Anyone else find this sad??

3727 Views 17 Replies 7 Participants Last post by __jb, Jan 6, 2011

99gsspyder

Discussion Starter · Jan 4, 2011

I may be opening a whole can of worms here but am I the only one who finds this slightly disturbing

http://news.yahoo.com/video/chicago...cing-kids-to-spend-money-parents-say-23707317

I mean why the heck does a 6yr old need an ipod anyway..

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

VolGrad

· #2 · Jan 4, 2011

I didn't read the whole article but know the story from past articles.

Basically, there are a few sorry sack of crap app makers out there that put options in their "games" that allow you to "purchase" things to help you in your game ... for instance, in the game Tap Zoo my daughter got a warning stating, "Your animal is dying. Purchase medicine ...." Of course, kids think they are purchasing medicine, tokens, stars, etc. with "play" money as part of the game. WRONG. Many of these prompts will actually charge your iTunes account.

After I learned of this online I checked my iPhone and iPod Touch and disabled the "Allow In App Purchase" option at a GLOBAL level. Most people don't know to do this.

Now, should a 6yo have an option? Why not? Part of the reason I purchased my iPod Touch was to serve as a portable media player for road trips ... to replace the crappy portable DVD players that kept dying on us. It also served the role of music player for my wife, portable storage & viewing device for pics, access to e-mail and other online "stuff" while in WiFi hotspots, and many many other things.

6yos have all sorts of game systems and other electronic devices. I don't see that iPods are much different. I can only speak for my 7yo (now but was not even 6yo yet when I purchased my iPod Touch) but in addition to using it to watch movies, listen to movies, and play crappy games ... she also uses it to play educational games and other interactive things that enhance her development. It's also a good babysitter while in the car or when you have to bring your kid to work (like I did yesterday).

That's not an attack on you OP ... just stating my side of "should a 6yo have an iPod?". It wasn't meant to be argumentative.

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99gsspyder

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 4, 2011

Not taken as an attack at all, I guess im old school. I didnt even have a cell phone till I was 16 and had to purchase it with my own money..Now a days you see kids running around with smart phones, ipods, etc... dont rly know what the point of this is I just think its crazy is all.. Now as you stated there are games and things that you can do that are educational and those are fine but not sure on your age but think back to when you were a kid going on a road trip or whatever what did you have to keep you busy? in my case it was at most twiddling my thumbs and if you got to bored and annoying then you got the "sit down and shut up or ill turn the car around" speach. As I said guess im just old school and think kids have way too much crap now......hell who know maybe its jelousy (spelled wrong im sure) lol...

VolGrad

· #4 · Jan 4, 2011

I too agree kids have too much crap. My kid is guilty of whining about, "not having anything to do". It pisses me off knowing how much stuff she has to play with, read, etc.

As far as age .... I'm 37yo. I didn't have a cell phone until I was in college, late college at that. We were a one cell phone family for a long time after getting married. We passed it back and forth ... for emergency use.

Yes, things have changed. I am reliant on tech as is my wife and daughter. Times ... they are a changin'. Some for the good, some not so much.

TheLaw

· #5 · Jan 4, 2011

My 7 yr old son was handed down an ipod shuffle when he was 6 by his Grandfather who had updated his ipod to a better version. We loaded some Disney tunes and a few family friendly songs on it and let him go to town. He loves the thing. I actually bought my 4 year old daughter a shuffle for Xmas. My wife thought I was crazy but she lit up when she opened the box. Keep in mind, both of these are very basic ipods. No screens, few buttons. Basically play music, stop playing music and volume up or down.

I did buy my wife an Ipad and she has downloaded some education games on it for the kids when we are out. I will have to check into the setting that Volgrad mentioned as that concerns me.

On cellphones. my kids have a long way to go before they get one, however, I can suggest one good reason for getting kids cell phones. They can be tracked using GPS with them. You can literally pinpoint within a few feet of where your kids are at any giving moment as long as they have the phone on. Could be helpful!

