The first thing I ever touched was a Windows XP desktop, then Windows 7 laptop, then win8.
Then I got my first phone.
Curious about what kids these days have?
iPads? Phones?
Do kids just get used to a corporation being able to control what software they can install?
Because I feel like kids these days will get their first device and its either a phone or tablet and (regardless if its iOS or Android, sideloading restrictions begin in Android starting 2027 btw) are gonna get used to the cage that corporate has build and never venture out for freedom.
So this is it? Humans will get used to corporate digital cages?
Switch lite at 6 and 5. No garbage micro transaction games.
My kids got:
Oldest: Digital camera, age 4
Middle: MP3 player, age 8
Youngest: Digital camera, age 6And my dear sibling, digital freedom is a very recent thing and if our ancestors could survive with only 3-5 broadcast networks our children can survive tablets that don’t sideload apps. It’s bullshit, but it’s not the end of free expression.
You’re a good parent. Id never give a kid a smartphone or internet access so early.
V-TECH toys. Noisy, annoying garbage that people love to gift to infants and toddlers.
After that it’s a toss up between a phone, tablet, or Chromebook.
Aww❤️ you brought back a memory when my son was 3 years old learning how to read and he saw a commercial for a VTech bicycle and he wanted it so badly he said “Mom I want a VETCH,” yes he pronounced it “vetch” so cute learning how to read, my heart absolutely melted with preciousness, you better believe we got him that VTech bicycle for Christmas 🥰 Ahh his JOY when he saw that Christmas present!
My first V-Tec toy was a Honda civic
Tablet. And the cage was created by me to keep them safe. They’ll get more access and bigger toys as they age.
Every kid born in the last decade that I’m aware of which they got, got a tablet first. Small sample size though
My kid got an Android tablet for a 6-hour car ride for vacation. I don’t plan to use it unless we’re taking a similarly long car ride or hospital stay.
I added a 512GB micro SD card and filled it with downloaded videos from my home server. Most of the time it’s in airplane mode.
My first tech was a Sega Genesis and the family’s 486 DX2 computer running Windows 95.
While I had access to new genesis games by renting them, getting new games for the 486 was a rare event due to how expensive software was back then, and there were few places we would visit that sold it (mostly what Costco had available). That meant rotating through a lot of the same games for quite a while, which meant I would eventually get bored of them for a while until I would try them again a month later.
The effect of that is it seemed to encourage me to find other ways away from the tech to entertain myself, like play with legos, or head outside to invent games with the neighbor’s kids.
I don’t want to assume that type of exposure to tech is ideal just because it’s what I experienced, but I wonder if an artificial software limit may be a good idea today for young kids to encourage them to find new ways to solve boredom with their imagination instead of it being done for them exclusively.
I’ve also seen parents start their kids off with 90’s tech and games, and slowly introduce them to newer tech/games each year, which is an interesting idea.
I think I’d start them off with a raspberry pi running a retro emulation os and a small selection of the best games from the 90’s, a small camera, an mp3 player, and a Linux PC without internet access, but with access to some edutainment games (humongous entertainment, some point’n’clicks, etc), and programing tools with kids appropriate teaching material.
Once they’re old enough, I’d give them internet access, and eventually a phone so they can keep in touch with their friends.
off with ’90s* tech
My oldest is 3 and she got a Yoto player (mini) when she was about 2,5. It’s a brilliant device.
We have three yotos. I cannot endorse them enough
My first device was a windows desktop, a shared device.
Mine was a dos computer. Lol.
Tonies
My nephew got one of those smart watches for kids. There’s no real games, the camera sucks, and he can only contact and be contacted by approved numbers but it’s nice to have.
I like getting his goofy texts, too
I’d put my money on a hand-me-down smartphone or tablet.
From what I’m seeing around me kids are often allowed to interact with a tablet before a phone.
I mean I guess it kinda make sense, the kid can’t accidentally dial emergency numbers on a tablet.
I got a tablet. My sibling has a desktop
Based on my nieces and nephews, I’m gonna say tablet. One with a thick, spongy case.
So this is it? Humans will get used to corporate digital cages?
If the corpos get their way, yes.
