The Case for Kids and PDAs: Facing the facts on PDAs

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.computerbits.com/archive/2003/1200/kidsandpdas.html' target='_blank'>http://www.computerbits.com/archive...idsandpdas.html</a><br /><br /></div>"Now let's talk about my favorite subject, PDAs. Prepare yourselves, I'm going to make an outrageous statement: kids need PDAs. You have an objection? All right, hit me with it. Is that the best you've got? Trust me, I've been called worse! Here are some of the general arguments against kids having PDAs:<br /><br />1) They're too dog-gone expensive, especially for kids. I'm not spending $500 for Bobby to drop it in the toilet. <br />2) Too fragile. <br />3) Let's just buy him another Gameboy. You know he ain't gonna get no work done with that PDA thing. <br />4) They have no educational value. <br />5) The other parents are going to think were awfully pretentious (not that we worry about that). Okay, you have to read in black and white now, because I'm going to do my best Perry Mason impression. Ladies and gentleman of the jury, my esteemed colleague wants you to believe that PDAs are just too expensive, fragile, and impractical to put in the hands of babes. I'd like to show you why his arguments don't hold water."<br /><br />This article discusses an interesting topic - kids and PDAs. Not having kids yet, I don't have much of an opinion on this. What about those of you who are parents - do your kids have PDAs? I have a feeling that when I have kids, I'll have to strap a fuel cell to their lunch kits in order to power all the geek toys I'll give them. :worried:

[jodpel]

I have two kids. I let the eleven year old have my "old" pda which was a Casio E105. All she did with it was record herself singing into it and play it back. Made some kind of game out of it with her brother. She played a few games too. Kids, in my experience, don't have good enough hand writing skills to use the various input methods and it is too tedious for their attention span anyway. On top of that, they are still learning proper hand writing and intentionally writing letters a different way would definitely be counterproductive to school work. The kids are graded on writing all of the letters in a particular way until they are above 6th grade or so.

It winds up being an expensive game boy. I now pass along PDAs to adult family members who want them. My kids have GBAs and GBA SPs. I could buy her a microcassette recorder which she could get a lot better sound quality out of. Once the cool wears off of it (about a week), it sits in the cradle and never moves. She had a Casio E105 and an old Sony Clie at different times. Same story for both. She thought the SOny was a little cooler because it had 320X320 (she thought the screen was "prettier") and it had a lot more games on it b/c the OS wasn't deprecated yet. Kids want lots of stuff they'll never use... I put PDAs in that category.

[Tom W.M.]

:rotfl: This is a joke. A PDA as a Gameboy replacement? If a kid has ever used a Gameboy, they will never be satisfied with the games available for PDAs—they'll want the games their friends have. And if the parent thinks, "Hey, I'll just install an emulator and they can play those games on their PDA!" then they'll be disappointed in the PDA again—no PDA (besides perhaps the Zodiac) has a button that's good for Gameboy games, and that monochrome screen won't cut it. Of course, it's a leap to assume that the parent would even able to get an emulator working (once they manage to find one). Finding the ROMs to games you own online is even harder—and if they can't find the ROMs for the games their kids have, they'll have to shell out for equipment to extract the files from the cartridges (or download illegal ROMs—great example, Dad!). It's cheaper to just get a Gameboy.

I won't even get into the problems that kids will have with loosing the thing.

And if parents think that the PDA will help their kids do homework, they should consider the input issues—no decent writing can be done with onscreen input by a ten year old. Heck, even I can't stand to input stuff.

Of course, when I inherited my father's Clio in middle school, it came in handy. H/PCs have keyboards, so they can be useful for writing.

The biggest hole in this guy's opinion, though, is that kid's will gain the tech skills they need from a PDA. That's simply not true. While those hours troubleshooting ActiveSync might help cultivate patience, the productivity apps on most PDAs are nothing like the desktop version in terms of interface, which pretty much kills any transfer of knowledge that a ten year old could accomplish.

