to think that handheld computers should be banned for under seven year olds?

[BigHairyLeggedSpider]

At risk of a flaming but I think that they've got plenty of time to zombify in front of computers, and it risks compromising their imaginations.

YABU. My sister thinks 9 is the right age to have a DS WTF??? There is no logic to it, it is completely arbitrary.

Perhaps if we spent less time trying to restrict kids play on hand-held consoles, they wouldn't be so desperate to play them constantly.

One of my MIL's favourite stories, which she trots out relentlessly, is the one where she thought her youngest son would turn into a jelly-brained zombie from spending too much time in front of his ZX spectrum/Commodore 64 etc. Now in his 40's he has made a considerable amount of money from his career as a successful computer game developer.

I told my 5 yr old that you have to be 7 by law to have a DS/handheld console! He can be very rigid in thinking and sometimes a fib helps a lot.
I do agree though, I see 3 and 4 yr olds with DS's and I think its ridiculous. For one thing I can't understand giving an expensive easily breakable item to such young children, apart from the fact that I find it sad to see them glued to little screens not interactng with each other. I understand that sensible parents limit screen time, but personally I just find it odd and unecessary for young kids.

YANBU, I'd extend it to about 16.

read this yesterday in the NY Times. I think there will be sweeping effects, some of them very bad.

"The average young American now spends practically every waking minute ? except for the time in school ? using a smart phone, computer, television or other electronic device, according to a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Those ages 8 to 18 spend more than seven and a half hours a day with such devices, compared with less than six and a half hours five years ago, when the study was last conducted. And that does not count the hour and a half that youths spend texting, or the half-hour they talk on their cellphones.

And because so many of them are multitasking ? say, surfing the Internet while listening to music ? they pack on average nearly 11 hours of media content into that seven and a half hours. "

We luuuuurve technology in our house. We all have multiple toys and I am not at all sorry about it. We also spend vast amounts of time running around. Love a new gadget. Not everyone views technology with suspicion or as a bad thing. Was so proud of DS emailing his Yr1 teacher the other day, all by himself.

DS1 is getting a DS for his 6th birthday. Will make an excellent distraction for the flight to Sydney.

The geeks shall inherit the earth.

AccioPinotGrigio My DH's first puter was a Commodore 64.

You know what makes a geek cool? Making $15m a year and driving a maserati to the supermarket.

yanbu

YABU

Not all children become "zombified" when using electronic devices. Obviosuly if yours do ave that tendancy, feel free to ban them.

However my DD I perfectly capable of using laptops, DS, etc. sensibly and never becomes obsessed with them, etc. Have never had to limit times on thm or anything. they are just on of several things she uses to entertain herself.

TBH, when I think about it, there is one activity my DD does get quite obsessed about in term sof becoming "zombified", unable to focus on things her round her when engaged in this activity, totally oblivious to what people are talking about near her, etc.

Do you think I should consider banning her from reading her books?

Rideculous.

Ban your own kids as they are your responsibility but why the hell should you have any say over what I do with my completely normal child who doesn't pick his DS up from week to week!

I actively encourage my 4 year old dd to use computers. Her instant mastery of the ipod touch never ceases to amaze.

I don't think that all these 5 yr old who spend a considerable amount of time playing with electronic games are geek and will become millionaire computer developers!

I agree that it depends on the child's personality and on the parents energy to limit their dc screen time and propose something different to do.

My eldest is 7 and a half and we don't have any electronic console. He's never shown any interest before now.

I don't think this is about geekiness. It's about children learning to interact in ways that don't involve the important socialisation and emotional cues they get from the physical world.

It isn't an either/or situation though.

And the nerds/geeks who were treated with scorn 30 years ago because they spent all their time in their rooms fiddling with computers (being zombified)? Yeah, you see that extremely advanced piece of kit you are typing on? The internet you are communicating over? It was them.

I have no problem with people "banning" their own kids from something, hell our TV is not plugged into the aerial because I think the crap that is on TV will make DS dumb if he is allowed to watch it. That doesn't mean I think TV should be banned for other people's kids though.

DS is a nerd, we have worked hard at it.

I have been trying to teach my 5 year old to play wii games but she has some sort of mental block to it - she just waves her arms about shouting at it . I wanted her to play with me!. Alot of games can be educational plus using computers and being comfortable around them is a pretty important skill for children to grow up with.

comparing computers 30 years ago with the sophistication of an array of media devices today is pretty pointless.

of course there shouldn't be a ban, as in a law, but IMO parents should have a heavy hand.

Yes, and in 30 years where do you think technology will be? They are all stepping stones.

I see no need for a heavy hand - DS spends probably about an hour a day with a screen. As TV isn't an option it is either the x-box or the PC - though he does sometimes watch a DVD. But then I don't use a "heavy" hand for much in the way of parenting in any case.

fernie3 what are you playing? Do you have a Wii fit? We are considering getting one but then thinking we should maybe wait and see what Microsoft comes up with.

I was trying to teach her wii sports (tennis and bowling). We have a wii fit which is ok but the excercises on it are VERY gentle, I didnt really find them much good when I was dieting. I bought EA sports active though which was great! The microsoft thing looks great from what I have seen - If its any good we might swap from wii!

Only a few of those who played the whole day with their Commodore 64 became computer developers or whatever!

And one thing is playing WITH the computer, learning to use the email, trying to understand how it actually works, another is to play all day FIFA 2010.

Yeah the Microsoft thing does look good. I am waiting for the day we can get some sort of holographic suit or something (and I bloody well expect today's 5yo gamers to sort it out).

Can you get the lego games for the Wii? DS loves them and they might be a bit more kid friendly than tennis/bowling. Though he rather liked real bowling when we took him the other day.

YABU

DS3 has ASD, is 6.5 and the time he spends on his DS allows us to have something resembling a life knowing we can occupy him.

His brothers didn't get a console until 8 and 10,portable ones anyway, but ds3'sis invaluable to us.

Like evrything else, if they are limited in their use, then I casn see no harm.
ds1 and dd (5.11 and 4.4 respectively) both have an nds but they only get about 45mins at a time and only a couple of times a week. There are times they are an absolute godsend, but a curse at others.
We also play the wii as a family, and again this is restricted. The truth is, as much as they both love their consoles and computers and stuff, they do also still love good old make believe, lego, drawing, dressing up and a trip to the park or beach.

i am amazed that four and five year olds have consoles.

I think people are vastly underestimating how much children need those hours of "boredom" where they have to think of something to do on their initiative, or even just let their mind wander.

my dd got a ds for her 3rd birthday , her older brother had one & they would fight & scream at each other in the car on school runs , now that they both have one each ... peace has been restored

fighting and screaming at siblings is normal developmental behaviour. sitting side by side playing game consoles is not.

You do understand that kids who have consoles also get bored and don't feel like playing with them and still fight and scream, don't you? Would you also like to ban book reading, lego building, documentary watching, chatting etc? Or is it just the electronic entertainment that is the problem?

What is it specifically about gadgets that make them worse than the others?