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Help kids handle use of handhelds |
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Written by Laura Mackenzie
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Jun 01, 2006 |
Karen Gimse learned that her 11-year-old daughter, Kimber, wanted an
MP3 player when it appeared on her Christmas list last fall. After
careful consideration, Santa complied, and the Redmond tween now sports
an iPod that holds 30 GB of music and has video capability. For safety
reasons, Kimber recently started carrying a cell phone as well.
Is this unusual? Not according to a recent study by the Consumer
Electronics Association. In fact, teens appear to be seeking portable
electronics in droves. The study, conducted in February 2006, found
that households with teens own 50 percent more electronics than
non-teen households. In addition, the top three planned electronic
purchases by teens are an MP3 player, a cell phone and a video game
console. The study found portable gaming consoles to be very popular
among teens as well.
It's not at all surprising that handheld electronics appeal to middle
schoolers. Unlike the family computer, kids have personal control of
portables, and can customize them as they see fit. Cell phones help
keep them informed of the latest gossip. Also, having finally achieved
a measure of independence, tweens may simply enjoy entertainment that
does not render them homebound.
Despite the obvious appeal to students, Vicki Clark, counselor at
College Place Middle School in Edmonds, has reservations. Clark says
she has witnessed middle schoolers using portable electronics to
isolate themselves. "They plug in and don't pay attention to the world
around them," she says. In this sense, Clark feels these devices can
hinder social development.
iPod-induced hearing loss is another concern that has recently made
headlines. iPods can produce sound up to approximately 120 decibels,
and according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association,
sounds louder than 80 decibels are considered potentially dangerous.
Apple currently faces a lawsuit over this, and has responded by making
a maximum volume setting available as a software update for current
iPod models. The update allows parents to lock the maximum volume with
a password.
Kids may enjoy the autonomy that portable electronics offer them, but
Clark warns that parents need to be vigilant about monitoring their
use. She stresses that parents should be aware of what kind of music
their kids are listening to and the video games they are playing. Games
for the Gameboy Advance, for example, range from the benign "Backyard
Basketball," to "Grand Theft Auto Advance," which according to the
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) contains "Blood, Sexual
Themes, and Violence."
To help parents determine what software is appropriate, the ESRB offers a comprehensive Web site (www.esrb.org)
that not only lists game ratings for every platform available, but also
describes specifically the type of content each game contains.
Similarly, iTunes, Apple's online store offering downloadable music,
tags any song with explicit content. Parents can then use iTunes
parental controls to restrict access to these songs.
Can portable electronics be educational? Absolutely. In addition to
music, kids can download audio books and podcasts onto their MP3
players. Podcasts are like online radio shows, and they can be found on
iTunes and other Web sites. The range of podcast topics is vast, and
many of them are educational. Some pioneering teens are even producing
podcasts, including North Seattle resident George Hageman, who attends
Lakeside School and hosts a popular military history podcast.
Brad Shaffer, a Seattle single father of three, feels cell phones have
had a positive effect on his family. His son Alex, 14, and daughter
Hannah, 17, both carry cell phones. Alex and Sam, 11, use portable
gaming systems as well as MP3 players. Shaffer feels that as a single
father, the cell phones help him stay connected with his kids when they
aren't together.
Shaffer does, however, stress the importance of setting limits with
these devices. He requires the kids to complete chores, homework and
baths before gaming is allowed. He has also set some rules regarding
appropriate use, such as not allowing phones to be answered at the
dinner table. "The kids have a decent sense of when and where to use
such devices, but there have been reminders and instruction throughout
the years," he says.
Clearly, if middle schoolers are ready to own portable electronics, it
is only with a great deal of guidance from Mom and Dad. Kids may
already know how to use them, but it's up to parents to teach them the
rules: when, where and why. As Shaffer puts it, "portable electronics
are tools for moving through life and entertaining oneself at times.
They have nothing to do with what life is really about."
Laura Mackenzie, a freelance writer, lives in Redmond with her husband and two children, ages 5 and 1.
Handhelds: parent resources
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Ages & Stages 
