DING! You Have The Right To Remain Silent
So here's the newest parental aid on the market, a token-based system that effectively turns your living room into a pay arcade.
According to the PlayLimit website, “the tokens empower kids to manage their own time, so parents no longer have to be the ‘time’s up!’ police.”
Are parents out there so eager to unload this task? Parents are supposed to be the "time's up! police". It's our job to set limits for our kids on a daily basis. Our kids are supposed to hear our voices saying no to them sometimes.
I'm not saying that all parental controls are bad - far from it. I'm all for availing myself of existing tools such as cable/satellite TV or game console lockout features, to make sure that my kids don't accidentally (or at some point in the future, on purpose) stumble onto skinemax or play an M or AO-rated game on the Xbox 360 (once we get one, that is).
But at the macro level, isn't there anyone out there who thinks that allowing parents to be responsible for what their kids play (and for how long) is a good idea?
"Ladies & gentlemen, introducing PlayLimit, brought to you by the design firm of Clinton, Thompson & Yee."
According to the PlayLimit website, “the tokens empower kids to manage their own time, so parents no longer have to be the ‘time’s up!’ police.”
Are parents out there so eager to unload this task? Parents are supposed to be the "time's up! police". It's our job to set limits for our kids on a daily basis. Our kids are supposed to hear our voices saying no to them sometimes.
I'm not saying that all parental controls are bad - far from it. I'm all for availing myself of existing tools such as cable/satellite TV or game console lockout features, to make sure that my kids don't accidentally (or at some point in the future, on purpose) stumble onto skinemax or play an M or AO-rated game on the Xbox 360 (once we get one, that is).
But at the macro level, isn't there anyone out there who thinks that allowing parents to be responsible for what their kids play (and for how long) is a good idea?
"Ladies & gentlemen, introducing PlayLimit, brought to you by the design firm of Clinton, Thompson & Yee."
posted by Dan at
3:24 PM
3 Comments:
Using available technology to help here and there is okay with me, but this just strikes me as parenting by proxy. Even though you're ultimately the one "saying" no, that's only true through the magic of the transitive property. You're the disciplinarian, once-removed.
By
Dan, at 9:18 AM
Parents should be held accountable for their children, to the extent we can control their actions. I think in this situation a parent having the control to tell the child "NO" when they want to continue playing beyond the set limits is what is required, rather than a device. But I recall the days when Dad had to shut off the power to the house to get the kids in order... perhaps this is somewhere in between.
By
Anonymous, at 6:01 PM
Preach on, Brother Max! :)
By
Dan, at 11:14 PM
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