I don’t have children so you can accept or dismiss my contribution as you please. I do have about 50 nieces and nephews of varying age (I have a big family) … and they have lots more children after them.
Children shouldn’t be exposed to the internet on their own until about 12 or 14 years of age. They shouldn’t be given free reign to look at things as they please. If you do want to expose them to it all … then it should always be under parent supervision.
I was born in the 70s (I never know what generation that makes me) … all I know is that it placed me at the perfect age to grow up without the internet and to grow as an adult with the internet. Now I know how to navigate, explore and deal with the internet and social media on my own in a very objective, critical point of view … I don’t trust everything and I trust people less and I question everything I come across. I’m not perfect and I’m not the smartest but I am very careful about what I watch, read and interact with on the internet. I still do dumb things and watch dumb things but I also do my best to stay aware of many other important political, social, philosophical things in the world.
I got to that point by being able to have a critical view of the world and to learn how to do things on my own and learn lots … mainly because I grew up without the internet. It takes a lot of imagination, work and brain power to try to do things with very little resources when you’re a kid … and that is an important training period for a young mind … plus I learned to read books, comics and paperbacks … reading takes in a lot more information than in watching 18 hours of minecraft videos, fail videos, funny videos or influencers dancing around.
I think kids should be encouraged to just learn on their own without the internet or with limited access … then given full access to it once they get a bit older. If you just raise kids on nothing but free for all internet … their brains are going to be pudding by the time they turn 18
You’re exactly my kind of guy. For me, it’s not about my daughter, but about my little niece, who just turned five.
When we’re together, we go out to the woods, to the lake, to the playground, to the bookstore, the museum, to the zoo, or something like that.
Until further notice, I have no intention of putting her in front of a screen.
I’ve just planned that at some point, when my niece is much older, I might build a weather station or an irrigation system with her using a Raspberry Pi or something like that.
Neat … all my family is not anywhere near me so I don’t spend much time with them during the year. I used to years ago and we were often overwhelmed with children everywhere but not any more.
You should go ahead with that weather station or irrigation station … just figure out how to use mechanical / tactile systems you build, use, measure and document by hand on paper.
I used to play games with my nieces and nephews with puzzle hiding games - I’d give them a clue to find an object, which had another clue, then kept them guessing and finding the next clue five or six times until they found a small prize. A fun little game you can design inside a room, or inside a house, or in a field or yard.
I haven’t done that game in years but last year I had a nephew who is 20 now remind me how much he enjoyed it years ago. It’s something they remember far more than a playlist of funny Youtube videos.
Have fun while you can with them … times goes by really, really fast and by the time you realize it all, they’re all grown and can no longer spend much time with you.
I don’t have children so you can accept or dismiss my contribution as you please. I do have about 50 nieces and nephews of varying age (I have a big family) … and they have lots more children after them.
Children shouldn’t be exposed to the internet on their own until about 12 or 14 years of age. They shouldn’t be given free reign to look at things as they please. If you do want to expose them to it all … then it should always be under parent supervision.
I was born in the 70s (I never know what generation that makes me) … all I know is that it placed me at the perfect age to grow up without the internet and to grow as an adult with the internet. Now I know how to navigate, explore and deal with the internet and social media on my own in a very objective, critical point of view … I don’t trust everything and I trust people less and I question everything I come across. I’m not perfect and I’m not the smartest but I am very careful about what I watch, read and interact with on the internet. I still do dumb things and watch dumb things but I also do my best to stay aware of many other important political, social, philosophical things in the world.
I got to that point by being able to have a critical view of the world and to learn how to do things on my own and learn lots … mainly because I grew up without the internet. It takes a lot of imagination, work and brain power to try to do things with very little resources when you’re a kid … and that is an important training period for a young mind … plus I learned to read books, comics and paperbacks … reading takes in a lot more information than in watching 18 hours of minecraft videos, fail videos, funny videos or influencers dancing around.
I think kids should be encouraged to just learn on their own without the internet or with limited access … then given full access to it once they get a bit older. If you just raise kids on nothing but free for all internet … their brains are going to be pudding by the time they turn 18
You’re exactly my kind of guy. For me, it’s not about my daughter, but about my little niece, who just turned five.
When we’re together, we go out to the woods, to the lake, to the playground, to the bookstore, the museum, to the zoo, or something like that.
Until further notice, I have no intention of putting her in front of a screen.
I’ve just planned that at some point, when my niece is much older, I might build a weather station or an irrigation system with her using a Raspberry Pi or something like that.
But that’s still a long way off.
Neat … all my family is not anywhere near me so I don’t spend much time with them during the year. I used to years ago and we were often overwhelmed with children everywhere but not any more.
You should go ahead with that weather station or irrigation station … just figure out how to use mechanical / tactile systems you build, use, measure and document by hand on paper.
I used to play games with my nieces and nephews with puzzle hiding games - I’d give them a clue to find an object, which had another clue, then kept them guessing and finding the next clue five or six times until they found a small prize. A fun little game you can design inside a room, or inside a house, or in a field or yard.
I haven’t done that game in years but last year I had a nephew who is 20 now remind me how much he enjoyed it years ago. It’s something they remember far more than a playlist of funny Youtube videos.
Have fun while you can with them … times goes by really, really fast and by the time you realize it all, they’re all grown and can no longer spend much time with you.