A New Generation of Allowances.

I have never been a big fan of monetary allowances.

The way it worked at my parents’ house was as follows: You did your work because you had to and when you wanted a new toy you asked them for it. While growing up my “spending money” consisted of money I saved up from Christmas and birthday presents. Monthly allowances were foreign ideas; they only existed on T.V and to be precise on American channels.

Things have changed since I was 10. Even the ways things are done at my house are different. Thirteen years separate my sister and me and the way we were raised is completely different. I blame it on the internet.

A recent NYT’s article describes a growing trend for parents: changing allowances to include online time. It makes sense. Kids used the money they got to buy fun things. This way the money part is skipped and we get straight to the fun part.

This has probably been happening for some time; after all, the Internet is now competing (next to the tv and the newest toy) for children’s time so why shouldn’t it work as a reward?

I have two questions about this “new system:” How much is too much? Are we saying that kids are now entitled to their internet time?

I justify my younger sister’s love (read: possible addiction) with the internet in two ways:

1) The internet for her is social: She plays online with her friends. She chats with them. She watches videos her friends recommended. And as sad as it may sound, not being online and in the “Internet know” might be social suicide.

2) She seems to really love computers and technology, so maybe just maybe we are advancing her career (or at least we aren’t shutting that door.)

A kid needs distraction. The internet is just another form of distraction. But calling it an allowance is a form of entitling them to those daily minutes. Can minute’s rollover to the next day or do they disappear if unused?

What ever happened to giving them free time and letting them choose what they want to do?

The truth is, this type of system controls the kids who use the internet excessively (or at least whose parents believe their usage is excessive.) But I think over time, after people become more comfortable with the role the internet plays in children’s life this kind of system will disappear.

This system might work in some families and it might work in mine too, as long as we don’t call it an allowance.