This brief video is better described as:
“Digital Dilemma,” “Digital Dementia,” or “Piss Poor Parenting/Preparation.”
As parents we need to be more engaged with our kids as they navigate through early life, adolescence, and young adulthood.
I see too many 12 year olds, 10 year olds (mine previously included), even as young as 6 years old having cell phones or iPads. Listen to this video, and identify yourself, your friends and family, and your kids in his talk.
How many of you are guilty of being on your phone when your kid is trying to get your attention, then getting angry because they are interrupting your game, or post, or mindless scrolling?
Me. I’m guilty. As a matter of fact, I’m guilty of everything that I wrote in this…advice piece…rant….whatever. I’ll call it an enlightening article.
We have to pull these phones back. They have watches that allow kids to call a set amount of pre-programmed numbers, and you can track your kids via GOS on them. No messages. No social media. No addictive dopamine kicks throughout the day, which then cause terrible crashed, withdrawal, and depression later.
I propose that kids have no digital device (social media, texts) until they are at least 16 years old, and even that may be too early.
And stop giving your kids everything they ask for. If they didn’t earn it, then they don’t give it.
And seriously, what kid needs a smartphone? It’s barely necessary for most adults to own.
Watch the video… on your device…then put your devices up because your kids probably want your TIME.
Example from video’s implications of negative effects:
A ‘friend’s’ kid went to the doctor recently and was prescribed an antidepressant. From a 30 minute office visit, from a physician…and no diagnosis. I advised the ‘friend’ to disregard this hack’s prescription, find a new doctor, and maybe try to spend less time on their own devices and more time with the kid. Like Simon says in the video, when our phone is siting in close proximity when someone (in this case our kid) is trying to interact, we are sending a signal that they aren’t important, or at least as important as the strangers on our social media pages.
