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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Mar 13, 2023 16:43:37 GMT
I tried with my own children to limit screen time whether TV or gaming. They were active boys who played multiple sports, had numerous activities, and a lot of friends so my job was made easier because they had plenty else they wanted to do.
At this point, I know I spend too much time online myself. I'm not a TV person, but I can let way too much time go by when I sit down with my phone or laptop. It's a filler in my day and while I see no problem with using that as a way to take a break or entertain myself for a while, I'm making conscious efforts to limit myself more. It just feels better to me to be doing something other than staring at a screen.
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The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,936
Jun 25, 2014 21:50:33 GMT
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Mar 13, 2023 18:00:35 GMT
Yes. My kids (and myself) spend A LOT of time on social media/games/phones, but I am not even sure how to define what too much is KWIM? Like it or not, our world, and how we spend our time, has changed, and we can't really put it back in the bottle. How do we define the time we even use? I spend a lot of time on my phone reading. It is an app, but it is reading a book and/or reading the news on websites. We spend a lot of time streaming that used to be time spent watching the physical TV. My kids are "gaming" but a lot of their gaming is coding/building (hobby) as well as we all interact socially online. The lines are a bit blurry. They also do a lot of their homework online, and although they are not big readers, they spend a TON of time learning about things on Youtube. It amazes me the crap they know from Youtube! My son just built his own computer (after saving money, researching parts, slowly buying them and then watching youtube videos and talking to his friend through social media for extra help.)
Since my kids are pretty good about not using their phones at school and use their 1:1 devices appropriately from what I have heard/seen, they get a good six hours a day without social media. One son, for months a year, does robotics for two hours a day after school and goes to a few Saturday tournaments where their phone use is restricted. He does not do much else, so I do make him have a least ONE activity in the summer. It has been doing golf a couple hours a week and some chores. Not sure what this year will hold, but he must do something offline.
The other son averages two to three hours a day almost every day (with a couple light weeks in the spring and late summer) either at the rink (hockey), field (lacrosse) and/or gym PLUS driving time (which he is often on his phone, but a lot of time, when it is just me, we talk and soon he will be driving himself). He also does summer chores.
We do usually go on vacation and do other activities without or with limited devices/internet access for hours or days at times. Unless we go out to dinner, we don't eat much at the table (crazy schedule). When we do, when the food comes or if there is a special occasion, no phones, but I allow them to have them the rest of the time.
So long answer...because it feels like too much and it worries me, but how many hours a night did we spend, in the 80s, watching TV/videos/listening to music/reading magazines/playing Atari-Nintendo and talking on the phone at night? Is it THAT different? A cell phone is really just convergence of all of those mediums.
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paigepea
Drama Llama
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Posts: 5,609
Location: BC, Canada
Jun 26, 2014 4:28:55 GMT
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Post by paigepea on Mar 14, 2023 5:31:17 GMT
I see a huge difference between my 17 year old and my 14 year old. I don’t know if it’s covid related or social media related or a combo but the grade nine class seems much more addicted to social media than the gr 12 class. I do believe our gov’t needs to have tik tok restrictions, etc. There is too much going on re: influencers, etc and many kids aren’t learning consequences for their actions. I think it’s changing behaviour amongst young teens and we won’t see the full results for years to come. I believe that adults are also addicted but still mostly understand consequences which is a big difference in maturity.
Our school restricts phone use at lunch, requires the kids to stay on campus for lunch, requires kids to participate in lunchtime and after school activities, and requires the kids (and teachers) to sit in the lunchroom without phones (if out the phones get confiscated) at tables in groups. The teens are therefore forced to , can you believe it, socialize.
I think expectations and consequences are the most important thing for kids now if the gov’t won’t help regulate and control the situation. And I agree with the poster who suggested expectations be put on the kids. If you don’t have both parents on board it just won’t work and I’m sorry that you’re dealing with that issue.
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Deleted
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Jun 2, 2024 11:57:28 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2023 11:23:21 GMT
Yeah, I totally agree - the addiction thing could be a mental health disaster waiting to happen. I wish someone could regulate things, if only for children.
