IPOD Touch for a 8 year old???

[Pghpooh]

Just being curious and looking for opinions, etc.
My grand daughter will be 8 tomorrow. For a year she has been using a Sansa mp3 player that I loaded music into for her to listen to. She would go in spurts listening to music and using the Sansa. Sometimes not use it for a month or two. Last Christmas two of her friends got ipod Touch players. Now,, my grand daughter wants a ipod Touch. She nagged her mother for weeks and weeks and the mother finally gave in and bought one.
Personally I feel a 8 year old is too young for such a expensive item. In the past she has lost two DSI’s, never to be found again.
I told my daughter how I felt and of course I was shot down. LOL
Do you think 8 years old is too young for a ipod touch???
And more important,,, if the unit is lost or misplaced is there a way to make it easy to find or just disable it so no one else can use it???

 

[kaerflog]

I don't know if you should buy an iPod touch for an 8 yr old or not but I would recommend buying them that vs a DS or portable game console.
The games are cheap and you can even find unlimted free games in the app store.
Save you money in the long run and it serves as a multimedia device too.

 

[boomhower]

Why not. I would buy a used one though. An older 8GB for $100 ain't bad.

 

[hanoverphist]

my best friends 9 yr old daughter uses mine quite a bit, she does pretty well with it. hell, her 7 yr old autistic brother does better than most adults on the games and navigation. as for losing stuff, all kids lose stuff. the same girl that takes great care of my itouch has lost 2 DSis and her own nano. mebbe its the fact that its not hers that keeps her attentive with it.

 

[pm]

Our neighbor's daughter is 9 and she has her own iPod Touch - but her father is a heart surgeon and he makes more working in one year than I make working four years. $200 to me and $200 to him are different things. I think it depends a bit on the child and depends a bit on the parents.

As far as losing it and finding it/disabling it - there's no way that I know of to do this with a Touch.

I bought a broken iPhone (1st gen), fixed it and gave it to my 11 year old daughter using the T-Mobile $8/month prepaid plan. She kept forgetting to charge it, so I took it back and swapped SIMs and gave her a Nokia.

 

[MotionMan]

My 10 year old and 6 year old liked to use my wife's and my iPhones when we were in the car or even just sitting around the house. They would play games and listen to music.

This past holidays, we got my 10 year old a new Touch and handed down one of our old 3g's to the 6 year old to use like a Touch (an "iPhouch").

These items rarely leave the house and almost never leave the car (the only exception being at their grandparents' or cousins' houses). At the end of each day, they go back into my desk drawer. I keep them charged and updated.

Like anything you give to your children, boundaries/rules are important to guard against loss and overuse. (The only time they have ever lost anything of value, quite honestly, is when our rules were allowed to be broken by an adult other than my wife and myself.)

MotionMan

 

[gorcorps]

Well if we're gonna bring age into this, sounds like you're too OLD to be on the PC OP.

Seriously though, I like what MotionMan said up there. I'm sure she could handle it and use it fine, but if the parents let her take it to school and such it will definitely get lost, stolen, or broke. They're perfect for car rides because that's where kids need entertainment, and it's also where some adults will be. Once the ride is over though it goes back to the parents/grandparents who can make sure it's not left behind somewhere.

 

[Pantoot]

My 8 and 10 year olds each have one. The 10 year old cracked the screen after about a year, but it still works fine. They get misplaced from time to time, but since they rarely leave the house/cars they turn up eventually.

Make sure you turn off in-app purchases, there are a couple of games that don't make it so obvious that you are buying something.

 

[kaerflog]

Yeah, i gave my 7 yr old niece an old iPod touch.
She likes to play games and listen to music so its perfect for her.
I installed a FREE app store account so her parents will never have to worry about accidently paying for any apps.

 

[MotionMan]

BTW, I installed "Where's My iPhone" on all our iDevices, so, as long as there is power, mobile/wifi, and the item was not stolen by a tech savvy person, I should be able to either narrow down where it is or be able to wipe it.

