A "Q" for you with kids going back to school

[hitrack]

Just curious for those of you with kids going back to school. I was just looking at a Zellers flyer and on the front is like a 13-15yr old girl holding a $300 PDA, it also shows USB thumb drives lap tops discmans and MP3 players, etc....

My Q is do kids really need and get all this shit to go back to school now a days. I mean when I was in hischool there was no internet, mp3z, laptops or computers like there is now.

Christ sakes what kinda 14yr old needs a friggen PDA, or a $2000 laptop.

What the hell do kids do in school now a days. When I went as long as you had some blank paper and a couple pens it was all good.

 

[massageseeker]

times are a changin'! ... buck up ..

I dont think a kid needs MP3 players and sony disc man etc etc .. or even a laptop or do they ??/ think about it .. no school, not yet anyways requires a grade 6 kid to have a portable PC .. maybe shortly down the road.. maybe they will be provided for them .. They will not be stupid kids if they dont have these gadgets but if 6/10 have them and use them and master them ..they will have an edge on students that have not ....

If you are already computer literate when you hit grade 10 or say university where you take computer classes.. you can do well and go to an even higher level..

It would be like learning how to play golf with beginners .. and you are a 6 handicap .. while other cant get the ball in the air. .. when they are practising hittting you will be practising trying to perfect your putting .... it will give you more time to focus on other areas..

it will be like ESL students they are in school learning english .. while the english students are learning academics..

It will be a way of life. ...

 

[goldenpig]

I agree with you, hitrack. It seems kids "need" MP3s, Xboxes and all the other crap now, but it goes farther than just kids. Our whole culture is based on having more than the other guy... buying a better stereo, faster car, bigger screen plasma tv etc... I think it's a load of crap.

The novelty of all these things wear off so quickly that you have to go out and buy the next new thing that comes out. IMHO it's just people not wanting to think about what they really want in life and just buying exactly what they're "supposed" to buy based on what's marketed at the moment.

Of course a teenager doesn't "need" an MP3 player or an Xbox, but when all their friends have one, I guess they think they need one to be part of the group. We're in a pretty sad state when people have stopped buying based on what's needed or even wanted and just go out and buy for the sake of buying.

 

[travel guy]

Can only speak for the nieces and nephews.


They don't "need" it - but they're definately being made familiar with it all.

They build their own websites in grade 2. I'm sure they'll be programming/coding by grade 4.

Both impressive and a bit unnerving to have an elementary kid rolling their eyes at you in exasperation when you can't get your comp to do what you'd like it to.

 

[PinkLady]

palms

About ten years ago, it started with kids using cell phones in highschool. They were using them even before I got there.
Now it is normal for the older highschool students to be using laptops. So what's another palm? Sign of the times.