There was a headline the other day in one of our UK papers that said that 1 in 10 kids now has a porn addiction; never thought I'd fondly remember the days of seeing lads mags in the newsagents. While the internet is incredible for giving people a voice and changing things for good, its power to shape thinking (and behaviour?) en-masse for the worse is terrifying.
On a similar note, I read another article about the show 'Love Island' that said that the producers had closed participants Instagram accounts during airing to avoid trolling. Seems a healthy move, but the participants said they weren't happy because it meant their follower numbers didn't grow as they normally would. That follower number really does feel like currency now.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Mar 14, 2023 11:32:54 GMT
I would say that my kids are on their phones more than I would like, but they don’t avoid doing other activities because they would rather be gaming or on their phone. It’s more that that is their way of using time at home as opposed to watching TV. They are all in multiple sports and have close friends that they see in person regularly (through sports as well as at each others homes). When they play video games they are playing against their friends (not online friends for the most part). They don’t have hobbies besides sports but I really didn’t until I started scrapbooking, either. But I liked to read and rode bikes with friends, went swimming, etc We don’t have a pool here but my kids do go biking around town with friends in the summer, play basketball, work once they are old enough, etc. I talk to some kids who seemingly only stay inside on electronics the whole summer.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Mar 14, 2023 11:55:58 GMT
how many hours a night did we spend, in the 80s, watching TV/videos/listening to music/reading magazines/playing Atari-Nintendo and talking on the phone at night? Maybe this is a good explanation for why I, personally, feel like the kids are spending too much time on social media. Because I was a child in the 80s/90s and I wasn't allowed to watch TV, we didn't have videogames, and I lived in a very small town, yet went to high school in the city so all my friends lived in other areas (long distance telephone) and I wasn't hardly allowed to call them on the phone either. I also lived through college without a TV or computer either. I just didn't do those things when I was a teen/young adult. As an adult today, I hardly ever watch TV. I have always been a huge music lover (both playing and listening) and I have always enjoyed books and magazines. I'm just saying that maybe my perspective is skewed.
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Post by compeateropeator on Mar 14, 2023 13:17:45 GMT
I graduated high school in 1982 and my brother graduated in 1992. The technology in those 10 years changed a lot. The change from 1992 to 2002 was even greater. I spend way too much time on line without a doubt. But I also really appreciate the opportunities that it provides those in rural areas and wonder what and how it would have changed my younger years.
We are from a small rural Vermont town but luckily have a College in our town that did offer a lot of opportunities and activities that many didn’t have. Our family did not have a set of encyclopedias so the library is about all you had to research anything. Luckily many of us used the college library for research papers and such. I can’t imagine how those that didn’t have that available had access to much other information and books than the small public and school libraries.
We did not get a large console color TV until I was a senior in highschool and only had CBS, NBC, ABC, and VT public TV (when they came in, it was hit and miss on various days). By time my brother graduated we had cable and a ton of channels.
I used an electric typewriter all through college. My parents splurged and got my brother a word processor (which were fairly new) in high school, another game changer. Arcades (we only had one open in the summer at a campground most of my high school years) was our gaming area I guess. We finally got a VHS player and a video store opened around my junior year in high school, but other than that we had one movie theater that ran one movie for at least a week or more and one drive in theater (that was fairly close) that was open in the summer.
We could get our license when we were 16 and there were no restrictions and the drinking age was 18. So while we did not have the issues that kids have today with social media, we had our own issues in that how we filled our time was driving all over and drinking. We all got into a lot mischief and lost a lot of young people in accidents.
Balance seems to be the key…if people could conquer that, technology really has been a game changer, especially for those of us from small rural states. It lets you see there is a whole big world out there, not just your little bubble of a town, which was not very diversified.
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The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,936
Jun 25, 2014 21:50:33 GMT
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Mar 14, 2023 14:07:56 GMT
how many hours a night did we spend, in the 80s, watching TV/videos/listening to music/reading magazines/playing Atari-Nintendo and talking on the phone at night? Maybe this is a good explanation for why I, personally, feel like the kids are spending too much time on social media. Because I was a child in the 80s/90s and I wasn't allowed to watch TV, we didn't have videogames, and I lived in a very small town, yet went to high school in the city so all my friends lived in other areas (long distance telephone) and I wasn't hardly allowed to call them on the phone either. I also lived through college without a TV or computer either. I just didn't do those things when I was a teen/young adult. As an adult today, I hardly ever watch TV. I have always been a huge music lover (both playing and listening) and I have always enjoyed books and magazines. I'm just saying that maybe my perspective is skewed. It might be a little. It isn't like they aren't spending too much time....they are, but I do think most of what we complain about with kids/teens today, we did too...it just looked different. I really didn't have hobbies until I was an adult. I spent my youth watching a lot of TV. I do think Covid and just the level of accessibility to their/our phones did/does make a difference and has changed all of us.
