Many of the dynamics in a family are reactive. Parents worry that they will be left behind if their children don't have a smartphone, so, without weighing up the pros and cons of their request, they give in. The parents let their children spend a lot of time on screens because they can do whatever they want. But then they become concerned about the amount of time they are spending with their kids. They berate them for their bad habits and promise that everything will change.
It would be more sensible to base your policy on reflection and reason, rather than on fear and mood. Emily Cherkin offers some suggestions on how to achieve this. Emily Cherkin is a former educator, screentime consultant, who helps parents and teachers balance the role that devices play in children's lives. She also wrote The Screentime Solution: a judgment-free guide to becoming a tech-intentional family. Emily discusses screentime in children today. She explains the "displacement hypotheses" and how it impacts kids' mental health beyond just the time spent on screens. Parents give their kids smartphones, even if they aren't sure if it is good for them. Then we discuss how to make families more tech-intentional, starting with parents examining their own behavior. We talk about why parental controls on mobile devices aren't always the best solution. Instead, we recommend a more personalized approach based on how you relate to your children.
Podcast Resources
AoM Podcast: How to Raise Free Range Children with Lenore SkenazyAoM article: When is the right age to give a child their first smartphone? Three Tech Experts Weigh inAoM Article: Best Internet Filter For KidsThe Anxious Genre by Jonathan HaidtThe light phoneEmily Cherkin: Connect with her
Emily's Website
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