Nanny iPad = big bills for negligent breeders

This newspaper has a column where people who are unable to get their money back from shady companies request assistance and the paper chases the company and generally gets them to pay up. Usually it's something like a table that breaks after 1 month, or a company pursuing an electric bill when the person isn't even a customer. But not long ago they did one where a breeder gave their kids iPads but didn't apply any parental controls and then did Pikachu face when they got a bill for 600. The article pursued the matter, with a side note that "To non-parents this sounds like staggering incompetence" and ended up getting the stupid breeders a refund.

The comments about 90% unsympathetic toward the breeders, since it's hardly a new thing and anyone who buys their kids technology should do a wee bit of research on how to avoid charges.

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To non-parents, this sounds like staggering incompetence on your part. no. It just sounds like staggering incompetence generally.

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Also, any in-game transaction that I've ever seen makes it VERY clear that real, actual money is about to be spent. If your children are unable to process that information, then they shouldn't be having unsupervised access to computers.

And finally, the fact your nine year old says "their whole life is ruined" shows how much you're using the iPads to distract and occupy them. Frankly, I have zero sympathy here, and yes, I am a parent (and grandparent).

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"To non-parents this sounds like staggering incompetence”

That’s because it is.

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“To non-parents this sounds like staggering incompetence”
I'm a parent and this is staggering incompetence, but typical of people who don't take their parental responsibility seriously.

Clueless people, just too happy for their kids to "be online" without the foggiest idea of what they're up to.

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I'm a parent of 10 and 8 year olds, and this is indeed staggering incompetence.

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I’m sorry, but the phenomenon of kids spending on their naive parents accounts via an iPhone or iPad is almost as old as the App Store itself. There is not really much excuse to begin with, but now there’s multiple ways to stop this. There’s a service built-in to disable purchases by kids, and there’s a service that allows kids to ask the account holder if they can buy something. You can also just remove your account details completely.

It’s entirely on the parent to do their due diligence. All they had to do was google “anything I should know before I give my kids an iPad?”

Yet, despite the overwhelming lack of sympathy, they've decided to do a new article to highlight this "problem" in the era of COVID-19: with children off school and gaming online parents face shock bills.

Won't someone think of the breeders who have managed to ignore every bit of advice over the last 10 years on this topic and are still shocked at the effects of their neglectful parenting?

I don't believe that children below high school age should be using computers. And 18 is the lowest age I would think to have a smartphone. A child under age 12 should only have pens, pencils, paper, and crayons to amuse themselves.

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Passive Aggressive
Master Of Anti-brat
Excuses!

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craftyzits
I don't believe that children below high school age should be using computers. And 18 is the lowest age I would think to have a smartphone. A child under age 12 should only have pens, pencils, paper, and crayons to amuse themselves.

That's entirely too draconian. In a tech-saturated world, that's like saying kids shouldn't be allowed to learn to read before they're 12. It's not about depriving children of tools; it's about the parents having to fucking parent and make sure their children are responsible with it.

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kittehpeoples

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craftyzits
I don't believe that children below high school age should be using computers. And 18 is the lowest age I would think to have a smartphone. A child under age 12 should only have pens, pencils, paper, and crayons to amuse themselves.

That's entirely too draconian. In a tech-saturated world, that's like saying kids shouldn't be allowed to learn to read before they're 12. It's not about depriving children of tools; it's about the parents having to fucking parent and make sure their children are responsible with it.

I agree with kittehpeoples. Many people who work in IT got their first taste of it by tinkering with computers at a young age. And while I think the case is severely overstated for "digital natives", there is something to be said for children developing competency for technology which is in widespread use, even if they aren't going to be tinkerers. Plus I can't even imagine how children would do their lessons now, under lockdown, without access to technology.

The problem is breeders who let technology raise their children. It is their job to limit screentime and ensure appropriate use of devices. But most would rather hand a 2-year-old their phone to let them watch videos than actually parent.

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yurble
But most would rather hand a 2-year-old their phone to let them watch videos than actually parent.

Exactly the problem. It isn't the tool; it's the usage.

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kittehpeoples

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craftyzits
I don't believe that children below high school age should be using computers. And 18 is the lowest age I would think to have a smartphone. A child under age 12 should only have pens, pencils, paper, and crayons to amuse themselves.

That's entirely too draconian. In a tech-saturated world, that's like saying kids shouldn't be allowed to learn to read before they're 12. It's not about depriving children of tools; it's about the parents having to fucking parent and make sure their children are responsible with it.

Problem is, the world is too tech saturated. We are so seperated from nature and other people that we don't even know how to live anymore. When new mothers neglect their newborns so they can stare for hours at a colorful little screen, I'd say it is time to limit it.

Kids aren't going to flunk if they can't get their information from a screen. It was actually some computer and tech companies that offered to help fund the lessons or some stuff in the schools if the school would use their products. The schools needed the funding, so they did as they asked. The electronics are only there to promote a product and to make the schools dependent on them, so it is not like the computers were this big discovery that allowed students to learn better.

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nightfire
Problem is, the world is too tech saturated. We are so seperated from nature and other people that we don't even know how to live anymore. When new mothers neglect their newborns so they can stare for hours at a colorful little screen, I'd say it is time to limit it.

Kids aren't going to flunk if they can't get their information from a screen. It was actually some computer and tech companies that offered to help fund the lessons or some stuff in the schools if the school would use their products. The schools needed the funding, so they did as they asked. The electronics are only there to promote a product and to make the schools dependent on them, so it is not like the computers were this big discovery that allowed students to learn better.

Debatable, but the fact remains that there's a difference between moderate usage and no usage.