Very interesting article. It’s everything that we’ve been discussing here on the forum:
The article discusses a movement led by the UK’s National Education Union and parents urging the purchase of ‘dumb’ phones for teenagers to protect them from the adverse effects of social media. It highlights the link between social media’s addictive nature and declining teenage mental health, advocating for phones that restrict access to harmful content while allowing essential functions like maps and banking.
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It is about time. Although it is still ultimately the parents’ responsibility not to allow their children access to these things.
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@catan VERY TRUE. However, do you think that it would be easier if all the other parents would get on board with restricting digital devices? I has a conversation with one of my friends who has a 12 year old daughter and she said when YOUR child is the only one in the class who doesn’t have an iPhone, it makes it very hard to rationalize why she can’t get one. If all the other parents got on board, and all the other kids did not have smartphones, the solution might be much easier to implement.
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It would definitely make things easier if other parents were on board!
I recently had a conversation with my daughter’s 7th grade teacher. Her 15yo has ADHD and therefore does not have a smartphone. She is the first parent of a teen that age that I know of who speaks of the decision not to give them a smartphone. It really helped me just to hear that, as I have no intention of allowing my kids one any time soon. My oldest is about to turn 13, and all her friends have had one for awhile, despite the school’s strong no-electronics policy and community pledge to wait until the end of 8th grade. We are not anywhere near having this discussion as my child accepts my decision of no phone without question, and I talk to her about my reasons, while also checking my own use in front of her.
So I have wished for more support on the parental front, but am facing the reality that this is not the case. Even parents who can acknowledges the issues of screen addiction give their kids devices, the rationale being they are education and useful tools. Of course peer pressure is very strong. Nobody wants to be left out, or their child to be an outcast.
I have younger children as well, so part of my work is trying to find and network with like-minded parents, to reduce my kids’ exposure to screens/devices/video games/smartpone use, etc. before we get to the time where the decision becomes contentious. I know parents of teens do not fight their teens on smartphones because it may damage the relationship too much, and that is definitely a valid point. It is complex and difficult to navigate on all fronts.
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