Should teenagers have televisions in their bedrooms?

TV sure. Internet no.

My sisters twins have iPhones and laptops and a tv and a ATV4 in their bedroom and get good grades and make it to school everyday without intervention.

If I had that stuff around when I was their age it would have probably been different.

So I guess it depends on the kids.

Internet is not only about good grades. It’s about predators and safety and addiction to things like Fluther.

We have had long talks about that stuff. And that shit is going to happen one way or another. All you can really do is discuss it and educate them.

I actually just went through this a few weeks ago (more education that is).

My sister wanted me to back up her computer and wipe it and reinstall Windows. This computer had about five years of pictures from all three of their iPhones. So I backed everything up on my computer and then uploaded all their photos to Flickr for a offsite back-up. (private album and they had around 15K photos)

So I was wanting a picture of my sisters puppy and thought I could look for it on flickr since she takes tons of pictures of her dog. Oh god, sexting picture of one of the twins. I immediately closed the tab and texted the guilty twin. Turns out it was just pictures she sent to the other twin wanting a opinion on bras and underwear she was trying on.

But I made her log into my flickr account and delete any photos that could get me in trouble. And then a long conversation about how you should assume everything on your phone can be made public through accident or malice.

I can see a few reasons why it might not be a bad idea for teens to have a TV in their rooms.

If the teen has a friend over, they might want to watch TV in the room.

On any given night, the parents and the teen may want to watch different shows.

We don’t have TVs in any of the bedrooms, mostly so as to not disrupt sleep patterns.

But my kids have had laptops since Junior High, and pretty much access to anything on the internet. So I have had a lot of conversations about safety and about content.

To paraphrase from someone else’s meme on entirely different topics:

Not my teenagers; not my televisions.

I don’t have a problem with it as long as it doesn’t interfere with school work.

I also agree with @johnpowell. Communication is so important. Shielding your child from everything you fear will only cause trouble.

What you want to prevent from having TV and Internet in their bedroom will eventually present itself in one way or another. There are many free wi-fi hotspot in public places, not to mention that your child could also do that in his/her friend’s house.

I don’t see an issue with teenages having TV’s in their bedrooms as long and they are responsible, and are doing good in school. Everything has boundaries, and it can be removed if needed.

@nightwolf5 :: And removing the tv can be a good form of punishment.

Internet yes.
TV? Who still watches TV? Especially when you can stream any TV show you want, over the Internet?

I agree tv is so 2005.

I never did. I don’t even think adults should have them in their homes. The programming is a poisonous influence on society. If you don’t believe me, give it up for a year and you’ll find yourself suffering less anxiety, you’ll have a more positive outlook on life and the future, and your train of thought will naturally gravitate toward more positive ideas. You will be a happier person, less cynical, and less of a defeatist.

On the other hand, I’m a huge proponent of the internet. The difference is, once you turn it on, instead of being spoonfed a bombardment of negative content and paranoia, you can control the content you watch. It makes all the difference in the world.

Left to their own devices, people are positive beings.

My kid has a computer in his room now, but that is from lack of space… that said, I can see and hear him in his room and I check his browser/skype history when he doesn’t expect it. He has horrible taste in YouTube Channels. He has an overseas friend (from the UK) and I know who he is and where he lives and he and I even chat when Little Man isn’t home. They play online games together. He doesn’t have an online Xbox account. He doesn’t play random strangers online. He knows exactly how to deal with online stranger danger and I’ve seen it in his browsing history. It’s hilarious what he says to these people. A chip off the old block. (Mamma Pride Shining)
He’s studying programming now, so he needs a computer to do that work on (he uses an old laptop a friend gave us) I trust my kid. He gets himself to school most mornings because I’m already at work. He gets himself to town to attend his computer programming course. I’m still amazed at how far my 11 year old baby has come.

Not too long ago it was considered punishment to say to your teenage kid(s) “go to your bedroom & don’t come out u til I tell you”
Try using that now, the bedroom is their go to room of choice.

I can turn off his internet access by accessing the online router programme. He knows this. I also have domain over his new cell phone (that he bought with money of his own that he saved up.) Today was the last day (a half day) of school before our Easter break of no school next week. It was hard to get him out the door. The only thing that got him out was me telling him that if he didn’t hold up his end of the bargain of going to school meant I would be cancelling the Easter egg candy hunt he and I had planned for this weekend. Candy was still his big motivator this morning. (Yeah, sometimes, he really is just an 11 year old kid. Huge IQ, but still just a kid.)

No. What @Espiritus_Corvus said minus the internet idea. No electronic devices near my sleeping head

If they want to. But if they misbehave, you should take the tv away from them and lock in the attack or basement.

As a teenager, I always had my own TV. It didn’t hurt me at all. Looking back, I recall that I expanded my world by watching news commentary and “Masterpiece Theatre.”

Typo should be *attic

@NerdyKeith I thought that was some Irish spelling. :)

@Love_my_doggie I expanded my world by watching David Letterman and Brady Brunch reruns.

@zenvelo lol no

I had my own TV, stereo and even phone when I was a teenager back in the dark ages (1980s). We let each of our girls have a TV in their bedrooms when each turned 14, and got each of them their own laptops the summer before they went away to college. Prior to that, all computers were in public rooms (but they had smartphones, so it didn’t much matter). They are now 18, 20 and 21, and all doing well.

There is no good reason for it. It’s best to watch TV, internet, and use the family phone in the living area of the house as far as kids go.

The only thing computer and TVs in kids’ rooms does is encourage separation from the family. That is not a good thing.

I had a TV in my bedroom growing up, as well as a desktop with internet, and a laptop. I’m sure my parents would’ve done things differently if I had been doing poorly in school (I never did—got straight A’s all through high school) or if I didn’t interact with the family (that didn’t happen; I was always very close with my family and left my room often) or if I never got outside (I was a very active teen). Given those factors, my parents felt it fine to allow those things in my room. Each teen is different: what works for one family doesn’t work for another.

I must be a Luddite. I don’t think anyone should have a TV or internet in their bedroom. It disrupts sleep.
Read a book before bed and turn off the light when you get drowsy. You’ll fell so much better in the morning.