Silicon Valley tech titans raise their kids tech-free – should you too?
IT'S hard to know exactly how much time your kids should be spending with their gadgets.
They need digital skills, but exploring life offline is important too. So what do the tech titans of Silicon Valley do when it comes to gadget-toting minors?
Late Apple founder Steve Jobs changed the world with iconic gadgets like the iPod, iPhone and MacBook.
But as a parent, he was a firm believer in restricting how much his kids used tech.
Jobs was once asked by a reporter about whether his kids loved the new iPad, and he replied: "They haven't used it."
He went on: "We limit how much technology our kids use at home."
Yes, even tech titan Jobs thought too much Apple could be a bad thing.
Jobs' biographer Walter Isaacson later revealed the truth about the tech mogul's parenting style.
"Every evening Steve made a point of having dinner at the big long table in their kitchen, discussing books and history and a variety of things," he said.
"No one ever pulled out an iPad or computer.
"The kids did not seem addicted at all to devices."
It's no surprise then that the new Apple CEO Tim Cook has similar views to his predecessor.
Although childless himself, Cook reckons kids need time to be kids.
"I don't have a kid, but I have a nephew that I put some boundaries on," Cook revealed in January this year.
"There are some things that I won't allow; I don't want them on a social network."
He admitted that although the internet could be empowering, it's also dangerous.
"But it can also be a place where basic rules of decency are suspended and pettiness and negativity thrive.
"The bigger issue is that some of these tools are used to divide people, to manipulate people, to get fake news to people in broad numbers so as to influence their thinking.
"I don't believe in overuse [of technology]. I'm not a person that says we've achieved success if you're using it all the time. I don't subscribe to that at all."
It's not just top Apple bods that feel this way.
Uber-rich Microsoft founder Bill Gates recently told how he enforces very strict rules when it comes to kids and tech.
"We often set a time after which there is no screen time," the billionaire told the Mirror.
"And in their case, that helps them get to sleep at a reasonable hour.
"You're always looking at how it can be used in a great way – homework and staying in touch with friends – and also where it has gotten to excess.
"We don't have cellphones at the table when we are having a meal, we didn't give our kids cellphones until they were 14, and they complained other kids got them earlier."
Even tech journalists have been scared off gadgets.
Former Wired editor Chris Anderson, who now runs a drone company called 3D Robotics, says he's very aware of the "dangers" of tech.
"My kids accuse me and my wife of being fascists and overly concerned about tech, and they say that none of their friends have the same rules," he explained.
"That's because we have seen the dangers of technology firsthand.
"I've seen it in myself, I don't want to see that happen to my kids."
He added: "This is rule no.1: there are no screens in the bedroom. Period. Ever."
Tech titans have devoted their lives to creating awesome gadgets and apps.
But not everyone agrees that they're a good idea.
Facebook has recently been embroiled in a major privacy scandal after giving away personal info on 87million users without their permission.
Billionaire boss Mark Zuckerberg – who's just 33 years old – has come under fire himself for not taking the privacy of Facebook users seriously enough.
And although Zuck has been happy to hoover up the digital lives of 2billion users globally, he's not so keen on keeping his kids cooped up on computers.
In a letter to his newly born daughter, Zuck sung praises about getting outdoors and enjoying childhood.
"You will be busy when you're older, so I hope you take time to smell all the flowers and put all the leaves you want in your bucket now," he penned, making no mention of likes, hashtags or face-scanning tech.
"Childhood is magical. You only get to be a child once, so don't spend it worrying too much about the future.
"You've got us for that, and we'll do everything we possibly can to make sure the world is a better place for you and all children in your generation."
The genius programmer went on: "The world can be a serious place. That's why it's important to make time to go outside and play."
MOST READ IN TECH
But not everyone is convinced by the digital detox that seems so popular in Silicon Valley.
Apple co-founder Steve Wonziak is famously pro-tech, even when it comes to kids.
"I would never tell a kid to get off their phones, any kid doing anything technical, addicted to a computer, addicted to a game," he once revealed.
"Let them find themselves in the world.
"Don't force your values on them."
Do you limit the amount of time your children spend using gadgets? Let us know in the comments!
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.