That said, is there a free Spanish-English dictionary for Windows CE like the one in the article for PalmOS?

[bjornkeizers]

I practically grew up with PDA's. I got my first organiser/demi-PDA when I was 12, and my first real PDA [Psion Siena] when I was only 14 years old. I would like to point out up front that *I* bought them, my parents had *NOTHING* at all to do with it. To this day they still don't know what I can really do with my PDA.. they still see it as a sort of gameboy plus organiser instead of a little PC.

Anyway, As such, I know what a PDA can do for a high school age kid. It's hard enough to manage everything when you're 14, 15 years old and a PDA can definitely help you out, if you're mature and tech savvy enough to do more with it then use it as a calender and alarm clock :D I did everything with it.

Right now, I study journalism at the university, and I use my PDA's every day. I read books on the way to school. I take notes when I need to [not in class though, I still prefer pen and paper] and I have all my stuff with me in one small and easy to use package.

Kids and PDA's.. well, not with the current crop of PDA's - they're too expensive, and the cheap ones don't offer what kids want: hi-res, color, cool games, easy to use etc. $200 or so for an Ipaq 1915 or Tungsten E is still a lot of money for most parents. If they made a T|E for something like $100, I really see these taking off on schools and universitys.

[c38b2]

The biggest hole in this guy's opinion, though, is that kid's will gain the tech skills they need from a PDA. That's simply not true. While those hours troubleshooting ActiveSync might help cultivate patience, the productivity apps on most PDAs are nothing like the desktop version in terms of interface, which pretty much kills any transfer of knowledge that a ten year old could accomplish.

Quite true, he also makes the point that children can learn to program on a PDA. 8O Personally, I don't think that it's the easiest platform to develop for without investing in expensive development tools. :?

[shawnc]

I think it depend's on the kids age. Anything that takes kids away from developing writing and arithmatic skills is a bad thing. As an adult, if I need to multiply 26x73, I do it on my PPC. I don't want my 12 year old relying on a calculator to do math. Same with writing. I don't want my young child typing everything at a keyboard. I want them using a pen and paper. Once these skills are developed, then they can have their PDA. Heck, we all need our toys :mrgreen: .

[batsai]

Hey Jason,

Don't be too hard on the kids- I've dropped my PDA in the toilet as an adult :D

[Ken Mattern]

For Christmas we got my girlfriend's son a digital camera because he would take mine all the time. Well he never uses it! It is in his secret hiding place or strapped to his toy gun (which I hate but didn't get for him) in case he shoots a trophy buck. Giving him a PDA would be totally worthless - and I have thought about it. All he would do wouild be to play games for a few days and then it would disappear down into the secret hiding place and eventually hard reset when the battery went dead.

Let kids grow and explore in their own ways. So often we program their lives around our needs rather than to let them program their own lives. Let them be kids, they'll grow up soon enough.

[Ken Mattern]

Don't be too hard on the kids- I've dropped my PDA in the toilet as an adult :D

Didn't Marloff do that ages ago?

[sesummers]

If a kid has the right kind of brain to actually WANT a PDA, it's probably a good idea for them to have one. But giving one to a kid isn't going to somehow turn him into someone who can figure out how to use it.

[Godsongz]

Depends on the definition of "kid" I guess. My PDAs tend to trickle down through my family and my daughter will likely be getting my 2215 this fall as she enters her 1st year of high school (I'm feeling pretty old all of a sudden) when I upgrade to something new.

