Addictive

Back in the summer Bearing-Erin wrote a post about parameters for kids using the internet. I thought at the time that its ideas were good for younger kids, but I also wondered how it might need to be modified for kids a little bigger than hers. I'm still thinking about it.

--Oh, the problem with posting in haste late at night is that you (I) sometimes make bad judgments about bigger kids and privacy. Middle paragraphs redacted. Nutshell version: long-term effects on kids who learn to love computer time are uncertain and a little worrisome.--

This is a bit of the background behind yesterday's crotchety post. I can't help but wonder: if we teach kids that the iPad comes out every time they must wait for something, how do they learn what to do when the iPad isn't available? Doesn't that approach disregard the addictive potential of devices like iPads and iPhones? In four years my oldest will be a freshman in college, with no one to say, "You can't play on the computer until you've finished [whatever needs finishing]." And then what?