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aarong

I think 5 year olds and under should NOT be able to use technology. What do you think?

Brois_Nickalson

Don't you know electronic devices ROT YOUR BRAIN OFF?

Brois_Nickalson

You should never use a smartphone. I got into an car accident while using one.

agsr

It should not have an age base absolute restriction, but better awareness and tools for parents to guide technology experinece. Technology is changing the way we think about the world and more and more there is an expectation for younger users, technology developers, and innovators.

alksj_29828291

I agree with agsr, it should have a restriction and be accessible to a large fraction of the Earth's population.

islander507

Many technology billionairs specifcally ensure that their kids dont get exposed to too much technology. I think everyone should have access, but it should be moderated by parents.

love2debate

I think restriction on how much 5 year olds (or even teenagers) can use technology - absolutely.
banning use all together - no.

lnhja

No, kids and parents a Like should embrace technology.

Fr3ak

No, just be a good parent and don't let your child do anything stupid or dangerous. Should little Billy be playing with mummy's special toys? Probably not, so make sure he doesn't. It's the parents responsibility to ensure the safety of their child, and age restricting technology just unnecessarily prevents people from being able to use things for no reason. 

Sylynn

It all depends on how you define technology. For example, my 2-year old has a stuffed dog that is capable of singing. She also used to have an activity cube that on one side would sing certain songs, a side would help with learning to count, etc.. Technically these are both forms of technology, but I can't see the issue with them. I fully believe technology should not be used as a replacement to parenting, but I can certainly use it as a tool.

ale5

@Sylynn, agreed.  Technology is embedded in everything, so we cannot completely avoid it's use for small kids. It is important for parents to ensure it's used in moderation though

JacobHawkins

Brois_Nickalson said:

Don't you know electronic devices ROT YOUR BRAIN OFF?

Hi @Brois_Nickalson,
It actually depends on what is done on electronic devices. I feel as if your statement is more opinion based than factual, since many people these days believe that electronics are 'bad' for you.

It isn't such a bad thing to be allowed some time on technology. It can even be healthy, in many ways. Of course, there are cons to this, but those are easily manageable. 

Gaming benefits your eyesight (sharpness of vision, how many things you can keep track of), improves awareness, strategic thinking, problem solving, reflexes, hand-eye coordination and fills a child's need for entertainment. 

Social media should never be allowed for younger children, but it has its own benefits. Socially, it connects people and allows them to talk to each other even if they aren't able to see each other (such as family relatives who live far away). 

Phone calls and and text messaging have similar benefits to social media. The internet can be an incredibly useful source of information, if you know where to look. For curious minds, the internet is the perfect thing to have.

To solve problems like addiction, limit time. Just don't restrict it completely. To solve problems like violence, keep the content appropriate. These are problems that are easily solved.

i hope this helped you understand technology better.

agsr

@JacobHawkins, I agree with your points. I think original debate was about use of technology for 5 year olds.  While that would be impractical, parents need to understand and limit at such a young age. 

SilverishGoldNova

Brois_Nickalson said:

Don't you know electronic devices ROT YOUR BRAIN OFF?

but you're using electronics to post this. maybe you just explained your hypocracy.

Vincent_Costanzo

I don't like the idea of the government stepping in and overriding parents. It's the job of a parent to regulate what a child can do online. 

agsr

@Vincent_Costanzo, agreed that it shouldn't be government role.  That said, we should have guidelines and best practices

Nightwing

Indeed, how could the government enforce such a ban? Pry into people's private lives?

TheUnknownNeophyte

It could be useful for educational purposes, take leap frog for example

MayCaesar

If we want the human civilization to move forward technologically, then our population has to be intimately acquainted with the modern technology. There is no better way to raise a technologically savvy individual than to expose them to the modern technology as a child, when their learning abilities are the sharpest and their curiosity  and desire to learn is at its lifetime peak.

Now, I do think that parents should naturally restrict their children from becoming addicted to certain technological elements. My parents did not allow me to spend more than an hour a day in front of computer until the age of 10, and while I do not necessarily approve of such strategy, I do see what they were trying to do. It is easy to lose oneself in all the technology and all the temptations it offers, and to neglect obtaining the essential real life skills, such as interaction with people.

But technology in itself - I think, the more exposure the children have to it, the better. I remember a story about an Indian 9 years old boy who obtained the official Microsoft Office certification. It is clear that this boy is going to be very successful in life, and he will probably push the technology forward quite a bit.