Haiku Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 (edited) My sister's college kids were over on T'giving and they were all very engaged with each other and lingered at the table. I think there is a big difference between college kids and the 13-16 crowd. I feel sad that some kids feel they need to tune out. I don't think kids feel the need to tune out. I think it's just what kids do these days, right? Kids don't know any different, so they don't really even know they are tuning out. In my day, kids played outside all afternoon. The kids after us all played inside on their Nintendos. Today's kids play with their DSes and smart phones. Tara Edited November 30, 2009 by TaraTheLiberator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 I think there is a big difference between college kids and the 13-16 crowd. :iagree: IME the problem is much worse in somewhat younger kids. When my 13 and 15 yo dds have friends over many of them text non-stop. Not all, but many do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 (edited) :iagree: IME the problem is much worse in somewhat younger kids. When my 13 and 15 yo dds have friends over many of them text non-stop. Not all, but many do. My other children are 17 and just turned 16 and I don't see it with their friends, either. It could be regional, i don't know. But I have never seen these kinds of abuses in my home. Edited November 30, 2009 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 (edited) double post Edited November 30, 2009 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 (edited) Tara, you are kind of oddly picking up only bits of my posts. My kids are 21, just tunred 16, and 17. We've had kids with cell phones and friends kids with cell phones for about 8 years. You also make yourself sound so old. lol 'In my day!" Was that pre-pac man? lol That's postively the dark ages. You can't be that old, your kids aren;'t even in double digits yet. :) I think there is a big difference between college kids and the 13-16 crowd. I don't think kids feel the need to tune out. I think it's just what kids do these days, right? Kids don't know any different, so they don't really even know they are tuning out. In my day, kids played outside all afternoon. The kids after us all played inside on their Nintendos. Today's kids play with their DSes and smart phones. Tara Edited November 30, 2009 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akmommy Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 (edited) In our home school circle cell phones are common among teens, but not smart phones. When DD and I went to see New Moon weekend before last I was amazed at the number of teens carrying Iphones or similar smart phones and my cousin just told me that her DD's best friend got an Iphone for her birthday, she's 9. Ugh DD (16) has a cell with basic talk and text. She got it 2yrs ago so she could call for rides and what not or in case of emergencies. Now that she has her license we require her to carry it whenever she is driving, but she has no real need for a smart phone. ETA: When she pays for it herself she can have whatever phone she desires. Edited November 30, 2009 by akmommy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaNYC Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Very normal in my area. Both my girls (16 and 13) have Blackberrys. They also have unlimited everything. I paid $49 for each phone and the plan is really cheap since I get a 25% discount from work. They don't abuse the privilege and are very responsible with them. Every now and then I have to tell them to put it away when we're out somewhere, but I'm actually very happy with the phones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Tara, you are kind of oddly picking up only bits of my posts. My kids are 21, just tunred 16, and 17. We've had kids with cell phones and friends kids with cell phones for about 8 years. I envy you that it's not a problem there. The reason I believe there is a difference in age group is that the popularity of texting really exploded in the last couple years. The college age kids were already out of middle school by the time texting really took hold, and they didn't really develop those heavy texting habits. The obsession with peers and social networking seems to be worse in middle schoolers than high schoolers. Nielsen I can't get this table to format, but the first number is # of phone calls and the second is the number of text messages per month. Numbers are quite a bit higher this year. U.S. teens (ages 13 to 17) had the highest levels of text messaging in Q2 2008, sending and receiving an average of 1,742 text messages per month. In comparison, teens took part in an average of 231 mobile phone calls per month, during the same time period. All Subscribers 204 357 Ages 12 & Under 137 428 Ages 13-17 231 1,742 Ages 18-24 265 790 Ages 25-34 239 331 Ages 35-44 223 236 Ages 45-54 193 128 Ages 55-64 145 38 Ages 65+ 99 14 TextingNielsen Mobile released a new study on “How Teens Use Media†and reveled new information on the rise of mobile usage for this demographic. Here are some excerts from their study: Of all the mobile behaviors of teens, texting is most talked about. Fingers fying and phone cameras fashing, 83% of U.S. mobile teens use text-messaging and 56% use MMS/picture messaging. The average U.S. mobile teen now sends or receives an average of 2,899 text-messages per month compared to 191 calls. The average number of texts has gone up 566% in just two years, far surpassing the average number of calls, which has stayed nearly steady. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 (edited) You can't be that old, your kids aren;'t even in double digits yet. :) Well certainly I *could* be that old. Were I 35 when I started having kids, I'd be in my mid-40s. As it happens, I am not yet, but my oldest child, whom I mentioned in a previous post, is 15. 