What's the draw of an iPod touch?? Clueless..

[Cascadian]

(Mods - feel free to move - so clueless that I don't even know where this goes )

Sooo...everywhere I go, I see tons of little kids...like preschoolers, with iPod touches. For a while I thought they were iPhones - that's how out of touch I am!! But now...every kids has one (or so it seems). Are DSi's and other gaming devices now defunct? Are iPod touches way cooler/better/etc. etc. etc.? I just have no clue...can someone clue me in? What do they do that's so cool, so that parents are putting dwn hundreds of dollars for their littles?

[meemee]

i think its the 'shut up' 'out of hair' factor.

parents are not being disturbed.

its the wifi.

you can do many things compared to other systems.

you can play video games as well as watch shows/movies. 

are you sure those are the kids own ipods.

the ones around me i find are playing with their parents. not their own. 

[woodchick]

Our girls play with my DH's iPod touch.  They certainly don't have their own.   There are a ton of cute little aps and games that are easy for them to access and play.  It is FUN to use your finger to control the screen.  And it is a real treat to be allowed to watch a video on it :)  They can also play music or see photos (especially from facebook of family overseas).

Some (we don't) might also have ebooks loaded onto their ipods, so that might be it as well.

[lillian]

i have let my kids play with my itouch plenty of times but i wouldn't consider it for 'shutting up' or getting  'out of hair'.  sometimes my kids have to wait while i do things and it occupies their time.  they like playing angry birds and math games.

[lonegirl]

All three of us own an iTouch.  My son got his at around 2.5yrs.  We have movies on it for him as well as a tonne of games (90% being of an educational nature).  His games have evovled from shape learning and colouring, to spelling, math, language (how many kids can say hello in Zulu?), reading and logic games.  He has tonnes of fun with them and I incoperate them into his homeschooling.  It is handy when we travel (which we do a lot of 8-10h road trips).  He also had a meditation chant app on it that he uses if his tummy is sore having a bm and if he needs quiet time.

We are a very technology based family though, I am sure waaaay more than the average M.Com family.

[mamalisa]

Ds has had an iTouch since he was 5.  He loves music and constantly has his ear buds in.  It keeps the house quiet and everyone is happy.  He uses the text app to let me know when he's home from school.   I often use my iPhone as a "shut up" toy and I have no shame in that.  Dd is my constant companion, dr's appts, volunteer work, grocery stores, shopping...that stuff is pretty boring some days.  I have no issue with letting her do a letter puzzle, play some angry birds or watch some Dora to kill the time.

Both my kids cleaned their rooms in record time Saturday while listening to their iPod/iTouch.  It was hilarious to watch them both bobbing their heads and I was shocked that I didnt' have to yell at anyone to just clean up!  Music made that happen.:)

[Arduinna]

I bought one for my daughter, for the apps because she didn't need a phone at the time. But she was a teen, I wouldn't buy one for a young child.

[Caneel]

I let DS play with my Touch when we are out to dinner.  There are lots of free apps like memory games, drawing, Sesame Street videos, etc. that he likes.

[HollyBearsMom]

My son has an I-touch and a DSi and they satisfy different needs.  His I-touch is great for netflix, movie/TV downloads and lots of games-zombie farm, angry birds, bookworm. His DSi is a camera, is good for playing games with friends and has games that you can't play on the I-touch.

I find it a little insulting to say that it is for a "shut up" factor.   Why is that when kids use electronics its because their parents don't want to deal with them? Like all media it is about balance. I see nothing wrong with a child be able to entertain themselves when having long waits, on long trips etc the same way I like to play a game or 2 or read a book when I am stuck somewhere.

[meemee]

Originally Posted by HollyBearsMom 

I find it a little insulting to say that it is for a "shut up" factor.   Why is that when kids use electronics its because their parents don't want to deal with them? Like all media it is about balance. I see nothing wrong with a child be able to entertain themselves when having long waits, on long trips etc the same way I like to play a game or 2 or read a book when I am stuck somewhere.

i was being facetious. with preschoolers i have seen itouches or iphones whipped around to entertain the child right when they were talking too much (thus the shut up factor). it has also been offered to my dd at retaurants and doctors appts by other moms.

i think i recently heard an item on NPR on preschoolers and children under 5 - what a pro they are on those things.
 

[limabean]

DH and I each have an iPod Touch. I like it because I have access to all the apps without having to buy an iPhone. We also have a DSi, but honestly all of us (kids included) use the iPod Touch more often these days. It's hard to justify spending $30 on a DSi game when you can download an app for $1 to $4, or even for free in many cases.

I altered the settings on my iPod Touch to block e-mail, web access, and YouTube, so my kids can only use the music, camera, and apps, all of which are kid-friendly. 

[Cascadian]

Originally Posted by meemee 

i was being facetious. with preschoolers i have seen itouches or iphones whipped around to entertain the child right when they were talking too much (thus the shut up factor). it has also been offered to my dd at retaurants and doctors appts by other moms.

i think i recently heard an item on NPR on preschoolers and children under 5 - what a pro they are on those things.
 