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Post by MissBianca on Mar 14, 2023 15:11:26 GMT
Maybe this is a good explanation for why I, personally, feel like the kids are spending too much time on social media. Because I was a child in the 80s/90s and I wasn't allowed to watch TV, we didn't have videogames, and I lived in a very small town, yet went to high school in the city so all my friends lived in other areas (long distance telephone) and I wasn't hardly allowed to call them on the phone either. I also lived through college without a TV or computer either. I just didn't do those things when I was a teen/young adult. As an adult today, I hardly ever watch TV. I have always been a huge music lover (both playing and listening) and I have always enjoyed books and magazines. I'm just saying that maybe my perspective is skewed. It might be a little. It isn't like they aren't spending too much time....they are, but I do think most of what we complain about with kids/teens today, we did too...it just looked different. I really didn't have hobbies until I was an adult. I spent my youth watching a lot of TV. I do think Covid and just the level of accessibility to their/our phones did/does make a difference and has changed all of us. Agreed, I was just thinking about this when writing up a response that just went way to tangent like. But: board games - video games Talking on the phone - FaceTime Reading a paper menu - using a QR code and a digital menu Reading a paper book - reading a digital book Listening to a cassette tape/vinyl/CD - listening to Spotify Paper scrapbooks - digital scrapbooks or Instagram Disneyworld park maps - My Disney Experience app Dad sitting at the table reading the newspaper - dad sitting at the table reading a digital newspaper They are basically all updated versions of the same thing. I spend a lot of time waiting. In line, at school pick up, after sports etc so I may look like I’m scrolling but I’m usually reading the paper or a book or I’m in a group chat with my BFF’s.
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Post by allison1954 on Mar 14, 2023 15:16:17 GMT
Add to that
sitting at a table writing out checks is now online bill pay All online banking instead of driving to the bank, etc etc
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 14, 2023 15:23:03 GMT
Maybe this is a good explanation for why I, personally, feel like the kids are spending too much time on social media. Because I was a child in the 80s/90s and I wasn't allowed to watch TV, we didn't have videogames, and I lived in a very small town, yet went to high school in the city so all my friends lived in other areas (long distance telephone) and I wasn't hardly allowed to call them on the phone either. I also lived through college without a TV or computer either. I just didn't do those things when I was a teen/young adult. As an adult today, I hardly ever watch TV. I have always been a huge music lover (both playing and listening) and I have always enjoyed books and magazines. I'm just saying that maybe my perspective is skewed. It might be a little. It isn't like they aren't spending too much time....they are, but I do think most of what we complain about with kids/teens today, we did too...it just looked different. I really didn't have hobbies until I was an adult. I spent my youth watching a lot of TV. I do think Covid and just the level of accessibility to their/our phones did/does make a difference and has changed all of us. I think a lot depends on the individual person too. In my family, my two brothers closest in age to me (one younger, one older) spent a LOT of time watching mindless stupid tv. OMG, they watched so many Gilligan’s Island reruns I could have scratched my own eyes out. Me, not so much because I would rather be reading or doing some kind of craft. Or reading about doing crafts, LOL, much like now. My mom started teaching me to sew when I was about four years old and by the time I was seven I could sew some of my own clothes. My aunt kept me supplied with bags of fake fur remnants to make stuffed animals out of, plus I liked to color and draw. I didn’t do any sports until I was in high school when I took up gymnastics which I paid for myself with money from an after school part time job. None of my other (7) siblings did any school team sports but all of them worked doing various things