I set expectations when she saved up and got the phone – little did I know it would undermine them, and her mental health

I think its not just kids anymore, it’s adults too. Everyone is glued to their screens these days. But kids are more vulnerable to influences from “social” media and don’t have any defences to the psychological warfare going on. Of course they feel like shit.

  • callouscomic@lemm.eeEnglish
    1·
    20 days ago

    So set fucking limits on the phone? Is ‘all or nothing’ somehow the only option? It’s not hard to set time limits, restrict apps, and generally be involved in your kids lives to help them understand and learn moderation and healthy recognition of bad habits forming. Simply taking shit away also doesn’t help cause there’s no opportunity to make mistakes and learn. Where’s the fucking middle ground?

    Also…

    Everyone is glued to their screens these days.

    What a boomer comment.

    • bandwidthcrisis@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      20 days ago

      It’s not a simple story of just taking away the phone.

      I discovered she’d circumvented the screen limits and had been using social media into the wee hours of the morning.

      And later, after she did take the phone away, she found her daughter had kept all old phone that was supposedly sold.

      It does seem to be a pretty extreme case, but there was lots going on here.

  • callouscomic@lemm.eeEnglish
    1·
    20 days ago

    I also wonder how many parents take phones from their kids but also turn around and post their whole lives on facebook.

    • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      2·
      20 days ago

      I kind of agree. That’s why I don’t let my kids buy stuff like that. My kid said he wanted to buy a phone, and when I told him it would be subject to our same computer policy (<2hrs/day, they earn time by reading, etc), he suddenly wasn’t as interested.

      But yes, if you create a bunch of new rules after they buy something, you’re a dick. Let them know what the rules will be before they save up for it.

    • Teal@lemm.ee
      English
      21·
      19 days ago

      The child from the article got the phone in sixth grade. If she bought a large bag of candy with her own money is it right to let her eat as much as she wants without boundaries?

      Setting healthy boundaries and discipline at a young age is a good move. From how she was behaving with the phone I would have done the same.

    • 1984@lemmy.todayOPEnglish
      0·
      20 days ago

      Don’t think so. Havent you met kids feeling shit because of social media? It’s everywhere.

      • technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        1·
        20 days ago

        Maybe people feel like shit cause the planet is being destroyed by a bunch of rich assholes?

        I don’t think banning this knowledge from kids is going to help.

      • callouscomic@lemm.eeEnglish
        0·
        20 days ago

        Meanwhile my kids and all their classmates seem friendlier and more mentally healthier than I remember school age being. It’s all anecdotal. I’m always surprised at certain ages how some of these kids don’t allow bullying, and aren’t concerned with stupid relationship shit that I remember 20-30 years ago. It’s interesting.

        I also know shitloads of adults depressed from Doom scrolling all day.

        Your gross generalizations aren’t reality.