> As with most things, the decision of smartphone access for kids should come down to having parents actually understand their child, his/her needs and ability to handle the associated responsibility.
Except that far too many parents don't do this. I don't think its because they don't care, but rather they care more about their child "fitting in". This is why our local middle school is full of 12-year-olds with iPhones. The thing is a status symbol and a Pandora's box that you cannot shut once its open.
Look - the plain and simple of it is that mental health among teenagers is plummeting, and there is a lot of evidence to suggest that smartphones are the culprit. Schools can't solve social problems. But they can at least not encourage them.
Good points. It's also difficult for parents (even the "techie" ones) to stay in control. Say what you want about screen time and monitoring apps, kids know enough (and will happily share tips) about TOR, DoH, VPNs, etc. It's kinda cool on the tech front, this whole cat-and-mouse game, but NOT as the expense of our children's mental health.
There's a reason the creators of these toys don't allow their own kids to play with them.
Except that far too many parents don't do this. I don't think its because they don't care, but rather they care more about their child "fitting in". This is why our local middle school is full of 12-year-olds with iPhones. The thing is a status symbol and a Pandora's box that you cannot shut once its open.
Look - the plain and simple of it is that mental health among teenagers is plummeting, and there is a lot of evidence to suggest that smartphones are the culprit. Schools can't solve social problems. But they can at least not encourage them.