from baby sitting to paper routes to snow shoveling and lawn mowing up until they could get regular paid jobs. Up until one older brother drove his car through the garage door, they were all allowed to get their driver’s licenses at 16. After that, none of the rest of us could so we were stuck riding our bikes or taking the bus or walking if there was anywhere we wanted to go, and that was pretty limiting at times. Video games weren’t a thing either until I was in high school so the wasn’t something my older siblings did. I remember playing PacMan at the grocery store with my friends or my brother when I was probably a freshman in high school. I have fond memories of “beating” Megalomania at around 12:30 am on our Atari one summer night only to be somewhat disappointed that the game kind of just ended with no real fanfare once the score rolled over to 9,999,999 points, LOL. My younger brother probably played more than I did. We also only had one phone line and with that many people in the house we weren’t allowed to tie up that line for any length of time. I guess my point is while those things were there, they weren’t really the things I chose to do often. However, I could easily see myself being just like my kid. If I was a kid who didn’t have access to my own transportation and I was bored, I could (and can) be easily sucked in to watching endless how to tutorials for various things that interest me.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Mar 14, 2023 15:32:04 GMT
I spend a lot of time waiting. In line, at school pick up, after sports etc so I may look like I’m scrolling but I’m usually reading the paper or a book or I’m in a group chat with my BFF’s. I just want to say that there was an article in the most recent Breathe magazine (I love this paper mag) about not allowing our brains to rest in the inbetween times and how that is having an impact on our cognition, attention span, and creativity. I have a job where my head is in a spreadsheet working with numbers most of the day. Now, I realize that my brain might differ from that of others, but there are times when I need to have a very lengthy break after a day of work. I also read about how more kids need glasses than years ago and they believe this is being caused by too much use of computers/devices. I've been trying to make a conscious effort *not* to fill the inbetween spaces with my phone, but instead to use it intentionally. I also want to add that there are studies that show just having our phones at the ready to respond and use has an impact, even when it is not being actively used.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Mar 14, 2023 15:47:21 GMT
I think a lot depends on the individual person too. I guess my point is while those things were there, they weren’t really the things I chose to do often. Yes, I can see these points. I think I may just be one of those people too if the analogy is that smart phones have just replaced every day activities with digitized activities that are today's preference. Some here have made that argument and I see that POV clearly. I disagree with the health of it, but that is my opinion and I don't expect it to be universally shared. With that said, while some have made the argument that this is simply an updated version of yesteryear, there are still a sizable amount of people on this thread who have said that they think they, themselves, use their devices too frequently. And I would love to hear the reason behind that opinion, (is it just guilt because we grew up in a technology-limited era) and what they are actively doing about it. Even after reading all these thoughts (thank you for sharing BTW), I still am of the opinion that we (I? My kids?) need to cultivate other interests outside of our smart phones/computers.
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pinklady
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,563
Nov 14, 2016 23:47:03 GMT
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Post by pinklady on Mar 14, 2023 15:57:26 GMT
Absolutely yes and it's not just kids that spend too much time on the internet.
I'm soooooo glad I grew up in the 70s & 80s before social media. I'm also glad I'm not a parent because cellphones/iPads/social media would be severely limited and absolutely the hill I would die on.
ETA: I fully admit I currently spend way too much time on social media.
