Am I normal or have times really changed?

Other than possible spoiling, what exactly isn't right about it?

My brother has a TV and a computer in his room.

I don't own a TV, and my computer isn't in my bedroom.

I had a computer and TV in my room for awhile. Then I moved it down to the guest room, because, well, my room sucks. The walls are bare, I just have a lazy-boy chair, a couch I sleep on, a shirt of armour, and a bookcase there. So I moved everything downstairs where it was also a lot cooler in the summer.

I was 17 before i got a TV in my room, my parents got me the TV as they didn't like the shows I did, and since didn't have another room to really put the TV in, it first went to my room. (it was my TV after all)

I got my first own TV when I was about 10 years old.. and a NES before that, and probably my own phone (not cell) as well. When I think about it, I believe it was the same for most of my friends. And it seems as if it's definately becoming the norm, I've seen 6-8 year olds carrying cell phones.

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Original post by Salsa Other than possible spoiling, what exactly isn't right about it?

Besides the spoiling, I think kids should be playing either outside or with blocks or dolls/action figures or reading. Not that I have anything against video games, I make my living off of games, but television and video games should be a more regulated activity for children that young. If they have it in their room they can do it all the time without supervision. I think it is more important to develop their reading skills & imagination than television watching skills.

I'm with you. I've never had a TV in my room, nor has anyone in my family. Only for the past two years or so has my family even had two TVs (one in the basement, one upstairs). I don't know where you're from, but I'm in Minnesota. As far as I can tell, my family is about average in these terms compared to most people around us. My parents are in their fifties, also. I think this trend you're talking about might be more prominent in younger families.

I have had a computer in my own room since I was 12. Never had a TV or console or such in my room because they are things that are supposed to be shared.

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Original post by Scint's friend"Why? The first place the television goes is the bedroom. The secondary television would go in the living room. What, you don't have a television in your room?"

Of course, selfishness should always be covered first.

I didn't have a TV of my own until I bought my own.

We always had 1 television in the house, and if I didn't like what my parents were watching(And sometimes vice versa), I went to do something else(or they, depending on the sort of show/movie/etc.).

I wasn't allowed to get a TV on my room since my parents were afraid I wouldn't do any homework(And to be honest, I think they were right). When I was 14, I got a stereo, which I paid for myself, and when I was 15, I bought my own computer(we had a computer, shared, but I wanted my own). They allowed it to be on my room.

My brother got a TV for his last birthday, but he turned 18(I'm 23).

I think it's quite normal to put a TV in the living room(Of course, your friend wants to fap in his bed, in private) at first, and if you have a 2nd tv, you put it in your bedroom. Also, since you don't own a TV, I believe it would have been social to share it, until you could get your own TV. What I think is weird, why would you rather sit alone in your bedroom, watching tv alone, while you can actually watch some tv together, and chat a bit in the meantime too?

I know for sure I'll raise my kids the same way my parents raised me: No, you can't have everything. I was encouraged to save for things, and I had to behave good if I wanted something badly(and when I was old enough, I had to work for it, and earn it all myself). I never had it bad, my dad had a reasonable good job, they just didn't want to spoil me or my 2 brothers(And no matter how well your job pays, 3 kids are expensive like shit).

I'm with you Scint :).

Toolmaker

The first television that I ever had in my bedroom I got when I was 15 or so. I paid for it, though I am pretty sure I could have asked my parents for one. I just bought it so that they couldn't say no, I suppose. But, my parents certainly bought me such things as an SNES, a Playstation, and a phone. And, I have had some form of a computer since I was like 10 or so (starting with a 386).

With respect to normalcy, I am pretty sure you could find anywhere where something was considered normal. My younger sisters have had computers, cellphones, and televisions and the like pretty much ever since I have (and they were much younger). My little sister's friends all have cellphones (she is 16) and cars, and pretty much anything else they might want.

For my friends, it was normal to have pretty much any item that you wanted that wasn't more than a few hundred dollars. Our parents would pay for them, or else we would (personally I have worked in "IT" since I was 13, so I have always had disposable income.)

