views on teens and how much you-tube and computer use is too much?

[tigereye]

Son is 13, and we have limits on usage now, but I was curious about what other parents of teens think.



thanks!

[seabeyond]

1. very little if any you tube, unless something i give kids to see

and not access to chats and boards on internet.

i dont think it is healthy

i have talked about it in past posts, but will say again. i think allowing the child access to conversations with anonymous people regularly effects children. i know it effects us adults. i am old as.... whatever, and still, i find groups of du'ers with negative communications has effected me in my perspective at times and i have to do a rethink, feet on ground in real world to shake off an illusion they present.

if you hear the same crap continuously from a number of people that hold themselves to no responsibility in what they are saying it leaves the impression with a child that is "normal" thinking. and it may not be. it conditions a child. on the net they are left totally defenseless. they dont have experience to fall back on. they cannot see the person, appearance, tone, body language, what the reality of net person is really about. it leaves the child without all the defenses to judge what is being given to them

my children dont see it as a punishment, or being deprived. we have talked about the reasoning and they understand where i am coming from.

[tigereye]

3. I see what you mean, but OTOH, I think there is some benefit to talking about

why other people have the ideas and prejudices that they do... Hmm, I guess if they receive positive interactions and views in most of their lives -home, school etc, it might be protective for negativity and anti-social views.

[seabeyond]

4. there are plenty of the negative, lol in rl. the kids certainly are not

being left out on that score. i have a son that has stepped into a very big high school and diverse. we were discussing yesterday how happy he is we chose that high school for its diversity. we strongly considered enrolling him in another school that is in a higher income area. that was exactly the reason my son stated he like being in this school, all the diversity.

i dont think there is anyway to 'protect" from all the negativity, nor would i ever wish to try. how unprepared we would leave our children/teens. and if the kids is anywhere near socially conscious, they are getting plenty of things to try to figure out in their world today. i dont think there is anything we havent discussed. it doesnt have to be an either or. because my boys dont watch porn, doesnt mean i am a fundie, tell them sex is a sin, all sex bad and not say another word about sex. there is a middle road in balance and health

it is not a matter of sheltering. there is no way in todays climate.

[Sabriel]

2. I wish I could turn off the comments in YouTube

Really, it's a great idea, except for the nasty, hate-infested, homophobic comments on the most innocuous videos.

I've found many things for me and kids to enjoy on YT, and then I scroll down, and.... Ugh.

I'm with seabeyond here: if it's not for a specific reason, then the negatives tend to outweigh the benefits.