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Tailhunter

· #6 · Jan 4, 2011

Old School ... is good school. Parents now-a-days suck. Most of them spend no time with their kids and expect machines to babysit them. They also feel kids need everything ... well you had better be prepared to support them the rest of their life .. they learn no value of work or money, then reality strikes (when they finally are on their own) and they can't deal. Run up large CC bills and sink into depression when they can't have all the latest and greatest. I see this kind of stuff all the time and it is very sad.

It all comes back to the parents ... you get out what you put in.

VolGrad

· #7 · Jan 4, 2011

Tailhunter said:
It all comes back to the parents ... you get out what you put in.

I agree with most of your post. Let's just not over generalize too much here. Not all of us suck.

Don Glock

· #8 · Jan 4, 2011

i worked for local cable company when i was going to college. i got a call one day from a father who's autistic child ordered over $1,000 worth of porno pay per views. it happens. i don't think the cell companies offer some sort of option were pay apps cannot be ordered. if parents don't trust their kids, then they shouldn't give them the opportunity to order costly entertainment. get the kid a scandisk mp3 player. there isn't an app market for that one. there's plenty others mp3 options without app markets. it's the parent's fault, and i have no sympathy for them.

TheLaw

· #9 · Jan 4, 2011

The games, ipods, toys, etc I use are in no way a substitution for my wife or I with the kids. We read nightly. They both have chores at ages 4 and 7. They are responsible for their own rooms, clothes, feeding the dogs, etc.. While I agree that there are many many terrible parents (for lack of a better word) today, I can assure you we aren't one and neither is Volgrad, not that I believe anyone one was stating as such. I personally strive to instill individualism, and responsibility into my children everyday. I try to be a very fair Father to my children but when they do not behave correctly, punishment comes very swiftly and is appropriate to the problem.

VolGrad

· #10 · Jan 4, 2011

Don Glock said:
if parents don't trust their kids, then they shouldn't give them the opportunity to order costly entertainment. get the kid a scandisk mp3 player. there isn't an app market for that one. there's plenty others mp3 options without app markets. it's the parent's fault, and i have no sympathy for them.

The problem is I do trust my kid. She is very responsible and every time a pop-up comes up now she stops and asks me how to proceed. She is paranoid she will "buy" something for real.

Like I stated on the particular games I have seen this in ... it is cleverly disguised to look like part of the game ... think using Monopoly money to "pay your rent" only your iTunes account is charged for "real" money without your knowledge.

It's all part of the learning curve as parents or any adult. Many adults have been duped as well. It's all sort of unchartered territory now.

Yes, we prob should know every single detail of every single thing we do ... online or otherwise ... but can you honestly say you read every single disclaimer on every single product you use? Honestly? If you were charged for something you had never even heard of or never even knew existed would you chalk it up to "it's my fault and I have no sympathy for me". It's doubtful. You learn from it and adapt.

TheLaw

· #11 · Jan 4, 2011

Don Glock said:
i worked for local cable company when i was going to college. i got a call one day from a father who's autistic child ordered over $1,000 worth of porno pay per views. it happens. i don't think the cell companies offer some sort of option were pay apps cannot be ordered. if parents don't trust their kids, then they shouldn't give them the opportunity to order costly entertainment. get the kid a scandisk mp3 player. there isn't an app market for that one. there's plenty others mp3 options without app markets. it's the parent's fault, and i have no sympathy for them.

When my son first figured out how to work the remote, I found two pay per views that were recorded by accident. That evening, I setup parental controls on all my receivers, and put a $1.00 limit on orders without my passcode. Nothing over PG is able to be watched without me entering the code in and no pay per views now, on any of the TVs. There are also no TVs in the kids rooms, nor will there be. When they get older, they will work on computers out in the family area, not in their room behind closed doors and I will monitor their every move on them. In my house, when it comes to my kids, there is no such thing as privacy.