MotionMan

 

[MotionMan]

Yeah, i gave my 7 yr old niece an old iPod touch.
She likes to play games and listen to music so its perfect for her.
I installed a FREE app store account so her parents will never have to worry about accidently paying for any apps.

All of our iDevices are on one iTunes account. My kids sure don't know the password, so they cannot install anything without my knowledge and OK. (Come to think of it, I bet my wife does not recall the password, not that she would know how to install an app or buy a song.)

MotionMan

 

[Phokus]

If you read the thread title really fast, it's kinda funny/distrubing

 

[MotionMan]

If you read the thread title really fast, it's kinda funny/distrubing

You mean like in this way?

MotionMan

 

[kaerflog]

BTW, I installed "Where's My iPhone" on all our iDevices, so, as long as there is power, mobile/wifi, and the item was not stolen by a tech savvy person, I should be able to either narrow down where it is or be able to wipe it.

MotionMan

Does that also work with an ipod touch ??
What does it use to locate the touch ?
The GPS ?? but is that always on ??

 

[MotionMan]

Does that also work with an ipod touch ??
What does it use to locate the touch ?
The GPS ?? but is that always on ??

Yes;
Dunno, but it works;
See above.

MotionMan

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Who TF does an 8 year old need to talk to? Put the purple drank down and get her a doll or anything that requires imagination. How about the big red book of fairy tales? When did techno geeks lose touch with reality?

 

[MotionMan]

Who TF does an 8 year old need to talk to? Put the purple drank down and get her a doll or anything that requires imagination. How about the big red book of fairy tales? When did techno geeks lose touch with reality?

It is a iPod Touch, not an iPhone.

MotionMan

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

It is a iPod Touch, not an iPhone.

MotionMan

Oh, well having even more functions makes it all right then.

WTH is wrong with you people? She's 8 years old! Maybe the OP could get her a convertible to cruise to elementary school in. Be sure to get a head unit that's bluetooth enabled.

 

[MotionMan]

Who TF does an 8 year old need to talk to? Put the purple drank down and get her a doll or anything that requires imagination. How about the big red book of fairy tales? When did techno geeks lose touch with reality?

Why do you assume she does not have those things, too?

My kids have dolls, books and toys. They also have iDevices and access to a computer, the TV and a PVR.

It is about balance, not exclusion.

MotionMan

 

[MotionMan]

Oh, well having even more functions makes it all right then.

A Touch has more functions than an iPhone? What?

MotionMan

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

A Touch has more functions than an iPhone? What?

MotionMan

You'd argue which wood burns faster as the house around you goes up in flames. That telling part of this thread is that so many take it seriously.

There is no way in hell anyone could make a reasonable case for giving an 8 year old this level of technology.

 

[MotionMan]

You'd argue which wood burns faster as the house around you goes up in flames. That telling part of this thread is that so many take it seriously.

Can you please start making sense?

There is no way in hell anyone could make a reasonable case for giving an 8 year old this level of technology.

8 year olds like to play games and listen to music. The Touch allows them to play games and listen to music.

MotionMan

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Can you please start making sense?



8 year olds like to play games and listen to music. The Touch allows them to play games and listen to music.

MotionMan

You're not that obtuse so, save the sophistry for your briefs. You rather argue trivia than substantive facts.

Which piece of technology has more functions is beside the point. If you ask a 8 year old if they'd rather play games with mom and dad or on a tiny screen by themselves, they'll pick time with mom and dad.

Last I heard, radios and cheap mp3 players without a breakable screen play music just fine. There is simply no justification for giving an 8 year old something small, breakable and, eminently losable as a $200 to $300 dollar piece of tech.

 

[zerocool84]

If you ask a 8 year old if they'd rather play games with mom and dad or on a tiny screen by themselves, they'll pick time with mom and dad.

That's definitely NOT the average 8yr old.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

That's definitely NOT the average 8yr old.

You been lurking around the playground again?