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Google releases smart watch for kids

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Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#691

Post by ghaff »

steve_adams_86 wrote: post #62
wmf wrote: post #3

Smartwatches may be an overlooked answer to the kid phone conundrum. Watches have the communication and location tracking that parents demand without the distraction of phones.

My watch changed my relationship with my phone very positively, so I offered to get my kids watches as a phone alternative. Not that they couldn't have phones at all, but they'd leave them at home when going on, and not carry them in their pockets around the house. They declined because they think watches are lame and nerdy. Only the most unfortunate kids get watches. They still can't carry them around the house, but…

Funnily enough a lot of people trotted out the "only old people wear watches" argument when the Apple Watch came out as a reason why it was going to be a failure.

That said, I canceled my cellular plan on my original one and really mostly use it as a GPS device when hiking. It's easier just to use a watch that doesn't need charging day to day.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#692

Post by blitzar »

bilsbie wrote: post #319
steve_adams_86 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My watch changed my relationship with my phone very positively, so I offered to get my kids watches as a phone alternative. Not that they couldn't have phones at all, but they'd leave them at home when going on, and not carry them in their pockets around the house. They declined because they think watches are lame and nerdy. Only the most unfortunate kids get watches. They still can't carry them around the house, but…

How did your relationship To your phone change?

In public I very rarely have my phone out of my pocket or bag. 75% of the notifications that would make me look at my phone, I get on my watch. I also never miss a notification when my phone is not in my hand/pocket and as such have reduced the notifications significantly.

I no longer get Phantom vibration syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_vibration_syndrome.

I also can tell the time without taking out my phone.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#693

Post by gedy »

esteth wrote: post #165
tonightstoast wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn’t it need to be paired with a phone thought?

It only needs to be paired to an iOS device for initial setup and configuration. A watch with cellular can operate independently of the iOS device after setup and configuration.

It's been a year or so, but some carriers refused to sell me a watch only plan, it had to be a new cell plan for a phone too. (And pairing with an existing phone meant it had that cell's number, not a watch only one.)

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#694

Post by masterj »

philomath_mn wrote: post #670
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…

I had unrestricted (dial up) internet access from a very young age and I _do not_ think it was good for me. I don't think having that access in my pocket at all times would have helped either (I didn't get smartphone until I was out of college in 2013). Despite all the rules I've outlined in this thread, I really do believe in giving my kids as much freedom and autonomy as possible. I do not want to manage their time…

I don’t mind the content they watch on kids YouTube (mostly, streamers can be awful), but the exposure to the algorithm turns them into tiny zombies and led to behavior problems. Even adult brains have trouble navigating the dopamine hits of recommendation algorithms optimized to keep you engaged.

We’ve stuck to a middle ground where they are limited to a certain amount of YouTube per day (but have no time limits for Netflix, games, etc). This has worked well so far

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#696

Post by binkHN »

77ko wrote: post #213

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 o…

Good points! I can't agree more with item 1.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#697

Post by scrumper »

andrewla wrote: post #31

We've been happily using the Verizon Gizmo watch for a while now. It's a deliberately crippled smart watch. No games, no apps (it has a step counter and a stopwatch, but that's about it) -- some calling functionality, some messaging functionality, tons of oversight (limited contacts, all contacts must be approved by a guardian), and location tracking. It's kind of bad at all of these, but our primary thought is to ha…

Tried a Gizmo when my daughter hit 5th grade; a big increase in independence comes around then (at least in our town which is still quite old fashioned with many, many kids walking, shopping, socializing, and playing outside unsupervised all over town in the nicer months).

The thing was an absolute turd. I think over 9 months I managed to get one message to go through to her, maybe two or three calls worked. She was never able to reach us when she wanted, and we could never reach her. End result was that we both experienced far more anxiety than if she'd had nothing at all - utterly counterproductive. Whether on wifi or 5 bar cell coverage, the damn thing just wouldn't ever reliably actually communicate. Support never figured it out though we did try.

The final straw came when she walked over to a friend's house across town one afternoon for a playdate, then I tried to call her an hour later to make sure all was ok and it didn't ring, as usual. I tried the location tracker thing and it told me she was in a dodgy neighborhood 20 miles away from where she was supposed to be. (People here will probably guess that it was getting location info from the address formerly associated with the WiFi AP at the house she was at - the parents had recently moved.) After that panic she and I both decided it was a piece of crap and we upgraded her to an Apple Watch as a "graduation present" from elementary school. It's worked perfectly, and it has been easy to manage controls and restrictions.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#699

Post by CyberDildonics »

teddyh wrote: post #677
CyberDildonics wrote: post #663

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Will you still track them when they're 25? Or 30? You think someone keeping track of their small child means they will somehow track their location when the child is 30 years old?

Oh, absolutely. Basically all parents treat their children as just that, children, regardless of their age.

To be perfectly clear here, you think that a parent that buys this smart watch and tracks their kid's location will "oh absolutely" track their child's location into their 30s when they are old enough to have their own career and family?

Can you explain why this completely abnormal behavior is an accurate prediction?

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#700

Post by khazhoux »

kelnos wrote: post #574
khazhoux wrote: post #373

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Third option: it's a great convenience for the entire family to be able to access each other's whereabouts easily. My family can find my own location on their phones at any given time. I don't feel like I've lost privacy because of that.

I find this attitude bizarre. I would never give my family 24/7 access to my exact location. Then again, Google has 24/7 access to my exact location if they want it, so maybe my priorities are a little messed up.

Why would it bother you if your spouse+kids had access to your location? Honest question, because I don’t understand the sentiment.
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