If you are a parent, then you may be solving the problem of when your child should get a smartphone. There is a national movement, Wait until the 8ththis believes that the equipment should be placed in the hands of the children until they go deep into middle school. Some families manage to Extend for longer. Andrew Przybylskiprofessor of technology and human behavior at the Oxford Internet Institute at Oxford University, the father of two had a different idea.
A few months ago, he told me: “Kids always have cell phones – from the age of 3.” I almost fell off the chair.
It doesn’t sound that extreme until you come for us with a pitchfork. Przybylski didn’t work out of the box, connect it to the Internet, and then let his kids start downloading the app. Introducing the device into his child’s life is an incredibly deliberate process, similar to putting a series of training wheels on a bike. First, the only app on the toddler’s phone is an album full of family pictures. Then, when they get older, the kids can access their phone’s camera, followed by audiobooks and music picked by their parents themselves, and eventually, they can call their families and text messages.
“It is designed to make everything about technology a conversation,” he said. “This is the conversation we are with the kids now, that is, the kids will have conversations with themselves in the future.”
Przybylski didn’t work out of the box, connect it to the Internet, and then let his kids start downloading the app.
Giving a toddler a cell phone is a counterintuitive idea, and it is a relaxing idea. If you read any Report a mental health crisis That hit the young man About the chances of their social mediaparents are naturally afraid to call their children. But once you reach the fact that these devices are also an important tool in the increasingly technically dependable world, and that is teaching children the concept of how to live with their phones – guardrails, of course – and of course, it makes a lot of sense.
The debate over children and smartphones has been heating up over the past two years. 35 states have laws or rules Restricting or outright banning of school phone calls addresses a range of issues, including cyberbullying, classroom distractions and youth mental health crises. Especially social media use has Related to depression and anxiety In the children. Parents and teens actually agree, especially social media is Threat to mental health. It’s one thing to try to use controls on your child’s social media, but many parents try to stop their children from having their smartphones for as long as possible. Even driving parents to sign a promise that they will stick with it until eighth grade to buy their kids’ phone number.
In my opinion, this is a bad idea. critic Just like Jonathan Haidt,author An anxious generationthere is a child and parents Completely surpassed the tech giant Push addictive products to children. They are also right, many solutions to keep the child safe, Like better age verificationcreate new questions. But trying to keep kids away from smartphones is one of the most common devices in the world today, it is a fool. Many parents – even those who sign the promise – Tried and failed.
Most importantly, it is a good idea to teach kids how to use technology safely. Mobile phones are a fact of life in the 21st century, and even if you try to keep them away from your children, their friends will get the device without you knowing it, and there may be no safeguards. At the same time, there is growing evidence that screen time can be a good thing, especially When parents participate directly. It is Never teach digital literacy too earlyIf so, as long as the kids can access it online, they can discover scams and error messages online. By turning technology usage into conversations, parents also invite their children to come to them when they inevitably laterally.
I will admit that I have not decided when I will give my daughter my own phone number. Over the past few weeks, I’ve spent several weeks asking experts about the idea of the phone number given to their kids at 3 o’clock. Based on everything I learned, I don’t think I’m going to sign any promises anytime soon.
Screen time may be good, actually
Smartphones are not only popular, but they are inevitable. Nine out of ten Americans Have a smartphone. The number of children on equipment is also increasing. Common sense media reports reported earlier this year 2-year-old has his own tabletthe percentage of 4-year-old children increased to 58%. The percentage of children who have their own smartphone is much lower: 4% for 2-year-olds and 8% for 4-year-olds. However, if you are looking for how many kids can use their smartphones at home, that number will jump to 96%.
If you are alert to this idea iPad kidsthese numbers may shock you. But if parents are involved in what their kids are watching, the apps available, and how long the kids can use their phone, screen time is not necessarily a bad thing.
“This study shows that this can effectively encourage children’s digital literacy, encourage children’s agency and exploration, and learn and avoid saying ‘I can use my phone, but you can’t have one thing,'” Sonia Livingstoneprofessor of social psychology at the London School of Economics and Politics has been studying children and technology for decades. “You know, it became a forbidden fruit.”
The idea of starting a toddler with an album makes sense. My daughter mainly wants to see family photos on her phone, and I inevitably have to take them away from her.
A 2013 study found that 2 years old Learn new verbs by talking to people Whether it’s in person or via video calls, rather than watching the video passively.