[schoon]

My 11 year old boy has expressed an interest in owning a PDA but I feel that all he would use it for would be games. I don't think it's necessary for young kids to have PDA's or Laptops for that matter. They are given ample computer time in school (and at home) to hone their skills for when they will truly NEED a computer to succeed in life/business/education. The High School level is the first place that i'd really see a need for the kids to have a PDA and even then, probably not a PDA, more so a Laptop. The High School level is where they need to learn typing skills and general Office skills such as note taking, paper writing and communication. I've always seen my PDA as an extension to my Desktop/Laptop, something to take with me to short meetings or in the car to lunch to catch up on emails or task lists. Yes, I may not use my PDA to it's fullest potential but it does assist me. I Need my desktop or Laptop to make that assistance complete. I feel that kids would need the same thing. If you gave it to kids any younger than high school (and even some kids IN high school) and allowed them to use it in class, they'd be using it to chat/surft/play games more than they'd use it to help them in their studies. Just my opinion.

[Ziad.T]

I'm 15 years old, and I use PDAs since I'm 12, and I have my own French PDA website ... But I don't seriously think I need it, I'm more used to have one with me everywhere ;)... I use it mostly for games, MP3, web surfing.

[possmann]

I agree with you Godsongz - it all depends on the age or the definition of "kid". I don't think you should force a PDA on a child and expect them to become a super wiz much like parents force a ton of things on kids already more for the parents sense of security or reassurement that they are giving their kid every opportunity (I'm going down a rant - sorry - back on subject).

any good parent knows their child, knows that child's interests, likes and dislikes and to expect that by using a PDA will increase their knowledge of technology is just setting up parents with false expectations.

[danmanmayer]

Support your kids interests... if you notice a interest in technology you should get them the PDA instead of the gameboy. If you start letting them know how much more can be done with technology besides playing games you can broaden their interests. I am about to graduate as a computer science student mostly because when i was 11 my parents notice i spent alot of time on the family computer and could use it better than anyone else. Then they bought me my own 166 mhz computer and the rest is history.

[Kathy_Harris]

Just gave a brandnew 1945 to my neice for her birthday/Christmas. I figured it was more handy and reliable than an old $200 laptop with a bad battery that they were likely to end up buying. All she wanted was MS Word, a way to connect to her computer at home, a spreadsheet, and a way to help her organize her homework.

[Hooked]

With the GameBoy SP around $99 and individual games at $20 - 30, I think a PocketPC for kids becomes a viable option around $150.The number of games available is increasing and all but a few would cost less than the GB game cartridges with many being free.

The complexity of downloading programs to the pda is certainly greater than simply popping in a cartridge, but many twelve year olds should be able to handle it, probably better than their parents.

This has not been a market that has interested most manufacturer's.I haven't seen data yet showing that a game centric pda is viable.The Tapwave Zodiac and Nokia N-Gage are a start but still cost way too much.

As for the natural destructiveness of children, yes a well cherished pda can be accidentally destroyed by dropping it or sometimes by just bending over with it in a back pocket, but even the most pda savvy among us have dunn something like that.And pda's are no more fragile than a GameBoy SP, especially with some of the new hard cases.

I think the biggest obstacles are the price of handhelds and availability of age appropriate software.Hopefully these will go down and up respectively.And given the popularity of the Zire and Zire 21, I would not be surprised to see a PalmOne model with a color screen for around $150 in the near future.

[disconnected]

If school systems would get ebook versions of textbooks (particularly for subjects that don't require large diagrams or pictures), then I think inexpensive PDAs would be useful even if they're just used as ebook readers. I can't believe the size of some of the backpacks full of books that even very young children seem to be expected to carry around.

[blang]

I gave my 10 year son a pda about 4 months ago (A hand-me-down). His teacher wanted me to help him put together a calendar and mark down when everything was due and to add in special projects as they come up. Using a PDA is just another way to effectively, do the same thing. Although he does play games on the Dell, it really does force him to sit down and really plan out his various homework assignments.

The PDA has given him a little more independence, whereas I don't have to sit down with him everyday after school to go over what he needs to do. He is also very proud to have his very own PDA when none of his friends do. Of course, none of his friends are allowed to touch it and he is not allowed to take it out of the house. But with these ground rules, he feels very special.

