Should you give your kid a phone?
No.
Will you?
Probably.
We have talked to countless parents about this topic. We’ve preached about being proactive until we’re blue in the face.
But the reality is that you may give in to your tween’s whining, sobbing, begging, and get them the phone.
Then, the begging for social media comes in.
We see our job to educate parents for the reality of the world we live in. We aren’t anti-tech or anti-phone.
We are all about educating yourself about the dangers of the internet, as well as the tricky balance of mental health.
Just this week, the Surgeon General has publicly announced that kids should not join social media until 13. While many apps have always had age-restrictions set to 13 years old, plenty of kids have found ways to circumnavigate these rules and suggestions.
We know from research that the exposure of social media, seeing what peers are doing 24/7, oversharing, screenshotting, inadvertent exposure to adult content…all messes with a teen’s identity development and self-esteem.
As educators, we hope our episode on the Be a Problem Solver Podcast gives you some food-for-thought. Click here to listen to our thoughts on this topic!
Is your tween ready for a phone?
Take the quiz!
To learn more about the Pinwheel Phone (#af), click here:
https://www.pinwheel.com/?via=kate