[afavour]

Why on earth is this on HN, I wonder? I feel like the author needs to be told “yes, you’re a much better parent than all the other parents you know” so that they can relax a bit and stop gunning for attention on the internet. If only this was in the form of a TikTok video, then the irony would truly have eaten itself.

EDIT: this post wants me to sign up for a newsletter named “CryptoFireside”? Is it a weird content strategy to improve SEO for a crypto shill or something?

[dougmwne]

I find it relevant since it’s at the intersection of parenting and algorithmic hyper-media. It’s one person’s experience, and we can agree or disagree, but all the same, it’s one real parent with real children trying to navigate around this monster we have all built, go us!

[JumpCrisscross]

Meh, I found it insightful. Some parent get caught in a quagmire of indecision when contrasting what they feel is right with their insecurity around what society deems right. In some cases, that should prompt re-evaluation. But in many, it’s needless paralysis. (The author appears to be railing against that paralysis, not any specific position.)

[jb_s]

This. It's also a very common and controversial topic where everyone has their own goddamned opinion they think is right - hence it's going to generate a firestorm of debate wherever it's posted.

Except on HN because it's probably going to get nuked.

[bobsmooth]

I'm constantly seeing stories about how TikTok and social media are ruining kids these days when, like its always been, its the fault of the parents.

[notjoemama]

One brief note from our experience, while we tried for years to put limitations on screen time for our kids, we found it to do some measure of harm. Our kids are naturally quiet and reserved. Social media and online friend contact turned out to be beneficial for them, I think. We let plenty go because both our kids would refer to the fact their friends were playing a game (with chat) or joining some online channel, or even doing homework together at a specific time. Knowing you as a parent are taking social time away from kids that are light-social to begin with, especially seeing the look of importance in their eyes, its a bit heartbreaking. We could have done some things better but based on their personality, I think having some discussions about the effect of too much social media and online consumption has done more than imposing strict limits. But I'm guessing here and I have the benefit of hindsight. Not to mention I recognize this was us trying to do what we thought was right for our kids and may not apply for other families.

To me it feels like if the majority of parents are onboard with limitations and timeline then it would be a lot easier. Ironic how the asynchronicity of tech doesn't help in this case.

[BLKNSLVR]

Because bad parenting 'feels' (I have no data to back me up) like it's on the increase, due to the ease with which "real parenting" can be delegated to an electronic device because of the incorrect assumption that a quietly occupied child is the goal of a positive parental experience.

[TimTheTinker]

> a quietly occupied child is the goal of a positive parental experience

Being quietly occupied is great for a child if they are productively engaged -- i.e. they felt bored but then decided to do something productive about it. With a few guardrails, boredom in otherwise well-adjusted kids is a superpower.

My daughter (11) has been producing a family newspaper. She was complaining of being bored, so I gave her an old 2011 MacBook Pro with lots of preinstalled apps and no Internet access.

[thefz]

On a wider note, why parenting should be on HN at all?