I have just written a blog on this, and I was wondering what your opinion of social media is especially for your own life and that as a parent? How many of you use facebook or twitter far more than you should?? and does this have any impact on your life?
Here is the link to my post would love to know what you think? http://intellikidsdownunder.blogspot.com/2011/06/does-social-media-stop-us-from-being.html
Kimba
Hey Kimba I was trying to leave a comment over your blog but I couldn’t…they wouldn’t take my account and it gave a hard time…Lately Blogspot is acting weird :mellow:
How funny I just had this discussion with my husband days ago after seen a 2 year old playing with and ipad. Well everybody manage their own time in their family…different habits,education,values…etc And I respect that.
We don’t have tv in the bedrooms,we don’t have twitter,facebook,…etc accounts! We don’t use any kind of ipad,wii…or any other of those things.
In our house we have one tv and one computer! The only thing my daughter has in her bedroom besides her fish and her bed are lots lots of books and we will keep it that way as long as we can…I know when they grow up they ask for stuff like that…I know someday she may get a phone or an ipad but for now she is 3 years old and there is still long miles to go before that happens.
patty
Great post, Kimba. I believe that electronics are helpful and allow us to do many things, but they can also be a HUGE distraction. People that cannot put their phones down because they are texting someone else while they are with you, kids that will bring along their DS so they don’t have to interact with adults at gatherings, iPods that allow people to be in a room full of people yet be in their own world. I do not like these results that come from the use of electronics. It was interesting to read how they affected the children and families with Supernanny.
I know many people who spend so much time on Social Network sites and I often wonder what they could accomplish in their lives if they were not so distracted. I personally dislike Facebook as far as relationships go. People from the past request you and you request them just so we can poke around on the profiles and never get any deeper than that. I have found that quick, impersonal notes are passed back and forth and that is the end of the relationship growing. In my opinion it is a waste of time. The people I am close with will know what they need to about my life, not hundreds of people from the past that I will never see again.
As a child I watched a lot of tv. I watched hours everyday. It is funny, because I really dislike television now as an adult. I think I got my fill and realized when I had children that there was so much to learn and watching tv was just a waste of time. While we do enjoy educational dvds and movies on our projector, we watch very little television in our home, less than 3 hours a week. The children are allowed to watch movies together as a family but no one has a tv in their room. Computers are in the family area, again, none in the bedrooms. As parents, we need to be careful about how much we allow our children to use electronics. They are very addictive, which is why I cannot stand video games. I spent hours of my life playing Ms. Pacman and Donkey Kong. What did I gain from it? Nothing! Perhaps I am extreme, but I feel like something in me snapped when I became a mom and now I have no desire to introduce all these electronics to my family.
Thanks for the thought provoking post.
I believe in moderation. Even too much of a good thing can be bad for you.
That said, I think social media is fine but you have to look for signs if you’re going overboard with it
I definitely think that social media can have its benefits. On my facebook I have a large collection of mommy friends. I have my local moms group that is constantly using our facebook group to arrange playdates and sharing information about events happening in our community that we may with to take our children to.
I also have a network of mommy friends that have a child born in the same month as my son. These mom’s are a great source of support because we go through similar ages and stages at the same time. They share the latest information and research about various topics. We also share ideas about things we can do with our children, from a great book suggestion to a recipe to make homemade play dough. I think that some of the ideas that I have recieved from my friends through facebook have made me be a better mother.
Another big reason I love facebook is because it enables me to keep in touch with my very large family better. I live in the US and all my family live in Australia. Facebook makes it easier for me to share photos and videos.
As far as technology goes: My son does not even know what a TV is. We don’t have TV service. I have a giant old style TV sitting on the floor of JJs bedroom because I have no where else to fit it in my small house and as far as he in concerned it is a box for him to climb and to play with his cars on. I don’t talk on the phone much. I only have a cell phone and we use about 20mins a month total between my husband and I. However my son knows exactly how to play with an old cell phone and pretend talk to his daddy on it.
The only other digital device, besides a laptop, I have is my camera. I avidly like to take pictures and video of my son. I don’t let James play with it but if he wants a camera when he is older I will allow him to have one. Who knows he might be the next Ansel Adams.