Video calls have long been an early educational screen time activity. A 2013 study found that 2 years old Learn new verbs by talking to people Whether it’s in person or via video calls, rather than watching the video passively. Later research found Parents participate in improving learning Even.
However, as the child gets older, it may be nice to watch passively. We know this because of decades of research on children watching TV. A pioneering study on impact Sesame Street Discover watching performances in childhood Causes school performance improvement. certainly, Sesame Street Created by a nonprofit organization and has a clear task to educate children. YouTube’s unlimited feed with Sometimes the content of the childrenis another animal. The American Psychological Association said last year that features such as endless rolling and infinite feed “Extremely Adventurous” for young peopleits brain does not easily stop scrolling or watching, and therefore may become more dispersed.
That’s why every expert I’ve talked to highlight the intentional approach to introducing technology to children. Creating a playlist for music or videos and selecting a specific audiobook or podcast is similar to placing a training wheel on the corner of the internet. The most important part of the process is talking to the kids about what they are watching or listening to, and ultimately discussing how platforms like YouTube and Spotify work. This includes explaining how Dark Pattern and Algorithm Summary They can be forced to keep consuming content.
“With some new ways of boundaries, communication and content, parents can shift things in the right direction.” Jenny Radskyassociate professor of pediatrics at the University of Michigan School of Medicine, who guides families with intentional use of technology. “These tech companies shouldn’t take up most of our family’s time and space.”
These tech companies are also keenly aware that their products can harm children’s public awareness. That’s why we’ve seen similar introductions YouTube’s Kids and Instagram Teen Accountwhich provides more parental control but still profits from attracting children’s attention. The least parents can do is to enable children with digital literacy skills to understand how these powerful platforms work.
The more I think about it, giving their own smartphones to start the process from a very young age and constantly discuss it with them – is a great first step.
The last thing parents want is that the full weight of the internet is to hit the child’s prefrontal cortex at the wrong time. You might argue that when many children go deep into puberty, middle school is their worst time to access everything a smartphone can do. Teens are good at it even with parental control Find ways to bypass them.
It’s hard to imagine putting a phone in the hands of a child until any age, and then expecting them to develop a healthy relationship with the device overnight. Meanwhile, I got a call to a 3-year-old and could go on strike a lot. Generally, relaxing them into the concept of technology is a good concept, and the same concept should be maintained regardless of the age of the child getting his first tablet, phone or smartwatch. The process begins with a series of gradually falling off guardrails that require parents’ time and attention.
The last thing parents want is that the full weight of the internet is to hit the child’s prefrontal cortex at the wrong time.
“The goal is absolutely to consider how we develop healthy, meaningful technology use as soon as possible.” Eisha Buchoversee the digital citizenship program from common sense. “Because ideally those skills and mindsets ideally stay there and stick to them when they are 16 or 18, or whenever they leave the house, parents aren’t there to mentor them.”
When I started to imagine doing this for my family, it struck me to remember the order in which I got access to digital tools in the 90s. My first real gadget is a digital camera – no different camera than the Przybylski device says it can be given to a 3-year-old. Then, I had an iPod, which ended up being a flip phone. When I pick up my phone today, I still mostly see it as a useful device like taking photos, playing music and connecting with family and friends. Granted, my phone has also become a way to waste time, through feeds or watching videos, and even my adult brain is trying to stop doing this.
David BickhamThe Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School proposed a framework that I found particularly useful: Parents should give their children a device when they need it. They should talk to their children about technology, release supervision in turn, and provide the children’s tools to deal with challenges or talk to their parents when they are in trouble.
“The worst outcome is a child who needs help from adults, but can’t go to parents because they don’t trust their parents to do something that will really help them,” Bickham said.
Starting this process at a very young age may be particularly good at dealing with this challenge. In the best case, a child seeks help from his parents: peel off a banana, wear shoes, and see pictures on the phone. One of the first sentences many toddlers learn is: “I need help.” If parents want to be seen as helpful in technology, it seems clever to make themselves available early on.
Even in the near future, we will be able to talk to AI agents In our glassessmartphone Will remain everywhere. This generation of parents grew up primarily in the 1980s and 1990s, with a unique opportunity to relax children into this technology-filled world and help them build healthy relationships with the technology. Whether you start at the age of 3 or 13, this is a difficult but very important task. Personally, I will start early rather than late.
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