Do you or would you limit your child's access to technology/digital content

[Guest]

So I was wondering earlier whether or not I would want to limit my child's, if I ever had one, access to technology or digital content. As in, they're only allowed access to a computer/phone for certain hours, a certain quota, not allowed on certain sites etc... Or whether or not I'd want to monitor their web searches and such. 

 

I think I'd probably want to leave it within their responsibility, but give 'em a good beating enforce it if they abuse the trust. As for monitor their web searches, I think I'd probably want to employ some kind of filter for their own good (singing up for Tumblr grooming etc.)

 

What's your thoughts on restricting/limiting a child's access to technology and digital content? Should they be allowed to roam free on the Interwebs? Pwn some noobs in GTA freely? 

 

(when I say child, I'm talking maybe under 16) 

[minibois]

If you're gonna restrict your children access to stuff, they will just seek it out if they want. I would just rather explain why I think a certain amount of technology is good for them.

[Clanscorpia]

Ive always gotten around anyhting like that

 

[stconquest]

A mix: A degree of limitations on digital info/entertainment depending on their age and level of development coupled with teaching them to occupy their time productively away from "tech".

[Guest]

I suppose I just fear ever having a child that turned into one of those twats that's never off their phone, takes photos of their cereal and shares their entire life on Snapchat 

[shadowbyte]

considering I made it past every "safeguard" that was enforced on my computers (parental controls, wifi blocks, etc.), the more restrictions placed, the more crafty the child will have to become to find a way around. Taught me quite a bit about command lines in OSX. 

however, considering most children these days (myself included, to some degree), basically live their lives through their phones, I'd fucking hate to see them turn into a snapchatting, instagramming, tumbling robot.

 

[Ruffleduffle]

I think it is a difficult question to answer really. I would probably give them a locked down PC and Phone and talk to them about the things that are ok and the things that are not ok to do. Or I would place the PC in the livingroom so anyone can see what they are doing. And if they are smart enough to remove the restrictions I placed on the PC and the Phone they are probably smart enough to handle the internet just fine.

[mapegl]

11 hours ago, AUniqueName said:

So I was wondering earlier whether or not I would want to limit my child's, if I ever had one, access to technology or digital content. As in, they're only allowed access to a computer/phone for certain hours, a certain quota, not allowed on certain sites etc... Or whether or not I'd want to monitor their web searches and such. 

 

I think I'd probably want to leave it within their responsibility, but give 'em a good beating enforce it if they abuse the trust. As for monitor their web searches, I think I'd probably want to employ some kind of filter for their own good (singing up for Tumblr grooming etc.)

 

What's your thoughts on restricting/limiting a child's access to technology and digital content? Should they be allowed to roam free on the Interwebs? Pwn some noobs in GTA freely? 

 

(when I say child, I'm talking maybe under 16) 

I have a daughter, 11yo, and I limit her access to certain things. For example her Instagram is private not public, every image uploaded is checked by me. Every show she watches on YouTube or netflix has to be checked by me and specifically allowed to be watched. Basically that is how I handle everything.  With so many creeps and unfiltered sexual and violent content.....

[ProjectBox153]

Don't give them all the electronic things until they are proven to be mature. I was raised with a Nintendo DS, and even my time on that was limited. I have only had a cell phone since Feb. 2, 2016, and all my friends had them YEARS ago. I was raised not caring what everyone else is doing at every time of the day. I was raised knowing what's right and wrong. You should not give a child free range on the internet until they have PROVEN, (and I mean really, truly proven themselves) that they are responsible. I have free range on the internet because I earned it. Electronics are not a right, they're a privilege. 

[arbellason55]

Being the realist I am I'd probably have a good long talk about being safe on the web, put a few filters on their device so that they don't stumble across things by accident (if they really want to see something they'll find a way) and have them read quite a few books on how the world works and then let them have free reign of the internet once they can prove to me that they are responsible and intelligent enough to handle it.

[MrImnotMLG]

I would probably put up some filters myself until they are at least in middle school. I would keep an eye on what they watch and listen to. Put up some safe guards in regards to social media. As for a phone, probably not until they get into high school.

[Praesi]

I would and i do. Internet is a dangerous Place and they need to go outside and meet People in Person. I have installed Filters and time limitations as well.

[PlayStation 2]

Not taking into account that I probably wouldn't want to be a parent, I guess I would limit their access to technology to an extent. I wouldn't be ridiculous at all with it, but I wouldn't make them entitled to it, either.

[BuckGup]

Zero filters but access to social media can't be for leisure. Only learning stuff, constructive or watching content that isn't mindless.

