Ask Lemmy

I mean, I don't really know, I don't plan to have kids and this is just one of the things that just feel like there is no right answer.

As for playful way, well... I am a monster. Some offline device with downloaded manuals (including Arch wiki), explanations of key parts of Linux and some basic networking, computer without OS, Arch Linux installer USB, and network connection possibly without DHCP server (with known network info).
And there you go. Figure it out. Archinstall should make it easy.

The best thing we have done is make all computers be in the same room, and no personal digital devices until they are old enough.

Just being able to give oversight is the most important thing.

You do need to be able to say “youre not old enough for that yet” and then explain why. Luckily my kids accept that when its explained.

I don't know if it can (or should) be done without the negative aspects. The internet is really dangerous.

Children can be introduced to baking in a playful way, but still need to be taught how to do it safely. You wouldn't try to do it without mentioning that the oven is hot, or that they shouldn't play with knives.

I don't have children so you can accept or dismiss my contribution as you please. I do have about 50 nieces and nephews of varying age (I have a big family) ... and they have lots more children after them.

Children shouldn't be exposed to the internet on their own until about 12 or 14 years of age. They shouldn't be given free reign to look at things as they please. If you do want to expose them to it all ... then it should always be under parent supervision.

I was born in the 70s (I never know what generation that makes me) ... all I know is that it placed me at the perfect age to grow up without the internet and to grow as an adult with the internet. Now I know how to navigate, explore and deal with the internet and social media on my own in a very objective, critical point of view ... I don't trust everything and I trust people less and I question everything I come across. I'm not perfect and I'm not the smartest but I am very careful about what I watch, read and interact with on the internet. I still do dumb things and watch dumb things but I also do my best to stay aware of many other important political, social, philosophical things in the world.

I got to that point by being able to have a critical view of the world and to learn how to do things on my own and learn lots ... mainly because I grew up without the internet. It takes a lot of imagination, work and brain power to try to do things with very little resources when you're a kid ... and that is an important training period for a young mind ... plus I learned to read books, comics and paperbacks .... reading takes in a lot more information than in watching 18 hours of minecraft videos, fail videos, funny videos or influencers dancing around.

I think kids should be encouraged to just learn on their own without the internet or with limited access .... then given full access to it once they get a bit older. If you just raise kids on nothing but free for all internet ... their brains are going to be pudding by the time they turn 18

On timing, I'd say that unless you plan to live in wilderness somewhere and limit connectivity options, that it's going to happen pretty quickly regardless of your position. Even if you don't provide access to the Internet, once kids start going to school, I expect that they'll make friends, and at least some of those friends are going to have Internet access, probably in a mobile form.

And phone-based WiFi hotspots and Bluetooth tethering means that if someone's friends have some sort of cell service with unlimited data, as long as they're around them, they can share an Internet access link, so can use their own WiFi-capable device, don't need to share devices. I expect that used WiFi-capable devices are not going to be hard to come by, though I guess that a parent could try to forbid their kids to have one.

And once a kid's location isn't restricted to being around their parents all the time, for anyone in an urban setting, there are going to be foot-accessible places that provide WiFi access

like, everyone at school knows the local Starbucks password or whatever.

EDIT: On consideration, I don't think that Starbucks actually passwords their WiFi service, but even for restaurants or shops or whatever that do and have guest WiFi, not a super high bar.

Yeesh let me know if you find a good answer. My <5 y.o. offspring found an old apple phone in a desk drawer and is begging me to charge it up, calling it “MY phone!” and in general causing me to worry about issues I wanted to avoid for a lot longer. Dreading the next 10 years of this battle.

I was pleasantly surprised that kids are being taught Internet safety in grade 1 where I'm from. Still no way in hell I'd let a kid on the internet unsupervised at that age mind you...

At what point is a mouth ready to drink from a firehose?