20-25 years ago, kids were not playing with DSes and smart phones, and the Nintendo thing was just getting going. Also, you used the example of your sister's college kids to support your assertion that overuse of cells phones and electronic gadgets isn't a problem with kids in your life. I simply pointed out that college kids are not the 13-16 year old crowd that I thought we were discussing in this thread. You've made it quite clear that your kids and their friends are not electronic-device-dependent. That's great. My dd isn't either because I don't let her have them (in large part because of what my dh and I see as a lack of maturity and good judgment), but you seem to persist in insisting it must not be a problem because YOUR kids aren't like that, regardless of that fact that others (myself included) witness it frequently. We have had kids leave our house because we have asked that they put a lid on the incessant texting when they were here ostensibly to visit our child. Tara Edited November 30, 2009 by TaraTheLiberator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 We have had kids leave our house because we have asked that they put a lid on the incessant texting when they were here ostensibly to visit our child. Tara Ha! Good for you. I have seen this type of behavior from adults. Including caretakers of young children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 (edited) And I don't envy all of you! It does sound awful. My 16 yr old (who turned 16 last week), has had a cell phone since he turned 12, a DS since about 11 and that's pretty common here. Hsers and schoolers alike. I am not saying other people don't see the abuses, but we haven't here. I've never had a problem with visting friends, or young cousins etc texting or playing with their cell phones or hanging over a DS instead of socializing or whatever. I just asked my 17 yr dd old if kids at gatherings elsewhere other thasn our house(mostly track kids) text friends instead of being with friends. SHe said kids text their parents to let them know they've arrived or when they are leaving, or text missing friends to see when they are coming over, but they don't text instead of being together at the gathering. She says people never play hand held games alone, but they might play xbox or Guitar Hero with a group. Which is what I have seen at our place. She said they mostly talk and the boys tend to laugh really really loudly. lol I can imagine how hard it must be to for a child to invite friends over, only to have your friends ignore you for a toy or texting. I envy you that it's not a problem there. The reason I believe there is a difference in age group is that the popularity of texting really exploded in the last couple years. The college age kids were already out of middle school by the time texting really took hold, and they didn't really develop those heavy texting habits. The obsession with peers and social networking seems to be worse in middle schoolers than high schoolers. Nielsen I can't get this table to format, but the first number is # of phone calls and the second is the number of text messages per month. Numbers are quite a bit higher this year. Texting Edited December 1, 2009 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 And I don't envy all of you! It sounds awful! I can imagine how hard it must be to for a child to invite friends over, only to have your friends ignore you for a toy or texting. It is awful! You really must have done something right that your kids (and the friends they have chosen) are not actively participating in this phenomena. Its unsettling and scary, to be honest. So much silence with so many kids. None of them talking to one another - its like its from The Twilight Zone. And with Perry's stats - I mean, shouldn't someone see a red flag when a stat jumps by almost 600% in 24 months?! (Oh that's right, there's money to be made from all this jazz, not to mention getting the kids out of our hair and all that...:glare:). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 And I don't envy all of you! It sounds awful! My 16 yr old (who turned 16 last week), has had a cell phone since he turned 12, a DS since about 11 and that's pretty common here. Hsers and schoolers alike. I am not saying other people don't see the abuses, but we haven't here. At all. I've never had a problem with visting friends, or young cousins, texting or playing with their cell phones or hanging over a DS instead of socializing or whatever. I can imagine how hard it must be to for a child to invite friends over, only to have your friends ignore you for a toy or texting. I wonder if there is a difference between boys and girls? I haven't ever seen any stats. My observation is that girls are worse. But I am really only around groups of girls. Most of dds friends text during classes at school. They can text with the phone in their pocket. One girl is proud of her ability to text behind her back. :confused: They spend a lot of time practicing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 (edited) I wonder if there is a difference between boys and girls? I haven't ever seen any stats. My observation is that girls are worse. But I am really only around groups of girls. Most of dds friends text during classes at school. They can text with the phone in their pocket. One girl is proud of her ability to text behind her back. :confused: They spend a lot of time practicing. I asked my 17 yr old dd about her experience in the same post above. She says people are mostly socializing and not texting. She told me reasons why kids might text at a gathering, but she didn't say if they were girls or boys. My oldest ds texts more than my 16 yr old ds, and my hs'd dd texts the least. The 16 yr goes to high school, the oldest is in college. My 16 yr old and 17 yr old both say that nobody their age plays DS games when in a group, but a group might play Xbox or Wii togehter, etc. I don't doubt that kids text in school. School can be pretty mindless. Edited December 1, 2009 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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