[ipaqgeek]

A great idea if age appropriate software existed and if schools actively supported their use. For example, the school should have a wifi network that kept the kids calendars up to date with all their assignments and school activities. Wireless messaging could be very useful for communicating with kids at school. It's also very feasible that tests and quizes could be administered on PDA's. PDA"s also have a lot of functionality that can otherwise only be found on a PC - it'd be like having a PC on every kids desk.

I also envision a merit / demerit system that can be administered over a PDA network in order to encourage good behavior. Kids could check it at any time, and redeem merits for privleges at any time.

Teamwork and group assignments are made easy and quiet by enabling messagin capabilities.

Then of course there's the interactive learning that is enabled with PDA's. Yes, you can do that on a PC better - but again that requires a PC at every desk - not feasible - can you imagine the noise let alone the IT headache?

What I've found real useful is I've put dozens of Flash based animated storybooks on my PDA - and my kids love it. Very useful when we are stuck waiting for something (like a dr appt) and they are getting restless.

[blang]

Where do you get animated books for the kids?

[palmtops]

I have to say that I am enjoying the conversation in this thread. I have to say there are many good points both for and against PDAs in this thread. The reason I wrote the article was to get people to think about the possibilities of a PDA in a child's development. As I stated in the article, this may not be the answer for every child, it really depends on your childs interest.

I'd have to say that I am proudly raising a family of computer geeks. My 4 kids love computers and because of their exploration into technology and my 15 yr old is well on his way towards a career in programming after several years of self taught Qbasic. PDAs have fit in well because the ability to fill free time on the bus, doctors office, etc. with time to program and tinker in general. A big part of any computer time is how a child uses it. While this fits for my family, only the parent knows what will inspire their child towards learning.

The other point I wanted to raise is cost. PDAs are getting less expensive everday. Even if a PDA is strictly a entertainment platform, overall you'll save a lot of money in the long haul. As as few posters pointed out, A PDA is not as robust as a gameboy but with the amount of free and inexpensive games and software out there, it's a great option for thrifty parents. A gameboy is strictly games, a PDA can start as a gaming platform for a child but can be used used a learning and organizational tool down the road.

The decision to give your child a PDA is a personal one, but I appreciate and learn from the great dialogue that this group has started on the subject.

[baker]

Our 9 year old has yet to bust his Gameboy AdvanceSP since Christmas and he totes it just about everywhere. Just like a pda, he's now got a case and is wanting attachments and more programs (games).

[minimage]

10 months later (enough time for Jason to acquire that future PDA recipient), I can't resist chiming in:

My husband and I don't intend to have kids, but if we did, they would have desktops and PDAs. I'd probably go the eBay route, or give them my old things (well, those that I wouldn't have to sell to pay for child-rearing). It's possible they wouldn't appreciate them, but at least they'd have the opportunity to decide whether or not to utilize them. If they took after their uncle, they'd probably take them spent to see how the PDAs work (I never understood how my brother benefitted from this, since the devices he took apart never worked again).

My reasoning is thus: technology gave me a career, when I didn't know what else to do, where I would fit in. All I knew is that I was good at reading and spelling, had loved computers since my first computer class at the age of 14, and that I had a Biology degree, which had gotten me no jobs.

How could I begrudge my flesh and blood the opportunity to destroy at least as many PDAs as I have (5 dead; one maimed)?

For Xmas last year, I gave my sister's 11 year-old step-daughter an inexpensive PDA good for taking notes, calendar, etc, and she said "another one?!?" I learned I wasn't the only one who'd had that idea!

It seems to me rather strange that the average five year-old with a game console can learn the manual dexterity needed to win those games before long, but is considered not to be able to write. I watched this happen with a couple of my cousins before they were five. Could it be that making writing as fun as saving the princess would result in excellent penmanship before they went to school? Or, are the motor skills involved in Prince of Persia too different from those necessary for writing? I know it's almost all thumb-work, but if you can train your thumbs to do all that, perhaps you can control your other fingers, too.

Just my belated and not necessarily solicited thoughts.