So you've returned for Part 2... you must either be my mom or very interested in this topic. Either way, it is very nice to have you here.
A quick recap:
The Part 1 of this topic, we explored two variations of childhood which include the "Phone-Based" childhood, and the "Play-Based" childhood. "Phone-Based" is a concept in which a child is raised in an environment where their only exposure to risk, interaction, challenge, and reward, is through a virtual environment such as an iPhone, iPad, Xbox... you get the point. The "Play-Based" childhood is like a more well rounded diet when it comes to the mental health and development of a child. In this concept, the child receives experiences or risk, interaction, challenge, and reward from real-life experiences, such as climbing a tree, making a new friend, or falling off their bike.
The Problem:
In Part 1 we briefly covered the issues that the "Phone-Based" childhood presents, and these included:
- Children not developing the necessary skills for dealing with risk, anxiety, challenges, etc.
- Children lacking social interaction skills.
So how can parents avoid these issues?
Before We Begin:
As we outlined in Part 1, the majority of information in this blog is drawn from a podcast with Dr. Jonathan Haidt and Chris Williamson. These are a few of the solutions that Dr. Haidt provides as well as my own opinions, because well.. this is my blog. For a more detailed solution, feel free to listen to the whole podcast by clicking here:
Link: Modern Wisdom Podcast Episode
The Solution:
We are going to do this in list format because I am lazy...
Reduce your child's access to technology - As a former child, I can state that if you, as a parent, take something away that provides entertainment such as a phone, your child may be upset for a while. However, there is hope, children have this amazing ability of "play" which kicks in whenever they become bored. So the NUMBER ONE this you can do to decrease screen time and increase play time is to simply... TAKE AWAY THE PHONE! (I mean that in the kindest way possible).
Set a good example - Now we all know that children use their parents action and habits as a guide for how they should act. So as a parent, take a look at yourself and ask yourself... how much am I on my phone?
Develop Positive Relationships With Technology - Now when I say relationship I do not mean you should find an AI girlfriend for your child. What I do mean is showing your child the positive uses of technology. This could include things like using a smartphone as an actual phone by having your child actually call their friends and family instead of just texting.
The End:
To conclude, I am certainly not an expert on this topic and I am sure there were a ton of grammatical errors, but I hope you learned at least one thing. I'm not sure what the one thing is... but I hope you learned it.