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Google releases smart watch for kids

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Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#481

Post by khazhoux »

blitzar wrote: post #477
bryanrasmussen wrote: post #456

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>As I recall, a big part of growing up was spending time and doing things my parents didn’t want me to do. a big part of parenting is making sure your kid actually is at school, or monitoring more closely a child that has done improper things.

In the 80's/90's if I was somewhere I shouldn't be or doing something that I shouldn't there was a 70% chance that when I got home my mother would know. The neighbourhood network of eyes was more powerful than googles all seeing eyes.

Ha, everyone here is forgetting that. And also, that all our personal documents were unencrypted :-) Parents could freely snoop if they wanted to.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#482

Post by blitzar »

Gud wrote: post #427
khazhoux wrote: post #414

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Tracking” is a scare word. The ability to see where my spouse is, when needed, without having to call or send a text, is a convenience. There’s nothing wrong with not sharing your location with your spouse if you don’t want to, but there’s also nothing weird about doing so. Neither of us “cares” one bit where the other is, but it’s frequently useful to know.

Yes, because spouses are adults. But kids being constantly tracked is absolutely scary. Do you really think it's healthy that kids grow up always being watched, constantly monitored by their primary authority figures?

> kids being constantly tracked is absolutely scary

Isn't that how the vast majority of the net worth of NH readers was generated?

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#483

Post by vasco »

1oooqooq wrote: post #417
BenFranklin100 wrote: post #404

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good lord. As I recall, a big part of growing up was spending time and doing things my parents didn’t want me to do. The idea of them tracking me is super creepy, as is tracking one’s spouse for that matter.

kids today will also remember in 30yrs from now how's they had so much freedom... they just had to leave their watch (btw, apple have had kid mode on their watches for a while now) in the school locker and they could roam around, heck maybe even get an uber to some place

"Google Fit isn't reporting your heart rate in the last 5 minutes and your accelerometer isn't detecting any movement so I called 911 to check on you since you likely had a heart attack".

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#484

Post by scotty79 »

BenFranklin100 wrote: post #404
khazhoux wrote: post #316

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This constant tracking of kids is unnecessary and dangerous. Generations of kids survived without their parents needing to know their location at all times. This topic is always so alarmist. I have kids and a spouse. We all have Find My and Location Sharing on our phones. I don't FrEaK oUt that my kids are going to die if I'm not tracking their every movement. But it's nice to glance at Find My app and see if the k…

Good lord. As I recall, a big part of growing up was spending time and doing things my parents didn’t want me to do. The idea of them tracking me is super creepy, as is tracking one’s spouse for that matter.

Is doing things your spouse doesn't want you to do a big part of your adult life too?

For me spause tracking was mostly for knowing when to go out of our apartment building to help her carry groceries from the car when she arrives.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#485

Post by rsa4046 »

josefx wrote: post #469
bryanrasmussen wrote: post #456

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>As I recall, a big part of growing up was spending time and doing things my parents didn’t want me to do. a big part of parenting is making sure your kid actually is at school, or monitoring more closely a child that has done improper things.

> a big part of parenting is making sure your kid actually is at school Quite sure that is the schools job. At least where I live the schools tend to assume several of the rights and responsibilities that normally fall on the parents. > or monitoring more closely a child that has done improper things. Do I want to know what you fucked up in your childhood that you assume your kids need constant monitoring to prevent…

> Quite sure that is the schools job. At least where I live the schools tend to assume several of the rights and responsibilities that normally fall on the parents.

Yes. The school is responsible for their safety and whereabouts. US K-12 public schools, if the child is missing from school, parents are contacted immediately. Teachers are responsible for attendance. All this is accomplished without device tracking. Federal law explicitly defines the school's responsibilities with regard to privacy rights of children in school. If parents wish to contact their child during school hours, they are asked to call the school, and school personnel will contact the child.

Device use is an enormous problem in schools. Talk to any teacher / admin: they will tell you allowing devices into schools has been a disaster.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#486

Post by gotski »

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'm currently waiting for my kid to arrive on a bus that may or may not be running late. With regards to tracking, it would be really handy to be able to check their location to get a sense of how long I'll be waiting (and how late I'll be for my next appointment).

I mean, reliable public transport and a good bus tracker app would be better, but probably not realistic in my city.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#487

Post by blitzar »

khazhoux wrote: post #481
blitzar wrote: post #477

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the 80's/90's if I was somewhere I shouldn't be or doing something that I shouldn't there was a 70% chance that when I got home my mother would know. The neighbourhood network of eyes was more powerful than googles all seeing eyes.

Ha, everyone here is forgetting that. And also, that all our personal documents were unencrypted :-) Parents could freely snoop if they wanted to.

Come to think of it, the padlocked diary and encouragement to write all ones secrets in it might have been a psyop.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#488

Post by vasco »

stickfigure wrote: post #362
godelski wrote: post #327

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In general I’m struck at how many people’s sense or “right” leans so hard on what’s available for sale. I'm mostly confused how it seems there's pretty significant evidence that helicopter parenting[0] has resulted in poor outcomes for kids[1] but then we act as if the reason it fails is because we aren't paying __enough__ attention. I am sympathetic to parents wanting to protect their kids, but if the objective is…

I object to the idea that putting a smartwatch on your child is helicopter parenting. It can be exactly the opposite - if a little piece of technology allows kids to roam farther unsupervised, then it fosters independence. I have never been accused of overparenting, yet I preordered one of these google watches. I expect to use it on outings like amusement parks and ski trips. We'll see how it goes.

It's not the opposite because they can just roam further unsupervised already. That truly fosters independence. If they need help they can call for help. Saying that left is right and right is left is a bit strange.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#489

Post by scotty79 »

throwaway290 wrote: post #440
taylorius wrote: post #437

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think that distinction is as stark as you make it. Spouses can be overly, annoyingly controlling - and it can happen gradually. I'm sure that for every person who doesn't mind their partner knowing where they are, there's another who has been pressured into it - perhaps by it being insinuated that their not wanting to be trackable means that they have something to hide.

It's about consent perhaps?

This is wild. Parents decide where and when their kid eats and sleeps and, what they eat and wear and thousand other very intrusive things, but suddenly when electronic device is involved, consent is required.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#490

Post by l33t7332273 »

vasco wrote: post #478
elaborate4013 wrote: post #454

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The average small child can't say what Dad's phone number is, or even his full name. Young kids have really limited awareness of their surroundings, and can get lost very easily. Add multiple kids into the mix and it can be a real challenge to keep them all together when you're out. I grew up memorizing my dad's number and was told to go find a trusted adult, stranger danger, etc. There was only one time I needed t…

Your no nonsense suggestions aren't appreciated, we like sending our kids locations to the NSA in real time here.

Is there any reason to suspect that tracking apps like find my are correlated with government surveillance?
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