To wonder how many people here don’t have a games console

[Ofti]

Bit of a thread about a thread, but no judgement on yes/no. I see a lot of assertions that kids will be ‘weird’ or outcast without access to a console.

I know there’s phone gaming, PC etc as option but (to satisfy my nosiness ) how many here have children of 6 or older and no console?
YABU- I have a console
YANBU-I don’t have a console in the house

Personally we have 5 children, 3 primary age and 2 adults, and never have had a console Or gaming PC. No bans with friends or anything though, they can play games on other devices and have in phases. I’m just wondering if this is as unusual as it seems on here. I didn’t think it was, but maybe it is. DH and I grew up without and just haven’t really thought about it a lot or been nagged much over them. I’m not anti-gaming, only as it’s not a lure for me I haven’t splashed out. Played drunken Xbox boxing etc over the years at parties etc though.

We dont have a console and no plans of getting one. One child upper junior and one in high school. They have never asked for one either.

We have a wii, but no ones looked at it for years and years. The girls both play The Sims on their laptops though. They’re almost 19 and 21.

Gaming is the tool of the devil, if you let your child even be in the same room as a playstation their brains will turn until mush and they'll be doomed to spend their lives as terminally unlovable forever alone zombie losers who will combust if they come into contact with fresh air or daylight.

Dh, me, and dd 16 . We don't have one.

Older ds have own families now and don't have them either. 28/26 year olds.

Nobody in our immediate or extended family have consoles.

I wouldn't if it was just me. Ex had PS3 and wii and intruduced DS to it at a too young age. I'd prefer we didn't have them but it has affected ds's social interactions.. Nearly everyone else did have x box or switch so he got one last year and is more integrated now.

We have a PS4, switch and a gaming PC

Don't have any, don't like them.

Ds is 6 - no console.
He has one at his dad's and that's where it can stay !

We don't have one and lots of DDs female friends don't either. It just doesn't seem to be 'a thing' They are year 4. However lots of the boys in her class have one from what she says.

I had a second hand Nintendo in the 90s. Nothing since.

No, would never occur to us to get one - neither DH or I would know where to start and have never seen the appeal! DC are 8 and 6 and wouldn’t know what a console was, they’ve never encountered one.

Two kids 6 and 12, never had a console but during lock down agreed to xbox 360 (as my sister had one in the attic) it's leaving the house again today as it's been more hassle than its worth. Sporadic PC gaming, but really only in phases which end in temporary bans, because gaming (which I'm not against in itself - at all) in this household leads to exclusion of all other interest/activities. It's takes over. So after a couple of weeks this will be a console free house again.

But I'm sad - it does mean my DS is missing out on social contact with his friends who only communicate through their consoles. He's called them, even sent letters, nothing back. He's a lonely boy. And all his friends do have consoles. I wish he was able to enjoy it in moderation, but he simply can't.

No console, teen ds plays games with friends on PC.

Ten year old watches stuff a usual amount.

We had Nintendo. Nothing else. Teens now.

DS is 20 now but has had always had access to a console through his older brother (DSS is 13 years older than DS) and later consoles of his own. He hasn't been allowed to play the most controversial games too young and in fact only got Grand Theft Auto this year during lockdown because he was bored with Fifa and Call of Duty. He plays online with his friends and brother, it has helped him stay in touch with his social life. I know he is no longer a child but he always had outside interests when he was a child, despite having a console and TV in his room.

None here but we are early 50s without children. My husband debugs some games on an open-source platform (not sure if I’ve said that correctly) but doesn’t play games outside of work.

No console in our household

iPads. Nothing else. Dd is 11.

We had a PS4. BIG problem so it was removed last summer.
The PS3 has no internet connection and is not a problem

Dc are 10.5 and almost 9. We don’t and haven’t had one so far but that will change this year as the almost 9 yo will be getting one.

I’m not sure about “weird” or “outcast” but based on my friendship and work groups plus dcs friends, it seems boys without a console are the minority past 9 or 10. DS will be 9 this summer and I’d say the majority of his friends already have them. I can see it’s possible a child might feel a bit isolated from their friendship group given it does seem to be a social thing, particularly for boys for whatever reason.

No games console in the house.

No but only because I’m poor

No consoles here, no plans to get one either. Even though eldest is now in secondary.

My kid isn't old enough to play console games yet but I have a PlayStation 4 which I play on plus a couple of older games consoles... Gaming is fun and keeps your brain far more active than watching tv or youtube videos etc

I have about 60 games consoles.