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Google releases smart watch for kids

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Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#781

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't have significant control over your wife and friends. At least hopefully. They're also adults who are self sufficient and you trust to be. That not the same for kids. Even if your kids trust you

If my kid, when he reaches a certain age of maturity (let's all agree this number is greater than 6), wants to separate from the group location share - then that's a reasonable conversation to have then? The grandparent poster literally said that it's the worst possible outcome if the 15-year-old _wants_ to be part of a location sharing group. If they still want it, what's the issue? I feel like people are bringing a…

I don't know you, I don't know your kids. But I think you need to be aware of the implications and biases of "opt-out" vs "opt-in".

> I feel like people are bringing a lot of personal baggage from their upbringing into this conversation.

Of course? Are we not supposed to learn from the mistakes of our parents? And we're supposed to be aware of the nuances and subtleties that exist.

But I'm confused over your point. Is it "I know people will abuse this, but __I__ won't?" Because I do not think that is a great excuse. You instead need to argue about percentages and the harm. That's the ratio that matters. Because you, and your children, are not the only entities in the world. Of course people bring in their personal experiences. Why should we not be learning from others? Our experiences are limited and not all encompassing. Ignoring others experiences is naive and egotistical. I'm not ignoring yours, I just think the rate of abuse and the harm it does is not worth it. I do recognize there is utility, and I think most here do. It's a common discussion in anti-authoritarian groups about how surveillance becomes pervasive through mostly good intentions. After all, is that not what the path to hell is paved with? And this is why I'd refuse to call you bad, evil, or ill intentioned. In fact, I think you have good intentions. I just think the world is complex and there is more that we need to think about than our individual cases and people similar to us. If it was that easy, we would already be living in a much better world.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#783
post #779

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Can you explain why this completely abnormal behavior is an accurate prediction? “Abnormal” is ambigous. It can either mean “unhealthy” or “uncommon”. I mean that this behavior, while unhealthy, is not uncommon. Most parents absolutely do not trust their kids to be adults, since in the eyes of the parents, the kids still are just that; kids . It takes an uncommonly strong sense of self-discipline and insight on the…

Most parents absolutely do not trust their kids to be adults, Now you're either saying that 'most' parents track the live location of their children into their 30s or you're saying something vague and irrelevant. What are you saying exactly? This was about location tracking. It seems like you're either talking about your own irrelevant frustrations or you're saying things that you have no evidence of.

> What are you saying exactly? This was about location tracking.

The question, as posed by you, was whether a parent who was keeping track of their child while the child was very young, would still do so when the child comes of age and into adulthood. I proposed that the likelihood was very high indeed, since most parents have trouble reevaluating their perception of their child, even though that perception was formed and solidified while the child was very young. It follows, that parents would not see a good enough reason for deliberately altering their habitual tracking as the child turns into an adult.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#784
post #783

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most parents absolutely do not trust their kids to be adults, Now you're either saying that 'most' parents track the live location of their children into their 30s or you're saying something vague and irrelevant. What are you saying exactly? This was about location tracking. It seems like you're either talking about your own irrelevant frustrations or you're saying things that you have no evidence of.

> What are you saying exactly? This was about location tracking. The question, as posed by you, was whether a parent who was keeping track of their child while the child was very young, would still do so when the child comes of age and into adulthood. I proposed that the likelihood was very high indeed, since most parents have trouble reevaluating their perception of their child, even though that perception was forme…

keeping track of their child while the child was very young

You keep avoiding saying location tracking. Are you seriously talking about location tracking an adult in their 30s? Say it directly.

Are you saying this happens with knowledge or without? With consent or without? Are you saying parents are putting live location trackers on their 30 year old children's owned phones?

Why do you keep ignoring the actual point and saying abstract irrelevant things like 'parents want to keep track of their children' ?

Address the actual point and show some evidence.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#785
post #570
post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly,I feel that some parents will be judged by their peers if they are not keeping a short leash on their children. And because people are encouraged to look at any sign of child neglect (for some reason), dirty clothes or bruise that could be acquired during play, could be easily misconstrued as child abuse.

It's interesting that some parents seem to be more worried about what their peers think about them, than about giving their child the opportunity to grow to be well-adjusted and independent.

Considering that some judgement could come it a form of community shunning or harassment, I would be worried in these case.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#786

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…

There's a fix to the "nerdiness" issue: Have the kids pick awesome bands or band/frame combinations from AliExpress. (They're about $5-20 rather than $60-200.) There are plenty out there to transform a watch to look nothing like an Apple or Samsung watch, and look nothing like anyone else's watch.

