIBU?

I think there's underlying issues here.

Totally ridiculous to stop dss having Wi-Fi. Poor lad.

Yabu. It's a cheap thing that will make his stays with you more enjoyable. PS4 almost useless without it. Games now are mostly online/downloadable content, it's not a super Nintendo with bloody cartidges. I hate being stuck using mobile data, it's slow and unreliable.

Kids moan but I know what he means by saying you're old if I'm honest. Wi-Fi is ubiquitous now and before you know it 5G will be around and the world will change even more. To steadfastly stick to mobile data when broadband is so cheap and easy is quite dinosaur-y.

YABU.

In our house there are things we pay for that benefit some but not all because each family member matters.

We have the sports channels for DP and DSs. I dont care about sport nor do DTDs.
We have the kids channels for DTDs everyone else is too old to want it.
I have netflix as I love movies.

It sounds like DSs wants/needs are not taken in to account therefore do not matter to you or his dad. Thats just mean.

If you can afford it get WIFI. I cannot understand why you wouldnt

I think you’d get wifi if he was your own son.

I often read on here about secondary schools doing everything online. Is this universal, I have had DC at 2 different secondaries and they sometimes have online homework but it's not a big thing at all, they certainly don't expect everyone to have WiFi and homework that needs it can be done at school.

School requirements barely register in WiFi use in my house

Also everyone that visits my house regularly has the WiFi password or is offered it, and same if I visit family or friends houses, our devices automatically connect. Even my mum who is in late 70s has WiFi so we can all connect at her house and the grandkids can do their homework there. Yabvu

We live in the arse end of knowhere so don't get data signal.
Wifi,'makes total sense though as it's unlimited and faster, and cheaper.

I pay £17 a month for my phone and have unlimited data...

Link please!

Why on earth dont you have WiFi? Are you trying to prove a point? Trouble is I don't know what that point would be, you don't have to pay a lot for wifi and the ease of it far outweights faffing about on phones.

Plus I would not want to be paying bills or doing financial transactions on a phone as we have rubbish mobile signal.

P.S. that moneysavingexpert link where you put your postcode in is rubbish. It says we can get up to 17MB. We don't and we can't so it's totally inaccurate

I think you're a little out of touch, and he's at the age where he'll stop wanting to come to your house as it will be uncomfortable for him.

YABmassivelyU