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Post by compeateropeator on Mar 14, 2023 16:07:29 GMT
Absolutely yes and it's not just kids that spend too much time on the internet. I'm soooooo glad I grew up in the 70s & 80s before social media. I'm also glad I'm not a parent because cellphones/iPads/social media would be severely limited and absolutely the hill I would die on. ETA: I fully admit I currently spend way too much time on social media. I agree with all that you said but I hope that we have learned as we have gone forward and can mitigate more of the detrimental impact. IMO, The kids that were between where we had nothing and where it is just a part of normal life were the ones that were most impacted. We did not know the issues that it would cause, we were all just gung-ho because it was such a change and made so many things so much easier. Now that we know better, hopefully we can make better choices for these generations going forward.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Mar 14, 2023 16:10:50 GMT
Absolutely yes and it's not just kids that spend too much time on the internet. I'm soooooo glad I grew up in the 70s & 80s before social media. I'm also glad I'm not a parent because cellphones/iPads/social media would be severely limited and absolutely the hill I would die on. ETA: I fully admit I currently spend way too much time on social media. I agree with all that you said but I hope that we have learned as we have gone forward and can mitigate more of the detrimental impact. IMO, The kids that were between where we had nothing and where it is just a part of normal life were the ones that were most impacted. We did not know the issues that it would cause, we were all just gung-ho because it was such a change and made so many things so much easier. Now that we know better, hopefully we can make better choices for these generations going forward. Now, I like this theory and hope for the future. That maybe we went a little overboard as persons and parents during the massive technological shift and maybe going forward we can alter our behaviors now that we are learning more about the impacts.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Mar 14, 2023 16:21:53 GMT
I think a lot depends on the individual person too. I guess my point is while those things were there, they weren’t really the things I chose to do often. Yes, I can see these points. I think I may just be one of those people too if the analogy is that smart phones have just replaced every day activities with digitized activities that are today's preference. Some here have made that argument and I see that POV clearly. I disagree with the health of it, but that is my opinion and I don't expect it to be universally shared. With that said, while some have made the argument that this is simply an updated version of yesteryear, there are still a sizable amount of people on this thread who have said that they think they, themselves, use their devices too frequently. And I would love to hear the reason behind that opinion, (is it just guilt because we grew up in a technology-limited era) and what they are actively doing about it. Even after reading all these thoughts (thank you for sharing BTW), I still am of the opinion that we (I? My kids?) need to cultivate other interests outside of our smart phones/computers. For myself, it is habit that I check my phone or social media during down time. I either have my phone really close to me, or am already on my computer so think I will just check in quickly (like now). However, there are other more productive things I could be doing (paperwork, cleaning). A few minutes turns into too many minutes. And also, I would like to read more and if I am going to do that I would need to stop using my phone as much and replace that with reading. Or scrapbooking.
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Post by roundtwo on Mar 14, 2023 16:51:13 GMT
I just want to say that there was an article in the most recent Breathe magazine (I love this paper mag) about not allowing our brains to rest in the inbetween times and how that is having an impact on our cognition, attention span, and creativity. I have a job where my head is in a spreadsheet working with numbers most of the day. Now, I realize that my brain might differ from that of others, but there are times when I need to have a very lengthy break after a day of work. I also read about how more kids need glasses than years ago and they believe this is being caused by too much use of computers/devices. I've been trying to make a conscious effort *not* to fill the inbetween spaces with my phone, but instead to use it intentionally. My dd and I were talking about giving our brains a rest a couple of days ago - she is making a big effort to keep screens away from her little one for most of the day because she is worried about them not using their imagination and creativity. I think a lot of people in general seem to have forgotten how to just let our minds wander. Like iamkristinl16 said, so many of us, myself included, have our phones at the ready, just in case it pings or we have two minutes free to scroll. I don't for one second think I model any great habits with technology but I am trying. And hopefully compeateropeator is right - going forward maybe we can make better choices now that the technology isn't so novel.
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Post by Tearisci on Mar 14, 2023 19:14:12 GMT
My DS is grown and out of the house but was in sports and activities most of his life. Screentime wasn't really an issue for us, thankfully.
As far as myself, my hobbies tend to be indoor things like reading or playing games on my iPad or streaming shows. I don't feel bad that these are my hobbies, it's just where I am in my life right now. Who gets to make the decision that these hobbies are "lesser than" other hobbies like crafting or whatnot?
To some peas with a high post count, this could be considered a hobby for them and shouldn't be looked down upon. We each get to decide what's important to us as individuals.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone says, "oh I don't have time for that" because it sounds so judgy, and really don't we all try to make time for what we love and what's important? Granted the amount of time will vary from person to person at their respective stage in life.
I dunno- i feel this is a bit judgy.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Mar 14, 2023 19:26:32 GMT
Tearisci I admitted in several of my posts here that I might be judgy. I also said I see opposing arguments. I also am trying to make sure I do what's good for my mind and body. I tried to listen and respond to everyone here and despite me seeing all sides of this issue (which is what I always try to do), I still have an opinion. And I'm still trying to find ways to encourage my kids to take up hobbies outside of their phones. That's what this post was about. My intention was not to judge you, it was to have a nuanced discussion about this issue and based on the responses I got here, I'm not the only one with this topic on their mind.
