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Do you worry about the amount of time you and your family spend with technology--watching TV, online, playing video games?”

Asked by Work It, Mom! Team on 29th October 2007 | 11 replies

11 replies so far...

What we do have a problem with is computer games. My son, especially, likes to play games at the free online sites, like NeoPets and Yahoo Games. We give him an hour a day, usually just after dinner. But that hour goes quickly, and he's so caught up in the action that he forgets the time. But now I set time limits on the Internet with parental control tool called Ez Internet Timer and the problem is resolved. He has no reason to complain, because we all agreed on how much time he would have on the computer each night. I don't have to watch the clock, and my son is learning a little something about time management. If anyone's interested check out the site here http://www.internettimer.net

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Mom2teen on 2nd March 2009
i spend alot of time online, but only at work. almost never at home, so my girls don't see me on the computer. i worry about them watching too much tv. they know i don't like tv and that i would rather they play make believe, play outside or read a book.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by mimi416 on 5th November 2007
I do not feel that technology is replacing our family time. However, we do have to be more disciplined and aware of our usage of technology. My business is technology-related, therefore when I'm using a computer, I'm usually working. I try to stick when my work schedule (when possible) and I use a seperate computer for "online entertainment".

For children on technology, using a egg/kitchen timer is a great idea. Time seems to move quickly when you're in front of the computer or television.

We may have an hour of free/available time for watching television. We mostly watch on weekends. Generally, we use Tivo to record our favorite programs. When I have free time I use my Tivo to catch up on my favorite programs; this reduces the amount of meaningless channel & web page surfing (although in small quantities, meaningless surfing can be a great way to decompress).

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Kishau Rogers on 1st November 2007
Yes.Technology today sees families spend less time doing meaningful things together.Kids are either on thier mobile phones or on the computors. We as moms need to effect changes one step at a time.Family mealtimes is a perfect place to implement these changes.Eating together gives each member time to contribute to the conversation and reflect on the days activities

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Ruth on 31st October 2007
I observe it with caution. My son watches no television at all, but is on his computer more than I would prefer. (He's also 18, and old enough to be making decisions like this for himself.) My youngest daughter was watching a lot more television during the summer, but has scaled back a LOT during school, which tells me that she can manage it appropriately. She uses computer for homework and MSN, often simultaneously (of which I disapprove), but since she keeps up with her homework and her marks are good, I let her, because she is obviousy managing it appropriately.

My eldest lives on her own, and from what she tells me (via her COMPUTER), she's far too busy with schooling and domestic life to have time for television/computer for leisure.

Although my two youngest are using the technology differently than I would -- and perhaps not how I would prefer -- they are still doing all the things that are important: job, school, friends, family, so it seems that even though they order their lives differently, they are ordering their lives appropriately. As long as they can maintain the balance, I can give them the freedom and afford them the respect to make different choices than I would (or even than I would prefer).

Flag as inappropriate Posted by MaryP on 31st October 2007
I worry about the amount of time my stepkids - and their dad - spend on the Nintendo GameCube on the weekends they're with us. I actually think they should spend MORE time than they do on the computer, though, learning their way around the Internet and applications other than games. We don't watch much TV overall, and the kids almost never watch it on their own at our house.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Florinda Pendley Vasquez on 30th October 2007
I worry about this a lot, mostly because I am the biggest culprit. I am trying to go on an email diet - no email after 10 pm. I know it sounds pathetic, but it would be an improvement. I've also asked my husband to not check his blackberry incessantly.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Nataly on 30th October 2007
Yes and no - in comparison to when I grew up, oh yeah, we are way more technology-focused! So my benchmark is hard - for example, I spent hours riding my bike unsupervised, something I'd never allow my son to do, - so to judge our family's current lifestyle by comparing to my childhood years - that's not a good comparison.

I do not feel technology is replacing family time for us - so perhaps that's the way to judge it. I could not imagine living without internet and cell phones and CNN and the like. It has made the world smaller, and I think that's a good thing. So while our lives have shifted in focus to include virtual worlds instead of only tangible, it still comes down to interacting as a family - something we prioritize and do well, so I am not worried.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Shannon B. on 30th October 2007
No. Outside of the fact that I am home recovering from surgery, we don't typically watch much television at all. In fact, it isn't uncommon for us to go weeks without turning on the television. As for technology. We use it as a way to communicate with friends and family and the kids play games to help with spelling, math, etc and do research for assignments. I would be concerned if I felt like the time we spend with technology keeps us from interacting with real-live people, diminished the physical activities we take part in (couch potatoes), interfered with our other responsibilities (homework not done, chores incomplete) or zapped our ability to be creative without technology. But it doesn't. So I'm not concerned.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by KathyHowe on 30th October 2007
No. Husband works 60+ hours a week and works out regularly. Daughter is 15, a self-motivated, straight-A student who rides three days a week and works out two others. I walk to and from work and work out at the club two or three times a week and ride once a week. TV is for relaxing and computers are for research, writing, art and socializing with friends. Our daughter is planning a career in computer-aided design, so the more time she spends learning programs Photoshop, the better. Husband uses computers in architectural design. I am web master to three workplace websites and my own websites and blogs. Still, we are aware that computers are an aid and cannot replace good design, or good writing. Creativity is more important than anything else for us. This last weekend there was an article in the paper about a village in the mountains of the Black Sea region that is refusing to be hooked up to electricity. They say that electricity will kill their social life. When I read the question, I thought about the word "technoloy" and how it also includes electricity, cars, and hot water. In the early years, lots of people questioned them, too.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by KatieK on 30th October 2007
Yes, I worry about this. I am in the online media business so I am on the Internet for a living. It is really hard to turn it off. Like, right now, it's 9:24 p.m. and I'm online. My son just went to be so it's my time and I'm choosing to be on the computer. But I love what I do so I don't mind.

As a house rule we limit computer time when we're together as a family, and we don't let our son watch much TV. We don't watch TV until he's in bed, so I watch a lot less than I used to!

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Alicia Lewis Murray on 30th October 2007