Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

How To Balance Life And Technology For Kids?

Posted by Zonk on from the teddy-ruxpin-is-my-friend dept.

brs165 writes "Being a newly minted geek father as of 4 months ago, I've thought about problems I've never had reason to consider before. One issue which I'd like to hear from the ./ crowd is introducing technology to their children. What got me thinking about this was a blog post about 'Nature-Deficit Disorder', and I think it brings up some good points. I grew up playing in the local woods and creek with minimal tech until our first computer when I was 13. I hear stories from coworkers how some of their kids/grandkids hating going outside because it is boring and they'd rather stay indoors. Should I avoid introducing them to technology until absolutely neccessary, or is it a matter of achieving a balance?"

19 of 425 comments (clear)

  1. Simple... by Laivincolmo · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just create a simulation of all that icky nature stuff on a computer and plug them in matrix style for 18 years. Then reveal to them their whole life has been a sham up until that point.. :)

  2. Your influence is the number one thing by Humba · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm a geek dad of 4 kids (9, 6, 4, and 1 yrs). Obviously, a balance is necessary.

    But the real thing is: Your kid(s) will be into whatever you're into. If all you do is stay inside with the XBox and plasma TV, don't be surprised if that's all they ever want to do. For Father's Day (in the US) today, I took the boys on a bike ride, then we did waste a beautiful summer afternoon in the movie theater watching Ep 3.

    Always look for ways to re-live your youth with them: Legos, Star Wars, bike riding, snow forts, adventures in the woods, baseball, and mindless shows on Cartoon Network all play a part. The computer is just a new element to share together.

    --H

    1. Re:Your influence is the number one thing by squarefish · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I wouldn't be so sure of this. a good friend of mine has a 6 year old and he's glad that his son shows no interest in computers or video games yet- he's surprised there hasn't been any peer presure from his son's friends. the father is programmer and developer for the main gaming platforms and has all the developer kits in his office. the room is always locked and the son has a play area in the room while his father is working and needs to watch him, but otherwise doesn't participate or pay attention to what his father is doing, which can be particularly useful when he's working on a violent game like area 51. the father is very happy that his son just wants to run around outside and play with real toys for now.

      --
      Creationists are a lot like zombies. Slow, but powerful and numerous. And they all want to eat our brains.
    2. Re:Your influence is the number one thing by syousef · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Absolutely. Besides have a look at the techy/geeky side of the outdoors. Here are some suggestions

      1) Buy a GPS. Go geocaching. Plenty of geekiness, plenty of outdoors. Can also use this on trips and to go exploring. Also could teach them to navigate/hike. (Cheaper alternative: Map and compass).

      2) Take your kids to the local airport to watch planes take off and land. Plenty of geeky stuff but they're getting out and learning. (Could preface this with showing them how hard it is to fly real aircraft ala MSFS2004).

      3) Research and buy a telescope or if you can't afford a decent one good binoculars. Again plenty of outdoors adventure, and lots of learning, while still being true to the geek in you

      4) Buy them a microscope and go collecting specimens with them. Some time indoors and some time outdoors. A good mix.

      5) Remote control cars/boats/planes are great hobbies that get you out and about.

      6) Take them out on a boat. Teach them about different aspects of steering a small craft etc.

      7) Birdwatching. Buy a good birdwatcher's book and get them to identify the local birds. Then plan trips to see others.

      8) Take them to your local zoo. Don't just walk around like a schmuck. Get them to learn about animal behviours, identification, classification etc. If you can't afford the zoo or a local wildlife park, even a duck pond will do.

      All of these things cost money, but then since when do gadgets not cost money???

      Point is if you think the real world is boring compared to the computer, you just haven't been out in the real world enough. There is SO much out there. Most of the things you had as a kid are still out there.

      --
      These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
  3. social evolution by handy_vandal · · Score: 5, Funny

    I grew up playing in the local woods and creek with minimal tech until our first computer when I was 13. I hear stories from coworkers how some of their kids/grandkids hating going outside because it is boring and they'd rather stay indoors.

    Kids raised indoors on computers will adapt better than their parents to a career in cubicle indenture.

    -kgj

    --
    -kgj
    1. Re:social evolution by Seumas · · Score: 5, Funny

      What I don't get is what reason is there to "balance"? Chances are a kid is going to grow up in the city. Live in the city. Shop in the city. Work in the city. Commute in the city. When exactly is he going to fucking see wilderness, outside of half-assed public parks and the one trip every couple years up to some well-kept government camping ground (which is about as much "outdoors" as a New York city roof garden).

      Besides, everyone knows that nature sucks. That's why we pave shit.

  4. OMG that means ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    you've had sex!!!

    way to go :O

    1. Re:OMG that means ... by Seumas · · Score: 4, Funny

      So you must be his wife?

    2. Re:OMG that means ... by Keruo · · Score: 4, Funny

      Oh come on.. give the man some credit..

