Even In Steve Jobs' Home, Apple Devices Were Never Present At The Dinner Table

Mike Nudelman/Business InsiderAn illustration of Steve Jobs

One would imagine that Steve Jobs, the late co-founder and former CEO of Apple, had a household filled with iPads, iPods, and Mac computers at every corner. However, that may not have necessarily been the case.

Jobs was a low-tech parent, according to The New York Times' Nick Bilton, who had spoken with Jobs in late 2010.

When Bilton asked Jobs how his children liked the iPad, Jobs replied: "They haven't used it. We limit how much technology our kids use at home."

In fact, Jobs' children didn't seem "addicted at all to devices," Jobs' biographer Walter Isaacson said to Bilton.

"Every evening Steve made a point of having dinner at a big long table in their kitchen, discussing books and history and a variety of things. No one ever pulled out an iPad or computer."

Bilton notes that other CEOs and executives in the tech industry share a mindset that's similar to Jobs'. Former Wired editor and 3D Robotics CEO Chris Anderson and Twitter CEO Dick Costolo are among the tech industry executives that set restrictions and rules for how their children use technology.

The question of how much technology children should be exposed to is one that parents have been pondering for years. According to a parenting advice column in the BBC, balance is the key. This means that as a parent, it's important to make sure your child is balancing the time children spend using electronics with other activities they enjoy. While using computers and other gadgets, parents should make sure kids balance their time with educational programs and activities of their choosing that are just for fun.

Bilton's findings aren't necessarily surprising for most parents, but it's interesting to learn that even some of the most influential figures in technology place limits on how their kids use computers.