Should kids have smartphones?

[Dildo Argentino]

I've brought this over from the youtube thread:

Hahaha I love how old people project themselves into kids. That cell phone obsession thing is totally a technology immigrant thing, kids who are raised with cell phones aren't obsessed like that.

I don't think age is the definitive factor (though I am also sure it does play some role) - because I see fortysomethings, even a very few sixtysomethings perfectly able to integrate ubiquitous networks into their lives seamlessly and with gusto, while I see many kids whose lives are being wrecked by media addiction. I think the most important factor is addiction potential. Which has to do with parenting, in particular early parenting - but I don't mean the way the parent manages the relationship between kid and tech. A person raised right will not get addicted (permanently! temporary fascination is a healthy thing) to infinite stimulation at any age, a person raised wrong will easily do so, no matter what age they encounter it. This may actually have something to do with the age thing too: older people may be less able to avoid network addiction because more of them were raised in the restrictive, authoritarian and emotionally stunted manner that is the ideal culture medium for high addition potential.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I've brought this over from the youtube thread:

Hahaha I love how old people project themselves into kids. That cell phone obsession thing is totally a technology immigrant thing, kids who are raised with cell phones aren't obsessed like that.

I don't think age is the definitive factor (though I am also sure it does play some role) - because I see fortysomethings, even a very few sixtysomethings perfectly able to integrate ubiquitous networks into their lives seamlessly and with gusto, while I see many kids whose lives are being wrecked by media addiction. I think the most important factor is addiction potential. Which has to do with parenting, in particular early parenting - but I don't mean the way the parent manages the relationship between kid and tech. A person raised right will not get addicted (permanently! temporary fascination is a healthy thing) to infinite stimulation at any age, a person raised wrong will easily do so, no matter what age they encounter it. This may actually have something to do with the age thing too: older people may be less able to avoid network addiction because more of them were raised in the restrictive, authoritarian and emotionally stunted manner that is the ideal culture medium for high addition potential.

Good points, definitely.