We have a 14 and an 8 year old. The 8 year old does not have a phone, or tablet, the 14 year does. We live in Greece, where the school system is very centralised and old fashioned. Schools aren't great, but I see it as a great advantage that they don't use modern technology, just books. Phone use at the older one's school has become an epidemic in the eyes of the school, and I can understand that. The reasons are complex and not necessarily related to phones, but I think it is good idea to ban them at school all together. If there is an emergency, you can always call the school.
On the whole, I agree with what is written here. Personally I am even a bit more on the cautious side - we don't need the ultimate evidence or crystal clear clinical definitions to see the addictive potential of phone use. And it doesn't really matter which chemicals are involved. But then, reality dictates what we can do anyway, and radical solutions won't work when they simply exclude our kids from the life out there.
Such great content. Our son's high school at the first parent event in the Fall said "Parents - please don't text your kids while they are at school. We have students who tell us they have to keep their phones one because their parents want to be able to reach them. Your kids are at school. Let them be here. Let them concentrate. If something urgent or important comes up, we'll reach out to you. We promise."
Great post! I teach middle school, and sometimes I can tell when a student does *not* have social media. For lack of a better term, they seem more... normal. Perhaps like an average student ten years ago.
Parents especially need to take charge with Points 10 and 11. My class sleepers rarely have insomnia like we, as adults, would have had it. It's either video games through the night or phone use through the night. I like to think that as a society this is just a phase and we will find equilibrium. Maybe. Hopefully.
Love all of this, except for that kids feel they have to respond immediately to their parent text messages at school. Parents: please, please, please don’t text your kids at school. Also, don’t frame a phone as a “necessary safety device” because that just causes kids to feel unsafe when a teacher requests that phone be put away for a lesson.
I came across this just as I was finishing up a long piece about my granddaughter and her phone. I added a link to it near the end of the essay. The essay is long, so I posted it in two parts: https://heyscott.substack.com/p/n-of-1
We have a 14 and an 8 year old. The 8 year old does not have a phone, or tablet, the 14 year does. We live in Greece, where the school system is very centralised and old fashioned. Schools aren't great, but I see it as a great advantage that they don't use modern technology, just books. Phone use at the older one's school has become an epidemic in the eyes of the school, and I can understand that. The reasons are complex and not necessarily related to phones, but I think it is good idea to ban them at school all together. If there is an emergency, you can always call the school.
On the whole, I agree with what is written here. Personally I am even a bit more on the cautious side - we don't need the ultimate evidence or crystal clear clinical definitions to see the addictive potential of phone use. And it doesn't really matter which chemicals are involved. But then, reality dictates what we can do anyway, and radical solutions won't work when they simply exclude our kids from the life out there.
Such great content. Our son's high school at the first parent event in the Fall said "Parents - please don't text your kids while they are at school. We have students who tell us they have to keep their phones one because their parents want to be able to reach them. Your kids are at school. Let them be here. Let them concentrate. If something urgent or important comes up, we'll reach out to you. We promise."
Great post! I teach middle school, and sometimes I can tell when a student does *not* have social media. For lack of a better term, they seem more... normal. Perhaps like an average student ten years ago.
Parents especially need to take charge with Points 10 and 11. My class sleepers rarely have insomnia like we, as adults, would have had it. It's either video games through the night or phone use through the night. I like to think that as a society this is just a phase and we will find equilibrium. Maybe. Hopefully.
Love all of this, except for that kids feel they have to respond immediately to their parent text messages at school. Parents: please, please, please don’t text your kids at school. Also, don’t frame a phone as a “necessary safety device” because that just causes kids to feel unsafe when a teacher requests that phone be put away for a lesson.
I came across this just as I was finishing up a long piece about my granddaughter and her phone. I added a link to it near the end of the essay. The essay is long, so I posted it in two parts: https://heyscott.substack.com/p/n-of-1
https://heyscott.substack.com/p/n-of-1-ecd