Dear Parents
SOCIAL MEDIA / CELL PHONES
While sitting outside at a restaurant recently – on a beautiful summer’s evening – I was quite struck by a young family who arrived and sat down near us. In no time at all the two children, aged about eight and ten, took out their iPads and started playing games. While they were totally absorbed, heads down, their parents chatted briefly and then took out their cell phones and started reading, messaging, etc. There was a brief discussion around the menu and then some chatting while eating, but iPads stayed at hand. Here we had both children being entertained virtually and parents digitally distracted. Quite a sad sight really. Some educational researchers are talking about a generation of children being raised by digitally distracted adults. Other research indicates that the average adult checks their phone two hundred times a day.
I remembered this incident as I have been reading “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt. And while a substantial portion of the book looks at our over-protection of children, it also gives an alarming view of children’s over-exposure to social media and games and the effect on the mental health of “tweens”, teenagers and young adults since the advent of smart phones (around 2010) and the very easy, at any time, access to a range of apps and social media in our pockets.
He speaks about children needing more independence, responsibility, fun and real-life friendships, not more virtual life and virtual connection.
We have never allowed cell phones at the Prep and now the College has introduced a new rule whereby boys have to lock their cell phones away from the start to the end of the school academic day, even break time. This follows much discussion with parents and staff as well as a worldwide trend of re-looking at the distractibility element of a phone, with its constant notifications and temptations. And, of course, it is so easy to conceal.
Our iPad programme is used very intentionally and with strict controls. It can be abused, but if we as well as parents have controls in place and monitor usage with no devices in bedrooms, especially overnight and no iPads used at break time, we can limit the potential abuse and ensure that our boys’ screen time is appropriately limited.
We have always advised parents not to buy their sons a phone before their 13th birthday. Often boys in Grade 3 have a smart phone because mom or dad gets an upgrade. Rather give to anyone other than your young child. Please also continue reading the Klikd updates.
TINA SHEARD
Tina will be away for the next few months as she undergoes treatment for cancer. While the prognosis is good, we know that the process is very unpleasant. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers at this time. Her class music and individual lessons have been substituted from within the music department.
We wish her a speedy recovery and a return to full health.
Kind regards
GREG BROWN
HEADMASTER |
