By now, we all know that smartphones, social media and most forms of online connection are incredibly unhealthy for the average teen, probably the average adult too. We all know this perfectly, but try to not give a teen a smartphone today and you're still some out of touch weirdo.
Yes -- my kids are too young for this to be an issue yet but whenever the topic comes up and I express my position, I'm met with incredulity by those who have kids that age. Even parents who are raising good kids and tried to resist handing out smartphones at the earliest possible opportunity. It's going to be a tough fight, and the best I can think to do is try to associate with other families that are committed to it.
I've also taken more notice lately to a whole other world of kids being handed iPads even at 1 year old, at restaurants and various other public spaces, even at church functions and community groups. For a while I thought this was very much low-class behavior, but I've been disheartened to see so many educated and upper-middle class Millennials increasingly doing this now, including people at my church. And plenty of people who only have one kid to deal with!
Maybe I go too far in the other extreme and overindulge my kids with attention, but I can't begin to understand how someone can feel good about doing this just to shut their kid up.
If I'm going to over analyze the cause, it's because millennial parents of all classes tend to be helicopter parents... they have to give the kid something to do, provide some sort of activity 24/7. So if they're busy, the kid still dependent and the iPad/phone is a wonderfully effective babysitter that you can take with you anywhere.
You might be right that the two are linked, though in my mind it's the opposite of helicoptering.
I suppose one theme I've picked up from Haidt is the idea that parents are overprotective when it comes to the real world, but underprotective when it comes to online interaction. Perhaps what I'm observing is that trend manifesting itself even among parents of 1-year-olds. Perhaps if I just kept my kids on iPads all day as toddlers, we wouldn't know our way around the local ER quite as well.
I guess it just comes from how you define helicopter parenting. I sort of see it as the parents needing to give attention to the kids every moment of the day, and because that's impossible, parents resort to screens. But I agree with what you say.
A lot here, but since I was on vacation I am catching up. Two quick points:
1) The idea that conservatives need to learn how to govern I think is missing the upcoming reality. Conservatives who are tapping into the populist movement are planning to change the way we are governed thereby dramatically altering the way the Left/Progressives/Democrats see and operate in the world. They are the ones that will be left behind.
2) The article about turning boys into men was written by a woman (at least that what I gathered from the name and the way she wrote). The idea that men need to express a full range of emotions sounds like men need to act like women. My father never taught me not to cry, but growing up I learned from other men and boys to cry was to show weakness. At times, that may be necessary, but a man - particularly a man who is to be a leader, whether of his family, a church, a business, a military organization - needs to be strong in trying times. I would argue that a man who is constantly showing his emotions is one who cannot be trusted in a crisis. And to women that is also a turnoff.
By now, we all know that smartphones, social media and most forms of online connection are incredibly unhealthy for the average teen, probably the average adult too. We all know this perfectly, but try to not give a teen a smartphone today and you're still some out of touch weirdo.
Yes -- my kids are too young for this to be an issue yet but whenever the topic comes up and I express my position, I'm met with incredulity by those who have kids that age. Even parents who are raising good kids and tried to resist handing out smartphones at the earliest possible opportunity. It's going to be a tough fight, and the best I can think to do is try to associate with other families that are committed to it.
I've also taken more notice lately to a whole other world of kids being handed iPads even at 1 year old, at restaurants and various other public spaces, even at church functions and community groups. For a while I thought this was very much low-class behavior, but I've been disheartened to see so many educated and upper-middle class Millennials increasingly doing this now, including people at my church. And plenty of people who only have one kid to deal with!
Maybe I go too far in the other extreme and overindulge my kids with attention, but I can't begin to understand how someone can feel good about doing this just to shut their kid up.
If I'm going to over analyze the cause, it's because millennial parents of all classes tend to be helicopter parents... they have to give the kid something to do, provide some sort of activity 24/7. So if they're busy, the kid still dependent and the iPad/phone is a wonderfully effective babysitter that you can take with you anywhere.
You might be right that the two are linked, though in my mind it's the opposite of helicoptering.
I suppose one theme I've picked up from Haidt is the idea that parents are overprotective when it comes to the real world, but underprotective when it comes to online interaction. Perhaps what I'm observing is that trend manifesting itself even among parents of 1-year-olds. Perhaps if I just kept my kids on iPads all day as toddlers, we wouldn't know our way around the local ER quite as well.
touche!
I guess it just comes from how you define helicopter parenting. I sort of see it as the parents needing to give attention to the kids every moment of the day, and because that's impossible, parents resort to screens. But I agree with what you say.
Haidt agrees with that, and is working to generate a new cultural consensus around children/teens and phones/social media.
yeah, it will take time, but individual parents on the ground should stand up too.
For sure. It is nice to know that smart and influential people are working on it, as we stand up ourselves.
A lot here, but since I was on vacation I am catching up. Two quick points:
1) The idea that conservatives need to learn how to govern I think is missing the upcoming reality. Conservatives who are tapping into the populist movement are planning to change the way we are governed thereby dramatically altering the way the Left/Progressives/Democrats see and operate in the world. They are the ones that will be left behind.
2) The article about turning boys into men was written by a woman (at least that what I gathered from the name and the way she wrote). The idea that men need to express a full range of emotions sounds like men need to act like women. My father never taught me not to cry, but growing up I learned from other men and boys to cry was to show weakness. At times, that may be necessary, but a man - particularly a man who is to be a leader, whether of his family, a church, a business, a military organization - needs to be strong in trying times. I would argue that a man who is constantly showing his emotions is one who cannot be trusted in a crisis. And to women that is also a turnoff.
Love these Friday updates! Thank you for all the links
Agreed. I look forward to the Friday round up every week.