cell phones, screen time and kids...

Some of my students discovered that I have a youtube channel. They asked if I'm famous. And so it goes. We would be so much better off to live simply and without so much loss of time on our digital devices,. Discovering what we can do with our own hands may be more fulfilling than to simply watch what others can do.

A number of reports with well documented research has told of the major complications related to excessive cell phone usage, and restrictions should be applied. This article from November in Time Magazine tells that parents should have serious talks with their kids. http://time.com/4974863/kids-smartphones-depression/

Yesterday one of my students cut her finger very slightly with a whittling knife. Parents worry about injury in wood shop. But they will give their children unrestricted use of cell phones that are closely linked to depression and suicide. Go figure. A cut on the finger is visible and can be fixed with a band aid. There is no band aid for depression.

Jean M. Twenge, in this week's Time Magazine asks, "Think of this in terms of risk vs. benefits. What is the harm in limiting (not eliminating) the use of electronic devices? Very little. What is the harm in doing nothing, if a lot of time on devices might be behind the sharp rise in teen depression? Too much."

Every parent should be made aware of the risks. The time spent on digital devices is taken from the time spent on engagement in the real world. That's true for adults as well as for kids.

Make, fix and create...