Admittedly, I have seen a lot of the 'shut up' factor with these things- I think like with anything, there are lines that can be crossed where it turns into an abuse rather than an accessory, kwim? I live in an area that's non-AP, to say the least, with a high socioeconomic demographic. Many, many of the preschoolers have these things and are on them constantly while moms are hanging at the Starbucks for coffee. I guess what struck me was when there were two preschoolers hanging out and side by side, they were playing with their ipod touches rather than interacting.

I just really didn't know the difference between this thing and an iPhone (other than th obvs ability to make a phonecall)

[HollyBearsMom]

I think kids are "pros" because most of these smart phones and the like are intuitive.  My son got his I-touch at age 6 or 7 and he picked it up and starting playing with no instruction.  Same with the the DSi that he got for Christmas last year. He popped in the cartridge and off he went.

I have offered my iphone to to moms in waiting rooms.   I was stuck waiting for the DR for over an hour and one kid was literally tearing the place apart and whining incessantly. The mom was frazzled and obviously really sick. The kid started playing with it immediately (and stopped driving everyone else crazy!). Her mom said she had never used one before.  She was about 4 or 5.

Of course I would never directly offer it to a small child.  One because it is way too expensive  and the other is because I would never offer a small child anything w/o the parents OK.

Originally Posted by meemee 

i was being facetious. with preschoolers i have seen itouches or iphones whipped around to entertain the child right when they were talking too much (thus the shut up factor). it has also been offered to my dd at retaurants and doctors appts by other moms.

i think i recently heard an item on NPR on preschoolers and children under 5 - what a pro they are on those things.
 

[Arduinna]

Originally Posted by Cascadian 

I just really didn't know the difference between this thing and an iPhone (other than th obvs ability to make a phonecall)

Yes it's phone calls, GPS and always on internet vs the wifi only of ipod touch that are the core differences. Especially now that they added the video recording to the new ipod touches, the previous generations didn't have camera or video recording nor a mic. 

[Cascadian]

Originally Posted by Arduinna 

Yes it's phone calls, GPS and always on internet vs the wifi only of ipod touch that are the core differences. Especially now that they added the video recording to the new ipod touches, the previous generations didn't have camera or video recording nor a mic. 

Thank you 

[meemee]

Originally Posted by HollyBearsMom 

I have offered my iphone to to moms in waiting rooms.   I was stuck waiting for the DR for over an hour and one kid was literally tearing the place apart and whining incessantly. The mom was frazzled and obviously really sick. The kid started playing with it immediately (and stopped driving everyone else crazy!). Her mom said she had never used one before.  She was about 4 or 5.

see i would have no problems (and didnt hold it against the moms who did offer). however dd wasnt being a pest. she just had a million questions and i was enjoying answering them. perhaps other moms saw this as trouble for me and to give me a break handed dd their itouch with cartoons. of course my child is going to be glued and thus silent.

but OMG yes yes yes!!! these kids come out knowing the computer. dd grew up with the computer since i worked from home on some days with her on my lap. as a baby just sitting up she startedwith banging on the keyboard.

but its just not my child. i see other children who make me feel old from all the technology they use with such confidence.

i think the manufacturers are realising the positives of having multifaceted programs on the media. for instance if the DSi didnt have the camera or the animation app, my dd wouldnt even use it.

 

[Cascadian]

We have DSi's, and DDs only really love them for the cameras. There are some great games (Scribblenauts, anyone?) but honestly...they play with their old Leapfrog systems (all educational, go figure) way more often.

I'm now thinking about getting them an iPod touch though, mostly for the cheapness of the games and more usability. We're prety strict with 'screen time' rules, and it has to be earned and/or balanced with booktime (I'm a mean mama :lol ) We're the parents who did not get a DVD player in our car, but we have portable ones for planes. All about moderation and good use of technology :)

[chel]

We got an itouch free with a laptop.
Dd1 has free use of it, but has never been that into electronics.
I too use it and see it as a "shut up" device. Not the I don't want a conversation with you, but a please don't ask how much longer one more time, just chill and relax, which they are just programed to be busy

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by lonegirl 

All three of us own an iTouch.  My son got his at around 2.5yrs. 

Thank you for making me feel less like a freak.

My 18 mo is constantly stealing my iPod from me. Since its a matter of giving it to him or having him throw a full blown 2 yo tantrum, often i just give it to him, especially in public. He knows how to turn it on, switch screens and can even turn on his music (we didnt teach him that, he figured it out on his own). I actually had to password lock it to keep him from deleting all my apps.

DH wants to get him his own, and probably will for his 2nd bday.

So while some might consider that the shut up factor, i don't since hes actually asking for it.

[columbusmomma]

I'm behind the times lol! DS is begging for one. I'm curious, how much do they cost??