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Post by padresfan619 on Mar 14, 2023 19:35:48 GMT
I admit that I rely heavily on screen time with a toddler, especially lately because we’ve had so much rain so outdoor time has been limited. But on days the weather is nice I try to get us out for the majority of the morning until lunch time. I have no interest in getting my son his own tablet but sometimes he will play games on mine. I usually keep it hidden which forces me to do other stuff too!
Two of my biggest hobbies are cross stitching and perler bead art, both don’t really mix with toddlers so they’re all shelved for now. I’ll get back to it when little hands aren’t putting everything they find in his mouth. I also enjoy watching tv and reading episode discussions about what I watch on Reddit, it’s screen time but it is still a hobby and I won’t feel guilty about enjoying it.
Parents of kids today are expected to entertain their kids all day long, maintain a perfectly ~aesthetic~ home, exercise, make homemade meals, keep up with the laundry, somehow manage to find time to connect with their partner and make time to fill their own cups as well. Oh yea and work full time, commute, etc etc. I’m usually exhausted by the end of the day when I get me time and it’s easier to zone out on my phone rather than be creative. I’ve used up my creative section of my brain coming up with games for my kid since I can’t just send him out on his bike until the street lights come on like my parents got to do with us.
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Post by Tearisci on Mar 14, 2023 20:26:06 GMT
Tearisci I admitted in several of my posts here that I might be judgy. I also said I see opposing arguments. I also am trying to make sure I do what's good for my mind and body. I tried to listen and respond to everyone here and despite me seeing all sides of this issue (which is what I always try to do), I still have an opinion. And I'm still trying to find ways to encourage my kids to take up hobbies outside of their phones. That's what this post was about. My intention was not to judge you, it was to have a nuanced discussion about this issue and based on the responses I got here, I'm not the only one with this topic on their mind. Gotcha! I get it for kids but I also hate it when people feel guilty about how they spend their time, whether it is online or doing stuff they enjoy. I guess I'm past that point in my life and just do me
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RedSquirrelUK
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,748
Location: The UK's beautiful West Country
Aug 2, 2014 13:03:45 GMT
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Post by RedSquirrelUK on Mar 14, 2023 20:39:20 GMT
I think people have always "wasted" time rather than doing something productive given the choice, unless their fun time was also productive time. I know my Mum knitted whenever she had the chance. As a child I spent all my spare time reading, singing and playing the guitar. I wasn't a huge TV fan. These days my hobbies would be regarded as productive but when I was a kid it was "have you got your nose in a book AGAIN?"
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Post by jeremysgirl on Mar 14, 2023 21:04:18 GMT
I think people have always "wasted" time rather than doing something productive given the choice, unless their fun time was also productive time. I know my Mum knitted whenever she had the chance. As a child I spent all my spare time reading, singing and playing the guitar. I wasn't a huge TV fan. These days my hobbies would be regarded as productive but when I was a kid it was "have you got your nose in a book AGAIN?" I get this so much. My dad was a huge proponent of moving. Running, playing, riding bikes, roller skating, he was supportive of all those things. But I would have to hide to read! That was just way too much sitting still for his mind. I could be folding laundry or doing dishes if I had time to sit.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Mar 14, 2023 21:08:10 GMT
Tearisci I'm sorry if I added to that feeling for you. I have posted in this thread (including the post right above) about the environment in which I was raised. There is a loooooot of ingrained things I am trying to work out. Judgments. Not just of others, but of my own self related to productivity. I even admit that I'm judging my kids and that is reflective of the way that I'm judging myself. Like did I not role model things correctly? Was I too focused on something unimportant? Was my own depression a driver of my kids behavior? All these questions are in my mind.
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Post by Tearisci on Mar 14, 2023 21:19:35 GMT
Tearisci I'm sorry if I added to that feeling for you. I have posted in this thread (including the post right above) about the environment in which I was raised. There is a loooooot of ingrained things I am trying to work out. Judgments. Not just of others, but of my own self related to productivity. I even admit that I'm judging my kids and that is reflective of the way that I'm judging myself. Like did I not role model things correctly? Was I too focused on something unimportant? Was my own depression a driver of my kids behavior? All these questions are in my mind. Yeah, I'm sure it's so hard. Luckily my family wasn't too pushy and I grew up WAY before the Internet, but I did have a lot of tv screen time. Gen X's favorite babysitter! Don't be so hard on yourself! It's hard to unlearn things that have been ingrained deeply. When I had a house and was married, I was much busier with keeping it up and doing a lot outside of the home too. Now that I'm single and have a grown kid, I love just having a small place where I can relax. Like, I enjoy having flowers but will hire out weeding the flower beds. Could I do that? Sure but I don't want to and it leaves me more free time. Hugs- it sounds like a really hard subject for you to wrap your head around and I hope you can find some peace!