      He's geek, so naturally he cloned himself instead adopting.

      --
      There are no atheists when recovering from tape backup.
  5. First off... by Pete+LaGrange · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Try to understand that you're not going to have nearly the amount of input you seem to think you will. Your kids are going to be introduced to a whole host of things without your consent/knowledge.

    Once you wrap your mind around that, you can start to prepare yourself to teach them to deal with those things on a rational level.

    You're thinking ahead, at least, and that's the first step to success. Good luck, you'll need it.

    Pete (father of 8)

    --
    loyalty above all, save honor
  6. get them outdoors by reverse+flow+reactor · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Let them see the outdoors, and if technology is there, it is a tool and not the toy.

    DO: get them outside, go canoeing, biking, hiking, walking, skiing, camping, exploring, build and launch model rockets (please, lauch outside), build a treehouse... If you must involve technology, bring a GPS and a digital camera (but don't forget a map and compass - be sure they know how to use those when the GPS batteries die). While you are out there, talk to them abou the plants species, the mountains, how the compass works, how the water flows around the canoe and what make the bike stable while it is moving.

    What did you enjoy doing outside as a kid? Why not try that? If they enjoy it too, that's great - you are doing somehting you enjoy outside, and your kids are there and having fun too!!

    Is it possible for you to even raise your kids without a TV? I can certainly live without a TV (over a year now, almost 3 years depending on how you count it).

    DO NOT: buy a Nintendo/PS3/XBox and let the toy babysit the kids for you. People at Slashdot will expel the virtues of how they learned problem solving and "other skills" while playing video games. Well, I learned a few German words playing a foreign game, and picked up some geography from Civ3, but try and keep the video games to a minimum.

    Being a parent is an active responsibility (but it can be fun). Just be sure you go exploring. If you are having fun, they probably will be too. If the kids look forward to going biking with dad more than sitting in front of the boob-tube playing Mari Kart 12, you are doing your job well! If they hear "Dad's home, and were building rockets tonight!" and drop the video game in the middle of a game to join you, you are doing great!

    --

    The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them. -Einstein

  7. Reality beats simulation by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 4, Interesting
    The worst part of using technology is that it is primarily entertainment based. Even Discovery channel etc now competes for viewer time by upping the dramatic component of their shows. Reality, fact etc all get shoved aside to get viewer time.

    Which kid learns more about nature? The one who goes down to the stream, falls in and gets wet and finds a few frogs hiding under some branches, or, the kid that plays magic schoolbus field trip game?

    Apart from exposure to nature, there are many other things that create a real framework for kids. Yesterday we (myself, wife + kids) planted 60 trees in a grid. We used pythagoras to set things up square. We did multiplication/division etc to calculate how many rows and trees per row etc. We talked about nutrients etc as we added compost that the kids had helped to make some months ago. We talked about harvesting, pruning etc. On top of this, the kids got some exercise!

    --
    Engineering is the art of compromise.
    1. Re:Reality beats simulation by Reaperducer · · Score: 4, Funny

      Sword fighting with the dogs and letting the well run dry while making mud pies for the dogs to eat.

      Your dogs swordfight and make mud pies? That's cool. I guess that's what mine would do if he had thumbs.

      --
      -- I'm old enough to have lived through six different meanings of the word "hacker."
  8. Huh by Elshar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Am I the only one that misread the title as "how to Load balance life, technology, and kids"?

  9. Re:Nature/Tech by aklix · · Score: 5, Funny

    You bring up a few good points. Infact 9 months prior to delivery I am going to order a weight set from 1 gram to 500 kg, and my child WILL be trained to lift a car with his/her mind.

  10. Don't buy into the fear! by soft_guy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Playing down at the woods/creek isn't any more dangerous now than it was when you were a kid. Let your kids play outside.

    My wife won't allow our daughter to play outside unless she can physically see her the whole time because she is sooo worried about "pedophiles". Totally insane.

    Also, I've noticed that my kid has her own personality and interests. You will need to become interested in things that interest your child as well as sharing your interests with him or her.

    --
    Avoid Missing Ball for High Score
  11. Balance by Britz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Life is all about balance. Raising kids, too. Teach them as much as you like as early as you like. Just remember to balance work and play, outside and inside, free time and rules. Kids need rules and need to test them. They also need their own space. Limited of course, but their own.

    You put it right.

    Balance

  12. Re:SimPark + the real thing by Doctor+Memory · · Score: 4, Funny

    because of games (both PC and consoles) I've managed to a great amount of English

    Sure you have, dude...sure you have.

    --
    Just junk food for thought...
  13. Be there for them! by chris_eineke · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Don't leave your wife and your kids when your kids are three and one year old. It messes up your wife and the kids.

    I know.

    I'm talking from experience. I grew up without having a father I could talk to... :(

    --
    "All you have to do is be fragile and grateful. So stay the underdog." Chuck Palahniuk, Choke