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Would You Believe Most Kids Actually Like Face To Face Communications?

from the who-woulda-thunk-it? dept

Thu, Aug 14th 2008 6:31am — Mike Masnick

There seems to be this common theme among adults who freak out about kids playing video games or surfing the internet that it's somehow a "replacement" for going outside or hanging out with friends in person. Instead, it's actually an enhancement to those things, providing another way to communicate, rather than a total replacement. Thus, those adults should be happy to hear of a new study that shows nearly 80% of kids still think face to face communication is the best. That shouldn't be surprising, but given the fear mongering stories we hear on a regular basis, it's a nice reminder that despite claims to the contrary, kids aren't as dumb as some adults make them out to be.

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Filed Under: communications, face to face, kids

16 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2008 @ 6:40am

but i love only meeting people on xbox live
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2008 @ 6:42am

Parents just suck today (sorry guys) . . .
I hear this today, kids play too many video games they dont get enough excersize (which is true in my opinion) but then these same parents are scared to death to let thier children go outside cause they will get an "owey" or be abducted or something! LOL, Im just glad im grown. We had video games when I was young and every once in a while my dad would grab me by the collar throw me out the door (usually on bright sunny days) and tell me not to come back until dinner time. I had some of the most fun adventures of my childhood on those days.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2008 @ 6:49am

Of course kids enjoy face to face meetings! That's why MSNBC has shows like “To Catch a Predator”.
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Charles, 14 Aug 2008 @ 7:04am

RE:Parents just suck today (sorry guys) . . .
If you think your father was throwing you out for your own benifit :D you got another thing coming!
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2008 @ 7:08am

Re: RE:Parents just suck today (sorry guys) . . .
lol charles.

but yeah i agree, then again as much as atari was fun it was enough to keep me glued to the TV screen alday.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2008 @ 7:19am

But, this is in England. I'd be curious to see the results in suburbia america
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Caleb, 14 Aug 2008 @ 7:33am

I'd say that anyone who prefers electronic communication to being physically with the person a) likes to be anonymous, or b)wants to be unable to be hurt by the other person.

Also would bet a lot more guys are happier with electronic then girls. I call em all crazy, though. Nothing beats face to face!
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2008 @ 7:49am

I think talking digitally to other people, is a good stepping stone for people that have difficulty being face to face. Me and my Fiance met in school, however most of the first months of our relationship was spent on AIM or text messaging each other. We slowly progressed to calling each other, then to being face to face with each other. Once we got to that face to face point in our relationship, we never wanted to be apart. At the time i was a pretty shy guy, but after meeting her and going through these steps, it has sort of transformed the way i see the world. I now work in IT for a school district and I LOVE the interaction with the people I meet. And i can't say that i would be here today without going through that transitional period.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2008 @ 7:56am

Re: RE:Parents just suck today (sorry guys) . . .
"If you think your father was throwing you out for your own benifit :D you got another thing coming!"

LOL no I have no illusions about his motivation, but I still reaped the benefits just the same.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2008 @ 7:58am

Well children in the UK are different than children in america by far. There its not too often you see an overly obese child. In america one trip to any local store and your bound to see at least 2 or more every time you go out depending on where you go and how long your at the store.
They should really do that study in the U.S. and I bet those numbers will plunge significantly to about 30 to 40 percent since most parents here want society to raise their kids and the only interaction kids want with parents in the U.S. is when it comes to feeding them 4 McDonalds cheeseburgers with that large fry and large shake
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MadJo (profile), 14 Aug 2008 @ 8:32am

Re:
I agree, because they are so eloquent and have a rich vocabulary.
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The Imagination Song, 14 Aug 2008 @ 8:33am

Re:
I don't think AIM is a stepping stone for socially awkward people. It seems kind of creepy really, I also work in IT and I send maybe one email before I setup face to face meetings. I realized that face to face contact increases motivation to work with someone rather than being another email or text in their bin. People do twice the amount of work for me if I see them and interact with them, rather than just email or call them.
Plus its easier to say things that they wouldn't otherwise have the balls to say to someone in person. So it just gives cowards a way to "step up to the plate" when really they are just shouting from behind their little protected wall. Aka every little (or Big) tool on Xbox live that says whatever they want over the mic, when they know they'd get their ass kicked if they spoke out like that in front of someone.
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Brillo, 14 Aug 2008 @ 8:43am

Be nice..
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sandoz76, 14 Aug 2008 @ 9:37am

Did a 13-17 year old write this article?
Did a child write this article? It is one of the most incoherent things I have seen linked on techdirt.
"Only 11 per cent of those asked plan to study sciences" because, what scientists make social networking apps? What kind of non sequitur is this? What is the current % of the population that would identify themselves as a "scientist." Steve Jobs and Bill Gates aren't scientists, but I seem to recall their ability to innovate in technology.

"causing a shortage of tech workers in a society of technology consumers and hardly any innovators. " As in right now? Because it is written in present tense. So kids not wanting to be scientists RIGHT NOW is causing a dearth in innovation?

Now that teenage kids have confirmed that (duh) they like to be around other teenage kids, we need to find something to bag on them for? What a smarmy piece of garbage this article is.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2008 @ 11:36am

Just because they think it is the best doesn't mean they will use it as a form of communication. I know that it is best for me to use a name, but I like being an a/c.
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Gedger, 20 Aug 2008 @ 6:25am

Would You Believe Most Kids Actually Like Face To Face Communications?
If children prefered 'face to face' communication, rather than oggling at a screen, then there would still be the type of social clubs in existance when I was a child, where you could go to play games, sports or just simply hang out with your peers and spend money at the tuck shop. Unfortunately these type of places just don't exist any more because of our 'wrap your children in cotton wool' attitude.
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