[Lolucoca]

I would. There's some nasty stuff out there. I would install some kind of like site blocking software that has a kind of back door (like being able to close it using task manager). If my child knows how to crack it, it's ready for the internet. 

[TheKDub]

Yes and no.

 

Hopefully I'd be able to trust my future children, so I'd give them freedom with their technology, however if they're doing things they shouldn't be with said technology, restrictions would be put in place until they learn their lesson.

[Centurius]

I'd require them to do school work on the computer first but beyond that I'd only make sure they aren't interacting with the wrong crowd. I've learned a lot of stuff just playing around on the computer and think I turned out well enough. My parents also always raised me to take responsibility and talk to them openly so I would like to think I'd pass that on to my possible future children and thus eliminate the need for them to have secrets from me.

[Mark77]

Its pretty pointless to try and 'limit' them.  As they'll either figure a way to circumvent the "limits", or will simply browse stuff they shouldn't off-site on their mobile devices. 

 

However, I personally see no problem, for youngsters and adults alike, in using a systemic ad-blocking system like one of those big "hosts" files you can download installed into your router.  Just to keep, for instance, the 'shock' sites away. 

[EslyteMedia]

1 hour ago, AUniqueName said:

So I was wondering earlier whether or not I would want to limit my child's, if I ever had one, access to technology or digital content. As in, they're only allowed access to a computer/phone for certain hours, a certain quota, not allowed on certain sites etc... Or whether or not I'd want to monitor their web searches and such. 

 

I think I'd probably want to leave it within their responsibility, but give 'em a good beating enforce it if they abuse the trust. As for monitor their web searches, I think I'd probably want to employ some kind of filter for their own good (singing up for Tumblr grooming etc.)

 

What's your thoughts on restricting/limiting a child's access to technology and digital content? Should they be allowed to roam free on the Interwebs? Pwn some noobs in GTA freely? 

 

(when I say child, I'm talking maybe under 16) 

The way that id do it is to restrict internet access tightly until the age of six and slowly relax the restrictions by giving them more access until about 12-14, giving them full access by then. 

[handymanshandle]

5 hours ago, stconquest said:

A mix: A degree of limitations on digital info/entertainment depending on their age and level of development coupled with teaching them to occupy their time productively away from "tech".

This

 

but to thread

I was going to say that the nice thing about being gay is that I'd say there's even more control to whether you and your spouse are going to have kids and hey they don't even have to be biological if you don't want them to.

 

Anyways, I think a more open approach to like what the OP is asking is best, when they get to be like a teenager then I see no reason for such silly things. 

 

But like when they're a younger child, there should be a mix of things that they should be doing that isn't exclusive to technology, I think TV is a bit exempt though.

 

Like I'm not sure I would introduce like a 5 year old to computer building, probably a 10 year old.

[stconquest]

8 minutes ago, wcreek said:

This

 

but to thread

I was going to say that the nice thing about being gay is that I'd say there's even more control to whether you and your spouse are going to have kids and hey they don't even have to be biological if you don't want them to.

 

Anyways, I think a more open approach to like what the OP is asking is best, when they get to be like a teenager then I see no reason for such silly things. 

 

But like when they're a younger child, there should be a mix of things that they should be doing that isn't exclusive to technology, I think TV is a bit exempt though.

 

Like I'm not sure I would introduce like a 5 year old to computer building, probably a 10 year old.

You have to help them get to the point where they can understand on their own that... something like watching 2Girls1Cup is not something in their best interest, even if a twenty people are saying it is a MUST see it.  I still have not watched it, nor ever will.

 

Art, athletics, mechanical aptitude, reading/writing, etc... younger kids should be exposed to tons of different stimulus.

[Misinthe]

It all depends, I have a 7yo, we let him play with his iPod/tablet in limited times throughout the day and they're both set with parental controls, not because he goes to adult sites or anything but more so he can't download apps and stuff and run our credit card bill up.

[AshleyAshes]

I don't think I'd use a web filter, since we all know that those have more holes than one can imagine.  I'd just exercise normal hands on parenting to restrict the maturity of the games they'd played relative to their age.  However  something I would do, which no one here has mentioned yet, is restrict internet access by time of day.  The MAC addresses of any of their electronics would find themselves filtered when it's bed time so that no one's on online at 2am on a school night or something.

[Gamerguy207]

Heck no your using technology right now to read this then why can't they

[stconquest]

2 minutes ago, Gamerguy207 said:

Heck no your using technology right now to read this then why can't they

You have not seen the disagreements that go on around here from time to time.