Tales from the toolroom - kids and computers

AlbertLionheart

Posts: 1,997   +3
Sometimes I despair, I really do.
I see lots of kid's computers and in most cases I find there is some sort of parental control going on whether it be by personal monitoring or a nanny pack that limits access to sites or time on line or whatever.
A machine brought in this morning - by a nice chap with a very expensive sports car - had threatware on it which thankfully had not gone any further.
The point of this is my complete disapproval of the totally uncontrolled use of this machine by a 10 year old - and judging by the screensaver pictures she is more often than not dressed up like a 22 year old and flaunting it. Unsupervised accounts with MSM and Live Mail, P2P with Limewire - you get the picture.
The same rules of common sense have to apply here in my book - despite appearances and possessions, kids are simply not old enough to play with toys like the internet and makeup because they do not have the maturity to cope with the consequences. And we wonder why, in England anyway, we have a problem with kids drinking to excess, teenage pregnancies and a complete lack of respect for any form of social standards.
And of course Daddy will pay the bill and darling daughter will doubtless hear no more of it.
Am I being unreasonable?
 
You're Not Being Unreasonable At All

Your points are well taken and right on the mark. We see the same thing here and it's just as bad. Too many parents (and income is not a factor) are flat-out *****s who use the computer to keep from being bothered by their children and owning up to any responsibility for raising them.

While monitoring software "can" be a useful tool....if used properly, the most useful tool is parental monitoring, involvement and solid, defined restrictions.

Kudos to you for bringing this up.
 
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