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Google releases smart watch for kids

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Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#211

Post by sillysaurusx »

citizenkeen wrote: post #139
sillysaurusx wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m amazed no one is pushing back on this. I respect your decision as a parent — it’s your decision — but not letting them have a phone until 16 or privacy in their YouTube sounds miserable for them. I would be, but everyone is different I suppose. In contrast, I was watching gore videos by the time I was 13. I think I turned out ok. We’ll see if it’s survivorship bias, but personally, I plan to give our daughter Kes…

The sooner my kid learns someone is always watching, the better.

Yes. But, having the freedom to watch something and decide for yourself is a different question. 16 is two years short of military age, and old enough to pay taxes on your income.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#212

Post by Aeolun »

iteria wrote: post #199
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For better or for worse the ship has definitely sailed on the laissez-faire "be home before sunset" parenting of past generations. It's only "sailed" because (some) parents demand to know where their kid is at all times. While I think it's difficult for any individual parent to, say, forbid social media for too long lest they ostracize their kid, saying "I won't track my kids" is a choice any parent can make. I jus…

It's a choice a parent can make until someone calls the cops because your kid is unattended. I've had people give me you're an awful parent side eyes for not keeping my eyes on my kid 100% of the time in a fenced in park. Letting my kid walk to school like I did as a kid is just forever outside of my reach if I want to not have CPS called on me. At least if I geotag my kid with someone obvious people will be chill ab…

I don’t understand why people would care about kids that are not obviously lost walking somewhere alone?

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#213

Post by 77ko »

My kids main demand is the following features, and this watch doesn't deliver on any of them:

1. Whitelist contacts for calling and text call - installing an app is a pain for older ppl / friends.

2. Music: Why not Google? This already has headphone support and the Pixel watch hardware which support musics.

3. Maps: in case they need to go A to B. WearOS has google maps, so this should be an easy add. School bus is on google maps for e.g, so being able to check time to leave would be great.

4. Battery: 16hrs at launch is not going to age well...

Overall, despite being in the market for this, would not buy.

Features kids didn't ask for and I don't want:

Gaming: There is a market for gamification, but it seems to me the product team went overboard and spent way too much time here at the cost of making a better kids watch. I have no doubt it can and will make some kids more active, but...

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#214

Post by sangupta »

stickfigure wrote: post #193
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #106

Ugh, I threw up a little in my mouth just from the headline. This constant tracking of kids is unnecessary and dangerous. Generations of kids survived without their parents needing to know their location at all times. And yes, I totally admit, some kids (very few actually depending on the locale) didn't survive. But we've traded this false sense of "safety" for kids that are so risk averse it is seriously negatively…

I can only guess you (and most of the other naysayers in this thread) don't have young children. My wife and I have been looking for something exactly like this for our 6yo. I lost him on a ski slope once over a year ago and I think he's still traumatized. He recently was afraid of going on a class trip because he was afraid of getting lost. This isn't for teenagers. It's for kids that are still attached to mama/papa…

Exactly what I came to say. I need something for my daughter to connect with and/or track her while playing with her friends outside. It is difficult to always be on her lookout, and any other watch tracks them more. I need control to see who they are talking to, chatting with, what apps they use, and controlling screen time. Few kids in her class are already on IG/Tiktok courtesy their elder siblings and I do not want my daughter to be exposed to such crap.

Edit: also to inform her in case I am running late to pick her up from school due to traffic or otherwise.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#216

Post by tdeck »

stickfigure wrote: post #193
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #106

Ugh, I threw up a little in my mouth just from the headline. This constant tracking of kids is unnecessary and dangerous. Generations of kids survived without their parents needing to know their location at all times. And yes, I totally admit, some kids (very few actually depending on the locale) didn't survive. But we've traded this false sense of "safety" for kids that are so risk averse it is seriously negatively…

I can only guess you (and most of the other naysayers in this thread) don't have young children. My wife and I have been looking for something exactly like this for our 6yo. I lost him on a ski slope once over a year ago and I think he's still traumatized. He recently was afraid of going on a class trip because he was afraid of getting lost. This isn't for teenagers. It's for kids that are still attached to mama/papa…

I hope this question doesn't offend, but have you taught your son what to do when he gets lost? Explicitly teaching and practicing strategies like this can help a lot. I was always taught to 1) stay where you are, not try to walk around and 2) approach someone who works at the store and tell them you're lost, your name, and your parents name. I also memorized my address and home phone number. Obviously that doesn't work in every situation but I think it gave me more confidence that I could handle things as a kid.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#217

Post by canadianfella »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #106

Ugh, I threw up a little in my mouth just from the headline. This constant tracking of kids is unnecessary and dangerous. Generations of kids survived without their parents needing to know their location at all times. And yes, I totally admit, some kids (very few actually depending on the locale) didn't survive. But we've traded this false sense of "safety" for kids that are so risk averse it is seriously negatively…

[dead]

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#218

Post by nicksergeant »

septic-liqueur wrote: post #206
sharadov wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gave my 11 year old an apple watch, not so that I can track him, but just so that he can call me when he needs me ( there are times when he's at practice and am running late to pick him up or sometimes he just plain loses track of time because of his ADHD ). And, he can set timers and alarms to keep track of his schedule. My kids are pretty free-range, riding their bikes to/fro from school and hanging out at their fr…

Dumb phone?

What’s nice about a smart watch is that it’s basically a dumb phone that’s hard to lose. Great for kids.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#219

Post by Aeolun »

wincy wrote: post #204
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For better or for worse the ship has definitely sailed on the laissez-faire "be home before sunset" parenting of past generations. It's only "sailed" because (some) parents demand to know where their kid is at all times. While I think it's difficult for any individual parent to, say, forbid social media for too long lest they ostracize their kid, saying "I won't track my kids" is a choice any parent can make. I jus…

This is a really naive take. I tried literally what you’re advocating. And what happened was some busybody lady in my neighborhood kept calling CPS when my daughter would walk to play at a friend’s houses down the block. When I was her age (6) I ranged an entire town on my bike. But this lady just kept calling on us. She’d bring my daughter home whenever she saw her out. It was infuriating. Once we got the Apple Watc…

There must be something you can do about that lady other than sticking a watch on your child. Something about harassment surely.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#220

Post by lrvick »

janice1999 wrote: post #11

Anyone else who would be uncomfortable opting your child into location, behavior and health surveillance by the world's largest advertising company?

Someone could offer to pay for their college and retirement and I would still never do it.

If you opt your kid into surveillance capitalism, you are the worst type of scum.

Remember it was once legal and common to buy children tobacco products.

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