I think that "spoiling" is supremely relative. My grandmother yells at my sisters and me left and right for being spoiled (even though two of us don't even live with my parents anymore), and I have come to realize that she simply sees my parents acting differently than she did, and the only way she can explain it is that it is "spoiling". She did grow up during the great depression, after all.

Oh, and I also wondered what wasn't "right" about it, other than not being "normal". Maybe that is all that Scint meant.

I had computer and television in my room from when I was 10-12 I think (many years ago now [smile]).

Anyway, I see no harm in it at all, as long as it's not a substitute for good parental contact which is the case in some homes I'm sure. But crappy parents will be crappy parents with or without TVs in the childrens room.

I have a ocmputer in my room. It is one Ipayed for and built myself and I do school work and such on it, and they don't allow me to play games on the weekdays so it's alright with them that I have it. They would never let me put a TV in my room, thats why I got a TV tuner for my computer[smile]. I usually watch TV downstaires with them anyway. The picture quality is better, more channels, and its bigger, so if I had a real TV it wouldnt be a big one, and I wouldn't use it often.

I had a tv in my room. Probably a bad idea. I did not do my homework. Although I am sure I would have found another reason not to do it.

I've had a computer in my room since 7th grade. It's always a hand-me-down from my dad, so it's nothing fancy. TV definetely not allowed, something I'm fine with. No console up here obviously either. I have had a phone here for a long time, mostly so my parents can bug me using the intercom feature. I got a cell phone last year because of my busy schedule. Personally, I find computers, phones, and cell phones alright, because of real practical value. And kids have to have SOME fun too! But I don't agree with TV's and consoles, not enough reason for a KID to have it in their room. And this is from a relatively "spoiled" only child too.

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Original post by Scint And then I hear about how parents are raising their kids today. Every kid has a television in their room, a video game console, and even a computer. At four years old! They'll probably get a cell phone whenever they figure out how to operate one. Instead of reading a bedtime story, the parents play some DVD. One co-worker even made a Netflix queue for his 3 year old son.

As you can see from the responses, the situation is mixed. I didn't have a tv or a computer until I got out on my own, so don't worry about your situation. I think the media has an interest in promoting the notion that everyone in the nation has a tv in every room. It's an attempt to make people that don't have many tv's feel inadequate so as to encourage them to purchase more tv's and then to watch them constantly. And this is compounded by targeting advertising at kids - with the presumption that they will pester their parents into making a purchase. When it comes to cell phones, notice how many commericials - for cellphones and for other things - feature teenagers using cellphones. There are quite a lot of them. With this in mind consider that commercials don't just sell products, they also sell lifestyles and push messages about what it means to be acceptable to others. They also offer clues about who the advertising executives think is watching a given show. So if you're watching a show and the commercials are for adult diapers and denture adhesives, you know they don't think teenagers are watching.

Times are always changing. When I was in high school only a few kids had cell phones, now all these little 7 year olds have one. It's just a part of society changing based on technology. When my mom was a kid you were rich if you had a color tv. When my granddad was a kid you were rich if you had a car. When I'm old, kids will be walking around with gadgets I can't even fathom. The only negative thing I see about it is that younger people aren't getting much excercise, and they have a harder time coming up with things to do on their own. I think my generation is famous to complain, "I'm bored, I don't know what to do." My mom always got on to me if I ever said that.

Never had a TV in my room, and until I was 15 I needed explicit permision to turn any of the houses 3 TVs (living room, library and kitchen).

Had a C64 in my room until I was 13, though I could only use it on weekends and holidays, and for a limited time. Got a PC (crappy third hand thing) when I was 13, but the same rules applied until I was 17.

Most of my free time I spent reading or playing chess.

This is hardly related, but anyone remember Back to the Future? There's one part in the movie where a young kid in 1955 says to McFly, "You have two TVs? You must be rich!" Well, I was little when I saw that and so I grew up with the notion that anyone with two TVs is automatically rich. :P

I've never had a TV, video game system, or computer in my room. Everyone I know seems to, though.

I didn't get a cell phone until it became a necessity, at 17.