I rarely see children in public anymore, but when I do they often have a phone in their hands. When I see kids looking at phones and tablets when they should be looking at the world around them, I feel so sad. The world has been changed forever by the impact these devices have on their attention spans, their routines, their worldview, their health and their self-image.
Children of all ages must be protected from too much device time. And they need strict parental controls and monitoring because the internet is a very bad place for children and teens. Especially social media! All platforms have porn lurking waiting to be stumbled upon, and pedophiles. It’s too late for many kids. Their childhood innocence has already been stolen by viewing things that adults shouldn’t even be viewing.
I beg you to reconsider giving your child a phone to keep them quiet. Give them a book, a toy, even a cookie, but not your phone. Talk to them, let them be bored, even. But don’t encourage device addiction at a young age. It’s a hard habit to break. And for some sensitive children, exposure to the wrong messages can trigger eating disorders, self-harm, even suicide. Protect your kids and teach them about the dangers of the internet.
Blue Skies and Green Pastures 
My grandchildren seemed a bit hooked, but at the beginning of this school year my daughter instated a new rule: no tablets on school nights. I was pleasantly surprised that she got little to no resistance about it. They do take their share of screentime on weekends, but school nights are much better focused on homework and extracurricular activities.
I heard about a great (in my opinion) system to train kids to make wise choices. Instead of limiting their phones, some parents are limiting their use of the charger. If they are only allowed to charge once a week, they can drain it all on the first day and go without the rest of the week, or they can learn to ration out the screen time on their own and make it last. Sounds to me like a real character builder. 😉
Great idea! I know some parents are very intentional about limiting devices, but I’m afraid that like in many things, a lot of kids are on their own when it comes to phone use. You see the damage in the culture. And even the videos they watch on YouTube or other apps for kids are often full of subversive themes . Like PBS and Disney . 😒
True! What I like about the recharging cable technique is that it gives the child a lot of
the responsibility for limiting himself/herself. We can’t hover over them and control them forever. (We can’t even do that now!)
I agree 100%, but I don’t think books are any better. Most are just mindless entertainment, and libraries have plenty of porn. I know because I had free reign of the library as a child. Some of the stuff I read…! I suppose seeing actual people doing graphic things is worse over all, though
Well I’m thinking of books for little kids in a stroller or car seat . But you’re right about the library. 😕
I’m with you there. It’s ok to be “bored”. The constant need for diversion leads to some very bad places
I agree!
I think parents should keep their kids off of phones as long as possible, but that is difficult in this day.
I also think parents should keep their kids away from the TV for as long as possible.
Thanks Omni. Hope you are doing well.