VolGrad

· #12 · Jan 4, 2011

TheLaw said:
There are also no TVs in the kids rooms, nor will there be. When they get older, they will work on computers out in the family area, not in their room behind closed doors and I will monitor their every move on them. In my house, when it comes to my kids, there is no such thing as privacy.

Same here. My daughter is an avid reader and has spent more time behind a book alread than I EVER have in my life combined. Her vocabulary is absurd and if you can get her shy personality to speak she can hold a convo with any adult. Yesterday on the way into my office I was explaining again what Jury Duty was and why mommy had to go. She completely understood and came up with some great questions and conclusions. None of that did she get on the computer, an iPod, or television. It was from us ... sucky parents.

Don Glock

· #13 · Jan 4, 2011

TheLaw said:
When my son first figured out how to work the remote, I found two pay per views that were recorded by accident. That evening, I setup parental controls on all my receivers, and put a $1.00 limit on orders without my passcode. Nothing over PG is able to be watched without me entering the code in and no pay per views now, on any of the TVs. There are also no TVs in the kids rooms, nor will there be. When they get older, they will work on computers out in the family area, not in their room behind closed doors and I will monitor their every move on them. In my house, when it comes to my kids, there is no such thing as privacy.

yep, i had parents asking me all the time how to set that password in the cable box lol.

Don Glock

· #14 · Jan 4, 2011 (Edited)

VolGrad said:
The problem is I do trust my kid. She is very responsible and every time a pop-up comes up now she stops and asks me how to proceed. She is paranoid she will "buy" something for real.

Like I stated on the particular games I have seen this in ... it is cleverly disguised to look like part of the game ... think using Monopoly money to "pay your rent" only your iTunes account is charged for "real" money without your knowledge.

It's all part of the learning curve as parents or any adult. Many adults have been duped as well. It's all sort of unchartered territory now.

Yes, we prob should know every single detail of every single thing we do ... online or otherwise ... but can you honestly say you read every single disclaimer on every single product you use? Honestly? If you were charged for something you had never even heard of or never even knew existed would you chalk it up to "it's my fault and I have no sympathy for me". It's doubtful. You learn from it and adapt.

i've not encountered a situation where i was unaware that i was ordering something online. cable boxes and cell phone app markets that i've been on all require you to agree to accept the charges, and it lists the dollar amount. problem is, many folks don't read the screen, they just click "ok". had a lot of old ladies calling me at the cable company saying they inadvertently ordered a ppv for that reason. of course, there are also situations where it may not clearly indicate there are charges involved like with your situation. i just haven't encountered that issue personally.

that's great that she asks you before clicking. very responsible child.

i don't have any kids, but i think i would take off the belt if they rang up a big bill on their cells/cable tv LOL

TheLaw

· #15 · Jan 4, 2011

Don Glock said:
had a lot of old ladies calling me at the cable company saying they inadvertently ordered a ppv for that reason.

How many of those little old ladies were renting inappropriate Movies, "accidentally"?

Sheepdog808

· #16 · Jan 4, 2011

Don Glock said:
i worked for local cable company when i was going to college. i got a call one day from a father who's autistic child ordered over $1,000 worth of porno pay per views. it happens. i don't think the cell companies offer some sort of option were pay apps cannot be ordered. if parents don't trust their kids, then they shouldn't give them the opportunity to order costly entertainment. get the kid a scandisk mp3 player. there isn't an app market for that one. there's plenty others mp3 options without app markets. it's the parent's fault, and i have no sympathy for them.

Being a parent to an autistic kid is a challenge in and of its self. I know this because my son is autistic, but i think this guy just blamed the high porno bill on his son to void the boss' (wife) fury lol.

Don Glock

· #17 · Jan 4, 2011

TheLaw said:
How many of those little old ladies were renting inappropriate Movies, "accidentally"?

lol yeah. most people that called in claiming they ordered a ppv "inadvertently" simply ordered a movie they didn't like and wanted credit so they could order a different one lol

__jb

· #18 · Jan 6, 2011

Targeting kids in a children's game to pay for in-game items with real money sucks...

Under what circumstances would people agree to that... NEVER!

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