This thread should be rewuired reading for parents. Thank you and to parent commenters for your contributions.

If you have specific models of watches you have been most successful. Please do share.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#787

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Parents decide that for babies. Kids going through puberty that let their parents continue to decide every decision can be an actual abusive relationship. You need to be influencing good behavior, not forcing it at a certain point.

Kinds going through puberty are already tracked through their phones, if not by their parents then by uncle Google. I thought we were talking about younger kids.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#788
post #783

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What are you saying exactly? This was about location tracking. The question, as posed by you, was whether a parent who was keeping track of their child while the child was very young, would still do so when the child comes of age and into adulthood. I proposed that the likelihood was very high indeed, since most parents have trouble reevaluating their perception of their child, even though that perception was forme…

keeping track of their child while the child was very young You keep avoiding saying location tracking. Are you seriously talking about location tracking an adult in their 30s? Say it directly. Are you saying this happens with knowledge or without? With consent or without? Are you saying parents are putting live location trackers on their 30 year old children's owned phones? Why do you keep ignoring the actual point…

(Please keep this conversation about the topic and less about what you evidently consider some sort of personal conflict.)

> You keep avoiding saying location tracking. Are you seriously talking about location tracking an adult in their 30s? Say it directly.

Yes, of course. I did not intend to be obscure.

> Are you saying this happens with knowledge or without? With consent or without? Are you saying parents are putting live location trackers on their 30 year old children's owned phones?

I’m saying that parents will probably keep location trackers on their kids’ phones, and never get out of the habit of installing them, regardless of how their child ages into adulthood. Show me a parent who had such a tracker installed in a child’s phone, but go out of their way to make an effort to uninstall it the day the child turns 18, and I will show you a rare parent indeed. With or without knowledge and/or consent? Of course without their child’s consent; the parents originally put the tracker in the child’s phone without consent, and so the habit will continue. They key word in all of this is habit; parents acquire habits about their kids, and will continue to follow these habits regardless. The same goes for knowledge; if the child originally was always told about the tracking, this will continue, but if the child was never informed, this will also continue.

Parents, like all people, are creatures of habit, and will not easily change their ways and opinions, even though time passes, things change, and children grow up.

> Why do you keep ignoring the actual point and saying abstract irrelevant things like 'parents want to keep track of their children'?

You are quoting something I did not write, and I can therefore not answer this question.

> Address the actual point and show some evidence.

If you think I am ignoring the point, please state what you would like the point to be, and I will comment on it as proper in this forum. Contrary to what you seem to believe, I am not trying to be obtuse.

Regarding evidence, I am not aware of any research about any of this.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#789

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got an Apple watch for my 11-year-old for precisely this reason - he can text, call, and play some games on it. Subscription to cellular is $10/month. And it let me set parental controls on it. No way was I getting him a phone, it's already way too distracting with the other devices he has access to at home.

What carrier is $10?

Visible (Verizon) has a "plus" plan for $45/mo which includes Apple Watch service.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#790
post #788

Earlier quoted context omitted.

keeping track of their child while the child was very young You keep avoiding saying location tracking. Are you seriously talking about location tracking an adult in their 30s? Say it directly. Are you saying this happens with knowledge or without? With consent or without? Are you saying parents are putting live location trackers on their 30 year old children's owned phones? Why do you keep ignoring the actual point…

(Please keep this conversation about the topic and less about what you evidently consider some sort of personal conflict.) > You keep avoiding saying location tracking. Are you seriously talking about location tracking an adult in their 30s? Say it directly. Yes, of course. I did not intend to be obscure. > Are you saying this happens with knowledge or without? With consent or without? Are you saying parents are putt…

Regarding evidence, I am not aware of any research about any of this.

You don't say. In other words you are making up and hallucinating these vague scenarios. You saying things like 'parents are creatures of habit' is not evidence that these made up things actually happen.

This smart watch is being advertised for actual kids. 6-12 year olds. Do you actually think a 30 year old is going to keep using their toy watch for 20 years, stay on their parents phone plans and their parents are going to track their 30 year old child?

If you ask 100 people if they think a child is going to keep their toy watch that is made for tracking kids for 20 years and let their parents track them decades into adulthood, they wouldn't just say no, they would look at you like you're speaking a different language.

This has never happened and you aren't even close to showing this is something that happens normally because all you keep doing is repeating your claim without evidence.

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