Now I've heard it all!

What worries me is the number of mums with pushchairs who are permanently glued to their phones whilst walking along and never pay any attention to their offspring in their buggies! Apart from missing so many opportunites of interacting with their babies/toddlers, what example are they setting them!!

Not old fogie....just a worried Nan! I listened to a father on the radio recently who decided to take the 'machines' away from his sons...he decided it was an addiction, which I agree to some extent. His sons had withdrawal symptoms but eventually got used to being without them and actually started to play outside, with each other and talk to people instead of hiding away in bedrooms! This is why I worry about my own Grandsons as I know it's part of their world now and their friends. But one important thing this father said was that parents have to take control....that's assuming that the parents are not addicted also!! I remember my youngest Son who is now 30 used to sit in the corner playing his 'game boy' for hours it seems!! Maybe I was more relaxed about things then and there was less of it too. It's a difficult one and of course it's all about getting a balance. The technology is amazing....I'm using it now....but there is a 'but'. Don't let it take over from interacting with 'real' people and real life, not just a 'virtual' world!

One of my DDs has 3 children who are on their devices all the time. One has a 4 and 7 year old, both of whom know how to use these things, but do not have one - they read, race round the garden, feed chickens, make dens, as well as looking up info on the laptop. There is no question of them looking at a device while at the table with us all. Another set of GC are really too young, although I know that one (just 3) uses her other granny's iPad when she is there.

It is all about balance. One of my GS's is heavily into reptiles and he looks up info about them, prints out pictures of the them and colours them in. In that sort of context, the laptop is valuable. But the rest of the time he is romping about!

Technology is marvellous. If anyone had told me even 20 years ago that I would be able to talk to and see my family in real time on a little screen, and at no cost, I would have thought it impossible.
The modern child has been born into a world of technology and this is what they have to grow up with. It is beautifully designed and clearly intuitive as it can be accessed by toddlers. My two granddaughters quickly learned to switch on a phone and choose the photo icon and then spend time looking at pictures of themselves. At the age of 4 they are now proficient on the iPad and there are many free or very cheap apps which are very educational. For them this is as normal as looking at books, which they also do.
However, like everything in life it is up to us adults to decide how we want the children to be brought up. Personally, I love it that one granddaughter is fascinated by science and chooses to watch Nina and the Neurons on BBC iplayer and also that the two little cousins can Skype every week, as they live miles apart.
On the other hand we do need to be vigilant. I am less enamoured with social media and the horrors of cyber bullying etc. When the girls are older, I can see myself becoming a boring old fart and lecturing them on the dangers. But with the speed at which technology is developing who knows what will be available in 10 years time.

Well, as they say, time and tide wait for no man. This techno world is what the young ones understand and working smarter by using new technology is a lot better than being forced to work harder without it. They are still able to be involved in after school clubs and aren't missing out on play which is so important to child development. Having said that I've met parents that just can't be bothered to let children be children and have got their bottoms superglued to the sofa and the tv or facebook and that is a big problem.

Makes me sad I can't remember when I last saw my DGS aged ten not glued to some technology laptop, iPhone, xbox he has been on a weeks holiday from school and has barely wanted to cross the doors we are bringing up a generation of unsociable unfit kids I used to like nothing better than seeing my own children running about playing outside with rosy cheeks now children don't want to play outside and communicate with friends by using face time.

There's a time and place for everything.
Our 2 year old DGD enjoys using the iPad for stories and games. She can switch on her parents phones, do the passwords and find her games.
When we have her she is allowed the iPad for 2 games or stories and then it's put away again and she has no trouble getting on with her drawing or play doh instead. We also limit her tv watching as they do at home.

I think she can learn a lot from playing her wee games, she's already expert at swiping, tapping on arrows to move the page forward and the games we have teach her colours, matching and counting. She's so funny with it though, she carries it over to grandad very, very carefully then hands him his specs!!! ?
Technology is a great educational tool, but it shouldn't be the only one!

Love technology. It means access to so much information and so many exciting ways for all of us to learn instead of text books BUT I agree with the OP other posters' concerns though. I work with children who are poor readers who 'don't have time to read' but are glued to their tablets. Parents say he/she doesn't like reading but get annoyed when I suggest that we only tend to like doing things we are good at, and to be good at something needs practice. Children who have been reading with me daily are suddenly much better and keener.

I agree with all the posts here, you're right Imperfect, it's how technology is used, not technology itself. I think we need to embrace it as an educational and informative tool, I think it is brilliant for communication, purchasing online etc. I even think young children should have access to it because it will always be part of their lives. I also believe the younger they learn how to use it the better. I'm not overly worried either by the lack of genuine face to face contact ..... so I think what I'm saying is, while acknowledging the downsides, I am not old fogey about it.

Yesterday friend came for coffee along with her 3 lovely GS's after about 5 minutes why is the TV not on? after about 30 GM gave in and got all 3 iPads from her car. To be fair only on the condition they be kept on silent. Original plan had been a visit to park but eldest (10) had sprained his ankle and was in pain so best to stay indoors with it elevated. They were all disappointed as football mad?

And now I guess I'd better switch the iPad off and get out of bed....

