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this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2023
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That’s a very valid concern. Personally, I think parents should keep their kids away from phones much longer. While I’ve only got a kid on the way, I’m hoping to keep them off of smartphones until high school.
That sounds too long to me. Since later in elementary school (3rd grade), smartphone (and tablet I had at the time) have been really useful tools for me. Sure, I definitely wasted plenty of time on Minecraft videos, but it's not any worse than TV. It helped me learn a lot of what I know now. Without that, I'd have problems getting into any high school. For example, it helped me fly through chemistry and physics like a breeze. Also I learned English, which has unlocked me access to even more info. I wouldn't have been able to pass 7th grade without studying for history, again on my phone.
But of course, there was less crap than now. I am happy I got to grow up with YouTube channels like ExplainingComputers, ElectroBOOM, LGR, Scott Manley, Techmoan, The 8-bit guy, Tom Scott, Veritasium, Ted-Ed, and others I don't remember.
But even before I had smartphone, I could already watch youtube on my Sony Ericsson W200i. That was something. It ran at like 5fps in SD quality, but it worked. And 50MB was basically infinite data.
I watch most of those channels so here are a few unsolicited recommendations:
Technology connections
Cathode Ray dude
And maybe Aging wheels
I definitely think tech should be a part of their life, but a personal smartphone is something I personally feel can wait.
Can you explain why?
At this point, smartphones can most of the time replace desktop/laptop computers. At least Android. I am not sure how it looks on the side of iOS. Though, of course, using e.g. Collabora Office on smartphone isn't nearly as convenient as LibreOffice on laptop, but it can be done. And with Termux, it feels anything is possible.
If you mean that they'll have it 24/7 which feels unhealthy, they can just leave it at home. I did that until high school (my own decision) because I didn't want to break my phone. In fact, I still do that when I go walk my dog. I just bought the cheapest dumb phone that I don't have to worry about for cases of emergency. It was less than 10 bucks. Of course I tend to forget it, so it doesn't really work.
I want my kids to have the tools they need to succeed, and I realize a smartphone has nearly become essential at a certain age, but they also control the lives of many people. Technology is an amazing tools, but it has been designed to be highly addictive. Kids have enough problems to deal with, and I don’t want to make things harder for them.
—- edit —- I suppose what I’m really trying to say is that I want my children to first learn healthy habits.
I'm torn because your cell phone use sounds pretty healthy but I worry others get a more negative experience overall especially with social media.
Also the idea of anyone prior to high-school having cell phones feels odd to me, when I was in school kids worked summer jobs to buy a phone so senior year of high school was a popular year to get into the cell phone game. I didn't get one myself until I completed college and thought I'd need it for work (I didn't). Hardly use it but it is expected to have once you're in your mid 20s making appointments and whatnot. But do people really expect you to have one in elementary school?
My friends gave their kids a cell phone at 12. Lots of parental controls on it.
That’s about what I’m expecting. 12 and 14 aren’t that different.