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Post by workingclassdog on Mar 14, 2023 21:46:28 GMT
I don’t think it is JUST kids. I think as a society, we spend way too much time on our phones and computers. 100%
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Post by workingclassdog on Mar 14, 2023 21:53:10 GMT
Nothing bugs me more than when I am on FB (or whatever platform) there will be a picture of (let's say for example) a girl in the 1950's sitting on the floor with her school books and studying. Then off to read the comments about "when I was a kid... blah blah blah).. In that same picture (yesterday) I looked at it a little closer and low and behold there was a cigarette and ashtray next to her.
So when I see those comments about 'when I was a kid' I wanna say ummmm yeah so much better/easier but you are sticking a cigarette in your mouth? That's better??
That is a little off topic.... but it relates to computer/social media time... We clearly are not going to go backwards.. so then what? Anyways.. that's my dumb rant.
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purplebee
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,738
Jun 27, 2014 20:37:34 GMT
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Post by purplebee on Mar 14, 2023 22:16:27 GMT
I spend way too much time on Social Media, reading FB, Insta, this board, and most of all, Twitter. I know it, it has impacted the time I spend on other things such as reading and music, but I know I am hooked and it is hard to limit myself to X amount of daily screen time. I do work 6 hours a day, and rarely look at my phone at work unless expecting a call, though my coworkers do. My screen time is always after work, at home, on my IPad. I don’t watch TV other than my local college sports, nor do I watch movies.
This thread is a REAL reminder that I have to make an attempt to get my head out of the screen before summer break!
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 14, 2023 23:19:06 GMT
I think a lot depends on the individual person too. I guess my point is while those things were there, they weren’t really the things I chose to do often. Yes, I can see these points. I think I may just be one of those people too if the analogy is that smart phones have just replaced every day activities with digitized activities that are today's preference. Some here have made that argument and I see that POV clearly. I disagree with the health of it, but that is my opinion and I don't expect it to be universally shared. With that said, while some have made the argument that this is simply an updated version of yesteryear, there are still a sizable amount of people on this thread who have said that they think they, themselves, use their devices too frequently. And I would love to hear the reason behind that opinion, (is it just guilt because we grew up in a technology-limited era) and what they are actively doing about it. Even after reading all these thoughts (thank you for sharing BTW), I still am of the opinion that we (I? My kids?) need to cultivate other interests outside of our smart phones/computers. For me, I think a good chunk of my time online is reading and watching tutorial videos which just replaces all the crafting library books and magazines I used to check out back in the day. I used to go to the library a lot and it’s only been within the last couple months that I have started going again. Also back in the day, I subscribed to just about every scrapbooking magazine there was and would read them from cover to cover. Now there are almost no scrapping or stamping magazines and the ones that do exist aren’t cost effective to buy, so some of my craft reading time just got transferred to time spent reading internet blogs or watching YouTube videos which is basically free (aside from paying for the internet itself). I don’t buy or subscribe to any magazines otherwise and have basically stopped buying craft books all together. I already have a huge library of them and they’re all still in moving boxes from when we moved over a decade ago. For me it saves both time and/or money to just learn what I want to learn online vs. buying books/magazines or kits or going to the library. I actually love the video tutorials because I can watch them and pause while I follow along step by step with the project myself and rewind as necessary to rewatch the trickier bits. I’ve made a bunch of zippered bags, made a few purses for myself and DD (and have the supplies to make another), a bunch of cloth napkins, some bowl cozies and a few other sewing projects lately. I like that I don’t have to leave my house to learn something new at my own pace. My kid uses her iPad and Apple Pencil to draw and is totally self taught from watching YouTube and Instagram videos. You would never know from looking at her artwork that she is 12 years old. She’s that good. It blows me away.
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