My 18 month old grandson can start my phone & find a game. I find this scary. I hasten to add I only know as I saw him doing it- I never showed him how to do it. His 6 & 4 year old siblings have their own tablets- children's ones- that they can only access certain things from & of course he has learnt from them. Some of the games are very educational I know & the elder is a whiz on Minecraft which also has an element of learning to it (he is only has access to the lower levels- not the zombie things!). My elder GC are on them constantly. They are not allowed at meal times or in my car- I want to TALK to them.
I am a great believer in technology- my husband works in it & I have all the gadgets available & wouldn't be without them BUT I do think children should learn the old ways first.
My elder GS was doing his homework last week on his tablet to send to his teacher to mark. It was maths & it stated he had 10 seconds to answer each question. I said I'd have trouble doing it in that time & he replied- ' Grandma- there is a pause button!' What is the point of that?
In it's place it s amazing but I think children use it far too much

I'm not really sure what you mean, FarNorth I feel the world I grew up in was, for a child, a lot closer to the one my grandparents grew up in than it is to my grandsons' world. The changes over the last 60 years have been mind-blowing. And that, for the DGS, is a very good thing - they're not likely to know the horrors of an earth closet or the isolation hospital, for starters! We still need to acknowledge, and tackle, the negative effects that all these advances have brought with them.

I am aware that both myself and DH spend a lot of time with our noses buried in screens (is that possible?) but when we spend time with DGS we are totally focus send on him, as is his mum, except when showing us photos of him on her phone! I remember being horrified when told that my GD was getting a mobile at around 7. She is now coming up for 14 and has every bit of technology you can think of, iPod, iPhone, laptop, now a camera that her dad bought her for Christmas. No doubt a new fad will come along soon.p that she will just have to have

Interesting that my 30 yr old DD 1 recently commented to me at a station that 'it was nice to see a child reading a book'
Devices banned from the table in our house-I don't care who it is.And I want to reprimand anyone I'm with who is constantly checking their phone ...have a friend same age as me who is the worst offender
The cost is another matter .Would love.an I phone but cant justify cost .Fine if they can pay for it themselves.I agree they do need to be technologically savvy though

I read somewhere that most adults believe that the world is just the same as when they were young, but with a few new-fangled aberrations, and that we need to recognise how the world actually is.

(That's not a criticism of any of the views on here, btw.)

This is what worries me - we see children at the school gate in buggies, parents ignoring them, listening to music / playing on their phones instead. The government has a list of 'school ready' targets they want children to have met by aged 4+, including simple things like putting on a coat, fetching shoes and asking / answering simple questions - and being potty trained ...
Last year nearly 50% of our intake didn't reach these targets - nine were not properly potty trained, 2 parents suggested their children must have a bowel problem ... hmmmm ...

We need to ask what is massively impacting on parenting standards and I think overuse of technology is definitely part of the problem.

Poor boy i wonder if he gets any attention at home or are they all glued to their facebook/iphones screen 24/7

Technology is wonderful, but we need to be masters of it, not let it master us. On a 40 minute bus ride yesterday, the little boy across the aisle from me sat staring glumly out of the window whilst his dad had his face in his screen the whole journey without once looking up. His son - around 9 - plucked at his dad's sleeve to let him know their stop was coming up and got his head bitten off for it. I felt so sad for him. We seem to be tolerating some dangerously addictive behaviour here.

Technology is a good thing - in it's place. I'm reminded of the debates over television when our children were growing up bOurs didn't have one in their rooms until well into their teens. Some of their friends had their own from very small. We turned off the main TV if anyone called to see us - still do. Other families did it differently. Our DGC are very comfortable with phones, an iPad and computer. Often show me how to do things. They don't have their own, the eldest is10. Their use is age appropriately restricted for which we are so grateful. Their parents do use phones or other devices constantly, sometimes we think too much but not at meals or during conversation. It's about balance I guess. Our DGC must be comfortable with the tools of everyday life but so much better if they are taught to keep them in their place and also have fun in other ways.

My son had to take his GoyGoy ( a bit of cloth he used for comfort. ) How times change!

I despair. I used to have a rule that when the DC and their SOs came to visit, phones et al would be stowed away for the duration, but gradually that rule seems to have gone by the board. DS and SiL are the worst culprits. I think with SiL it gives him an excuse not to have to make conversation! DD and DiL have the good manners not to do it. Perhaps because the girls like a good face to face gossip! I never thought to see DH spend as much time on his phone as he does now, but at least he doesn't do it in company. My grandson is nine and has his father's old iPhone to play games on, but, like his access to the iPad, it is strictly rationed - pity his parents can't be similarly disciplined in their use of technology. I'm not a Luddite; I would hate to be separated from my iPad, but, like my phone, it's a means to an end, not the be all and end all!

I just feel a little sad about it all. All those chats with the children on the way to school, the gossip at the bus stop or wherever, the idle banter in a shop or bar. The family talk built intamicy between us all. I found out what was bothering somone with a walk or over a cup of tea. Worked much better than a confrontation of "what's wrong with you?"type. It ironed out loads of problems. Those conversations with colleagues and strangers made us realise how people tick and they were good fun and I learnt a lot. Human face to face interaction is really important imo. The other thing I often wonder is What the bloodyhell do they find to talk about 24/7. Is it them showing the world 'look at me I'm so popular while I'm walking around the supermarket'. I do realise that our grandchildren have learn to live in the world the way it is today and the tommorow and not in the way It was in our day but.......I'm shutting up now I'm sounding like a proper grumpy old women. I'm off to prepare myself for a day with three under sevens. There'll be no iPads while their with me . Wellies on we're off to the woods.
Forced

Ha ha - you are right. It's not technology that is the problem - it is how it is used. Doubtless there will be many books written ...

Well, I think it's marvellous. I'm sitting here in bed drinking my cup of tea talking to you lot
I've just read an update on Northumberland County Council's Core Strategy that was posted into a local Faceboik Group - something I would probably have not got to see if it weren't for social media.

I'm sure grans 100 years ago were wringing their hands about the introduction of telephones!