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Debit card apps for kids are collecting a shocking amount of personal data

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Re: Debit card apps for kids are collecting a shocking amount of personal data

#41
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There’s a bit of a difference between not getting candy, and not having any friends. You’re doing your kid no favours if you think that’s a plus.

If those kids are actually their friends, they’ll make it work.

I can say from personal experience, this is absolute not the case. When everyone is using a service you aren't using, you get left out and you're less able to make friends in the first place.

Even if you do manage to make friends, a lot of people won't remember you're the only person they know who isn't able to see the facebook event everyone else is invited to.

Re: Debit card apps for kids are collecting a shocking amount of personal data

#42
Many posts here questioning why a kid needs/wants a debt card. I think most would be less surprised to know many things kids want to buy are digital, specifically app subs and virtual currency (i.e., robux). Even a 4-year old will be asking for an AppStore gift card to sub to Sago Mini

Re: Debit card apps for kids are collecting a shocking amount of personal data

#43
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, now lets try to apply that in practice with a kid angry at you for years.

> Sure, now lets try to apply that in practice with a kid angry at you for years. That's called "being a parent" in my circle? I have a toddler that loves to throw the "you're not my friend!" at me when I cut off the TV and tell her it is time for dinner. I never had a cell-phone until 17, despite all my friends having had theirs as early as the middle school years. Never mattered much in my case. I didn't have an X-…

This may shock you, but things have changed significantly in the past 20 years. Technology is even more necessary for social activity than when we were young. And I remember being the kid at the birthday parties that couldn't play video games, and couldn't participate in conversation at the lunch table because video games were most of what my friends talked about. Made me a permanent second-class citizen in my social group, which sucked. Got to the point where I literally did research on the games (reading strategy guides and such) just to have something to talk about. If the group plays poker, and you aren't allowed because of a moral stance on gambling, that's going to hurt your social opportunities quite substantially.

Also don't make the classic mistake of assuming your kids have all the same variables you did, or can approach the same variables the same way. You have to adapt your experiences to their environment and their personality/needs, often with different outcomes than what you experienced. Most parents are too cowardly for that and mess up their kids with strict enforcement of obsolete rules or letting them run wild with too little structure/guidance.

Re: Debit card apps for kids are collecting a shocking amount of personal data

#44
post #3

If I had a kid they would not be allowed to use Apps or have a Google account. Sure I'd give them a laptop, I would even probably give them unsupervised access to the web after they seemed ready, but Apps are no good even for most adults.

>> If I had a kid they would not be allowed to use Apps or have a Google account.

In our school district (Arlington Public Schools in Virginia), children get assigned Google GSuite accounts by default starting in Kindergarten. They are used for a variety of things, including authentication to multiple school apps.

Re: Debit card apps for kids are collecting a shocking amount of personal data

#45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Surely parents can just use their own debit card when the kid needs something that can’t be bought with cash? What if the child's gone to the store on their own?

Stores accept cash.

How do you transfer cash to the child from a remote location? Western Union is not exactly cheap or convenient.

Re: Debit card apps for kids are collecting a shocking amount of personal data

#46
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? Mind if I ask where? As much as cash use has dwindled here in the UK (at least anecdotally) I’ve never come across a store that won’t accept cash. I know a couple that didn’t accept it early in the pandemic (due to fear of covid spreading on cash) but that didn’t last long.

I got a drink at Happy Lemon in Sunnyvale, CA a couple days ago and they didn't take cash.

Was there another place to get a drink that accepted cash?

Re: Debit card apps for kids are collecting a shocking amount of personal data

#47
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was considering teenagers “kids”. Surely parents can just use their own debit card when the kid needs something that can’t be bought with cash? Special debit cards for kids seem to add unnecessary complexity (and opportunity for abuse) to the solution for a really simple problem.

This assumes the parent is either with kid constantly or parent gave his card to kid. You cant imagine 9 years old to go to buy ice cream or toy?

9 year olds going to the store by thrmselves? In some locations you would be locked up for that. Leaving a 9 year old at home alone would also fall under those rules/laws.

Re: Debit card apps for kids are collecting a shocking amount of personal data

#48
post #46
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got a drink at Happy Lemon in Sunnyvale, CA a couple days ago and they didn't take cash.

Was there another place to get a drink that accepted cash?

You're moving the goalpost.

The statement wasn't "there exists a store that still accepts cash", but "many stores no longer accept cash".

Re: Debit card apps for kids are collecting a shocking amount of personal data

#49
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This assumes the parent is either with kid constantly or parent gave his card to kid. You cant imagine 9 years old to go to buy ice cream or toy?

Sure, you can give them cash. If the parents aren’t around (e.g. they’re with a babysitter)…they can wait until the parents are around to give them cash.

Is this some weird american thing where kids can’t go outside by themselves?

Maybe your kid went to hang out with some friends after school, asks for money to go to the cinema or just to get some food?

Why would you go out of your way to make your life difficult by avoiding debit cards?

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