In my opinion, they want to take kids’ cellphones away for the same reason they don’t want kids to learn about queerness or racism in school. They don’t want their kids to challenge their beliefs.
I was thinking an internet browser and a PC would fit that bill just fine. That was my point. Social media apps and smart phones have severe unique harms for young people.
I read the piece about the youtube pastors from nigeria, which i found quite interesting since i watch English speaking christian apologists. Basically the Christians blowing up here are making arguments against aethiests but overseas the Benny hinn style is getting the most attention. Not great news for the apologists here who decry that sort of faith!
Thank you. I advocate for child survivors of sex crimes, and let me tell you- my kids will not enter any space where phones aren’t allowed. Like, ever. Either I am with them or they have their smartphone handy. Period. (In a bag is fine they know not to use them in class FFS). I see this LITERALLY every day- any adult who demands phones are shut off or have to be handed over is not a safe person. In fact, once I stopped talking to a parent who was organizing a phone-free group camping trip. I argued, politely first then forcefully because he started creeping me out- wouldn’t let my kid go. Guess how many participants in that trip showed up in my office later that very month.
On an even darker note- in the era of school shootings, I truly envy the parents of kids who don’t worry about their kids having phones at school. We thought a flip phone would be fine until our kid tried to send us a text message with shaking hands. She got a smartwatch and smartphone later that afternoon. We use Bark to monitor both and she isn’t allowed social media yet.
I get that phones can be bad, I get that they are distracting in classrooms. But we forget why we have them in the first place, and what prompted our kids to get one in the first place.
The problem isn’t screens. We are fucking failing as a society.
Except cigarettes harm a person’s health and there’s zero evidence that phones do that. There is overwhelming evidence that phones and the internet actually provide really a valuable lifeline for marginalized kids, that’s the whole point. Please watch the video!
In my opinion, they want to take kids’ cellphones away for the same reason they don’t want kids to learn about queerness or racism in school. They don’t want their kids to challenge their beliefs.
Do kids need access to social media and smartphones to learn about queerness and racism and challenge their beliefs?
That’s one of the tools they need to navigate modern society, yes. When you talk about denying kids those tools, who benefits from that?
I was thinking an internet browser and a PC would fit that bill just fine. That was my point. Social media apps and smart phones have severe unique harms for young people.
I read the piece about the youtube pastors from nigeria, which i found quite interesting since i watch English speaking christian apologists. Basically the Christians blowing up here are making arguments against aethiests but overseas the Benny hinn style is getting the most attention. Not great news for the apologists here who decry that sort of faith!
So interesting! Ty for sharing this tidbit I had no idea
Thank you. I advocate for child survivors of sex crimes, and let me tell you- my kids will not enter any space where phones aren’t allowed. Like, ever. Either I am with them or they have their smartphone handy. Period. (In a bag is fine they know not to use them in class FFS). I see this LITERALLY every day- any adult who demands phones are shut off or have to be handed over is not a safe person. In fact, once I stopped talking to a parent who was organizing a phone-free group camping trip. I argued, politely first then forcefully because he started creeping me out- wouldn’t let my kid go. Guess how many participants in that trip showed up in my office later that very month.
On an even darker note- in the era of school shootings, I truly envy the parents of kids who don’t worry about their kids having phones at school. We thought a flip phone would be fine until our kid tried to send us a text message with shaking hands. She got a smartwatch and smartphone later that afternoon. We use Bark to monitor both and she isn’t allowed social media yet.
I get that phones can be bad, I get that they are distracting in classrooms. But we forget why we have them in the first place, and what prompted our kids to get one in the first place.
The problem isn’t screens. We are fucking failing as a society.
These are very good points. Thank you for adding them to what I said!
I feel like I'm 30 years we will look back at pictures of kids with phones the way today we look at ones with nine year olds smoking 🚬
Except cigarettes harm a person’s health and there’s zero evidence that phones do that. There is overwhelming evidence that phones and the internet actually provide really a valuable lifeline for marginalized kids, that’s the whole point. Please watch the video!