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greencreeper · 04-09-2004, 03:54

As a kid I spent more time outside than inside. I used to end up miles (probably about 5 or 6 - maybe more) from home, walking in the local countryside. Pretty dangerous really since no one knew where I was and it was very isolated with lots of dangers - water, power station lagoons, open cast mine, and so on. I think I got my first computer aged 8 but it wasn't permanently setup - I had to get it out the box and assemble it. Games consoles came later but they didn't hold much attraction. I think I got my first PC (486 DX50) when I started college at 17 but I wasn't online at that time. PC games did hold an attraction but not in a major way. When I left home I spent a fair few years moving around without access to a PC. When I settled down and started Uni my grandad bought me a new PC (the one I use now) and I went online for the first time.

My dad gave me a love of the outdoors, for which I'm grateful. If I had more money I'd spend more time in the wilds. If anything, these days I spend more time at the PC (12 hours a day on average I'd guess) than anything else. That's because there's nothing else for me to do, and my job hunting is all done online anyway.

Do kids spend too much time online these days? Yes, but as others have said, that's because their parents fear something will happen to their children if they let them out of sight, which isn't true - we have the media to thank for that. I also think parents use the PC very much like they use television - as a child minder. We have the fast-paced modern lifestyle and feminism to thank for that. I don't have problems with children being online just so long as they're supervised and there's a balance between online and offline activity.

I find that I can be myself online - in the "real world" my shyness inhibits me greatly. It's worth noting that for many young gay men and women the Internet is an essential means of finding and communicating with their peers, especially when they're in rural communities. And many disabled and elderly people have found a new life online, free from the physical limitations imposed by their bodies.

04-09-2004, 03:54	#67
greencreeper Inactive Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Leeds - the dog house Age: 49 Services: Email me for a current price list Posts: 8,270	Re: A good balance? As a kid I spent more time outside than inside. I used to end up miles (probably about 5 or 6 - maybe more) from home, walking in the local countryside. Pretty dangerous really since no one knew where I was and it was very isolated with lots of dangers - water, power station lagoons, open cast mine, and so on. I think I got my first computer aged 8 but it wasn't permanently setup - I had to get it out the box and assemble it. Games consoles came later but they didn't hold much attraction. I think I got my first PC (486 DX50) when I started college at 17 but I wasn't online at that time. PC games did hold an attraction but not in a major way. When I left home I spent a fair few years moving around without access to a PC. When I settled down and started Uni my grandad bought me a new PC (the one I use now) and I went online for the first time. My dad gave me a love of the outdoors, for which I'm grateful. If I had more money I'd spend more time in the wilds. If anything, these days I spend more time at the PC (12 hours a day on average I'd guess) than anything else. That's because there's nothing else for me to do, and my job hunting is all done online anyway. Do kids spend too much time online these days? Yes, but as others have said, that's because their parents fear something will happen to their children if they let them out of sight, which isn't true - we have the media to thank for that. I also think parents use the PC very much like they use television - as a child minder. We have the fast-paced modern lifestyle and feminism to thank for that. I don't have problems with children being online just so long as they're supervised and there's a balance between online and offline activity. I find that I can be myself online - in the "real world" my shyness inhibits me greatly. It's worth noting that for many young gay men and women the Internet is an essential means of finding and communicating with their peers, especially when they're in rural communities. And many disabled and elderly people have found a new life online, free from the physical limitations imposed by their bodies.