Put Down That Device!
Do you argue daily about time wasted on Snapchat? Or the Xbox? Or YouTube? Technology is inescapable, but without limits teens’ academics and relationships suffer. Learn how making them earn it and blocking apps can help.
3 Comments: Put Down That Device!
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As someone who has experienced this first hand, I do not recommend giving your child 1 hour on devices a day. Especially if they are a highschool student. Sure, devices may not be good for the brain, however with this little device time it could severely damage their social life, and potentially their mental health.
Teens nowadays depend on technology to talk to their friends and interact with the outside world. Teens all over the world communicate to their friends via texting. Which means, if you take away your child’s social interaction with their friends, this can later on lead to social anxiety, fear of being left out, and depression.
My parents put these strict limits on me, and as a result my focus plummeted. I was too focused on making the time at school with my friends count, because I knew that I wouldn’t be able to communicate with them much at all when I was at home. Because of that, my grades dropped and I ended up entering a dangerous cycle of social anxiety and depression.
So no, I do not think any parent should limit their child to just one hour a day. Especially if they are at risk/already experiencing these health issues.
UTube has great videos and teachers will assign them. Don’t allow earbuds or headphones so you can hear the video. Require sufficient volume to carry across the room. If you feel the need to justify, tell them you’re interested in the videos too.
The problem is when a teacher assigns YouTube videos as part of their homework assignments or they have to go online to create a Google slide show. How is it possible to manage this kind of homework while not feeling like I have to sit next to them every minute to ensure they’re doing what they need to do? Nobody is happy when this happens.