<p>I just bought my son a pretty special computer to support his passion for digital media arts. He will be a freshman in high school this fall. </p>
<p>I know at some point kids need to learn to manage their time, but is it too soon? As far as safety goes, he is a good decisionmaker, and I will have all passwords and other kinds of oversight. I am thinking more of the distraction it could pose to sleep, studying, reading, and family time.</p>
<p>Are there any strong opinions out there for or against allowing someone this age to have a computer in the bedroom?</p>
<p>The only people I’ve known that had serious issues with this are the ones with kids that get overtaken by video games and social networking. Other than that, I don’t think there’s any need to worry. Besides, you can always pull the plug if it gets out of hand. But in the meantime, it’s another opportunity for him to demonstrate some discipline and personal responsibility.</p>
<p>I’ve had a computer in my room since before 7th grade. That was very late for people I know. In my experience, a high school student without a computer in their room would be pretty abnormal.</p>
<p>I’ve pretty much always had a computer in my bedroom, don’t remember exactly when but probably from 3rd grade (I’ve just graduated from High School so it’s been about 9 years). However, I’m always on the computer, which is what you seem to be afraid of. </p>
<p>I would think that if you cared, and nagged him about making sure he’s sleeping, studying, reading, spending time with the family, he’d probably do it. Though I don’t really know, obviously you know your son best. My parents wanted me to spend lots of time on the computer rather than reading and such, so the outcomes should be different. </p>
<p>Maybe you should try it out during the summer and see how it works out. This way, if you see that there’ll be problems or something, it won’t affect his grades.</p>
<p>The problem with that is that if a person is introduced to it at a time when there isn’t a compelling reason to not use it “too much,” they might get used to being on the computer all the time. My family got DSL in 10th grade after AP tests. I didn’t have homework to do, so I was online most of the time. That habit continued even when I started having homework again (not that it had any effect on my grades).</p>
<p>I have had a computer for many years, and I’m currently a rising junior in high school. I would say it depends on the kid, as the need for broad social networking and general worldy awareness should be considered against the risks.</p>
<p>I battled computer game addiction for a while, and it did distract me for about 9 months before I overcame it.</p>
<p>Not in the bedroom. It’s not just a question of time management; your kiddo (no matter how savvy he seems to you) is a prime target for many sorts of online predators. Please educate him and monitor his use of the Net. Here’s a good free resource for you and him. [NetSmartz:</a> Parents Home](<a href=“NetSmartz Home”>NetSmartz Home)</p>
<p>As to the time management thing… it can be difficult to keep track of the time, but the summer would probably be a good time to train him that an hour means an hour and no more. That, too, is easier to do when the computer’s in the living room or other open area.</p>
<p>None of our kids had computers or televisions in their bedrooms. When we were a desktop family, we had one room in the house that was an office with computers and anyone and everyone might be in there. Now my son uses his sister’s hand me down laptop, but in public rooms of the house only which, conveniently, are the only rooms the wireless works in. I think computers and televisions can make kids isolated and we didn’t want the kids holed up in their bedrooms for their teenaged years. Also, they were less likely to get into trouble on their computers if they knew we might walk through the room or be hanging out nearby. None of our kids ever complained about the setup or even asked to have a computer in their room.</p>
<p>Both of my daughters (one is a senior in college and one is a freshman in college) received laptops for Christmas during their senior year of high school. Most of their friends had their own computers before them (and many also had TV’s in their rooms which ours didn’t). The one computer in our house was in our bedroom (hubby and me). It’s a large room with a desk area and everyone shared. Was not really a problem and when one had a paper or something that had to be done for school they got priority. Granted this was pretty much pre-Facebook and just the beginning of My Space. It worked for us because they did not disappear into their rooms for hours doing who knows what and they got their school work done without the constant availabilty and distraction of their own computer.</p>
<p>I know things change. I remember when no middle school student had a cell phone and now it seems like every 11 year old has one. But I also know when my girls come home now from college with their laptops they disappear into their rooms for hours doing who knows what on their computers! It really affects our family time. I would not have permitted that while they were in high school (during the school year especially) so our situation worked for us. I don’t think it’s necessary for them to have their own as long as there is one in the house that they can freely use with a certain amount of privacy for reasonable amounts of time.</p>
<p>As a mom of 3 (with daughter using this account for college search) I am going to say it is a bad idea. The bedroom is a place for privacy. Unless your house is loud and rambunctious I would keep it somewhere public so I could monitor my child’s every activity. Until he is financially stable by himself he should only use it for school work and research and that will be the end of that. I think you are jumping ahead of yourself there, OP.</p>
<p>As a therapist and a mom I would advise against it. The computer for at home teens should be in a main area of the house. Their homework has priority. It does keep some small awareness of others present ie a parent says, “I have bills on line to pay, when will you be finished?” Keeps them connected.</p>
<p>I definitely advise having the computer somewhere in the house where it can be seen. I think the bedroom should be for sleeping. I don’t want my kids spending hours in there with no one seeing what they’re doing. Even if they are good kids that you can trust, just the fact that it’s in a public place will keep them from being tempted to go to sites they shouldn’t, and to keep focused on homework instead of surfing the internet. </p>
<p>I know for a fact that my niece should have her computer use monitored. Those first few years of high school is when they should especially have some guidance.</p>
<p>Although I agree that there may be cause for concern about a high school freshman having a computer in his own bedroom, I think that the viewpoint expressed here is too extreme.</p>
<p>For many young people, computers are a main method of communication – with each other and, after they go away to college, with their parents. They are also the source of a good deal of fun. Asking young people to postpone these types of computer use until they are financially stable (i.e., out of college) seems unrealistic and to me, undesirable.</p>
<p>My son does have a computer in his room. He is an excellent student and kept his grades up. But my kids have always had strict “screen time” limits and now that he doesn’t have limits anymore he regulates himself pretty well.</p>
<p>However, with teenage boys there is always the concern of online porn, which we don’t allow, so we have a “spy” programs that reports back to us if pornographic sites are visited. It cannot be fooled by proxy servers, etc. We discuss theses issues and once a year went by with no visits to questionable sites, I took the spy progam off.</p>
<p>My younger son is not able to regulate his time that well and will spend too much time playing games so the computer he uses in in a public area.</p>
<p>When the kids were home, we were a no tv, no internet in the bedrooms family. After a period of very late night/early morning text messaging abuse and corresponding behavior issues, we also collected phones at bedtime and charged them in our room overnight, not the kids’.</p>
<p>Spawn has two computers in his room, both old (to ancient), neither with internet access. The computer he uses that does have internet access is in the dining room.</p>
<p>Of course he would LOVE to have internet access in his bedroom. Not happening.</p>
<p>At his dad’s, all the computers are in one room, the den.</p>