While I welcome Screen Sanity's ideas, it's hard not to notice that this "non-profit" website has an awful lot of things for sale: $10 for our online webinar; $250 for a one-time-use parent's night kit; $15 for our middle school tech planner. But wait... there's more!
For several years, I've been running seminars in CA for homeschool families on how to integrate tech into their lives safely. I do it for free. I don't advertise. I often pay for my own travel. When I speak at the CHEA convention at Biola this weekend, I won't have a team hawking $15 tech planners in the back of the room.
Maybe her heart is still in the right place, but when I see people using faux-altruism to sell products to scared parents who just want strategies for how to not lose their kids to the Cult of Tech, it kind of ticks me off.
I can relate to so much of this. Just last weekend during my son's tennis l got talking to another mum about screens. She mentioned that she felt it was inevitable that she would have to get her child a smartphone when he starts secondary school in September. She didn't want to but also didn't want him to be left out. I told her about the Smartphone Free Childhood movement in the UK and that I wasn't planning on giving my boy's smart phones, and neither were lots of my other local friends. It feels hard when you want to do something different to the majority but it is so important to talk to other parents about this kind of thing. Often you realise it isn't just you feeling this way and the more people that take a stand, the better it will be for our kids.
I loved this guest post from Tracy. People really don’t want to be on the wrong side of history, so talking about this shared vulnerability matters a lot.
Yes, interestng, and great to see people joining the fight. I explored issues adjacent to this danger, looking at the challenges we all face with big tech. https://rmblinch.substack.com/p/the-presidium-abides
This was such a good reminder for me. I can’t count how many times one of my kids has come home saying, “Everyone has a phone!” and I immediately start second-guessing everything. But when I finally bring it up with other parents, I almost always find out that’s not really the case. It makes me realize how many of these decisions we’re all quietly struggling with on our own. I’m trying to be better about having those small, honest conversations before the panic sets in.
Love this! Am going to share with my network and hope the parents of young ones take notice, as I do with many of your articles and shares. It's so important. We had this freedom as children, it's abuse to not allow it to the new generation.
I understand the sentiment. However it misses the problem altogether. The problem isn't that parents are busy or that kids are disconnected. It's that we have outsourced raising our kids to the government. John Dewey and his tribe first convinced parents that weren't good at raising kids. What was needed was experts, scientifically trained to raise them. Teacher became, and still is, the rage. Teachers colleges sprang up everywhere, pumping out a steady stream of experts: teachers, educators, principles, specialists in reading, writing, math, social studies, etc., etc., etc.
Kindergarten, then preschool, child care, infant care, Parents were freed of responsibility and drudgery. Mothers could go from the delivery room straight back to their workplaces. Fathers we not needed for anything except donating sperm. Soo\n they won't even have to be present for that. If round the clock nurseries are not available, minimum wage nannies from Guatemala or some other hell hole can be hired. If you're not particular about legal status, no problem; illegals can be gotten for less than minimum wages.
While I welcome Screen Sanity's ideas, it's hard not to notice that this "non-profit" website has an awful lot of things for sale: $10 for our online webinar; $250 for a one-time-use parent's night kit; $15 for our middle school tech planner. But wait... there's more!
For several years, I've been running seminars in CA for homeschool families on how to integrate tech into their lives safely. I do it for free. I don't advertise. I often pay for my own travel. When I speak at the CHEA convention at Biola this weekend, I won't have a team hawking $15 tech planners in the back of the room.
Maybe her heart is still in the right place, but when I see people using faux-altruism to sell products to scared parents who just want strategies for how to not lose their kids to the Cult of Tech, it kind of ticks me off.
I can relate to so much of this. Just last weekend during my son's tennis l got talking to another mum about screens. She mentioned that she felt it was inevitable that she would have to get her child a smartphone when he starts secondary school in September. She didn't want to but also didn't want him to be left out. I told her about the Smartphone Free Childhood movement in the UK and that I wasn't planning on giving my boy's smart phones, and neither were lots of my other local friends. It feels hard when you want to do something different to the majority but it is so important to talk to other parents about this kind of thing. Often you realise it isn't just you feeling this way and the more people that take a stand, the better it will be for our kids.
I loved this guest post from Tracy. People really don’t want to be on the wrong side of history, so talking about this shared vulnerability matters a lot.
Yes, interestng, and great to see people joining the fight. I explored issues adjacent to this danger, looking at the challenges we all face with big tech. https://rmblinch.substack.com/p/the-presidium-abides
This was such a good reminder for me. I can’t count how many times one of my kids has come home saying, “Everyone has a phone!” and I immediately start second-guessing everything. But when I finally bring it up with other parents, I almost always find out that’s not really the case. It makes me realize how many of these decisions we’re all quietly struggling with on our own. I’m trying to be better about having those small, honest conversations before the panic sets in.
Brilliant! Reposting this in my Substack.
Some great suggestions, I've been exploring ways to integrate this into my therapy practice.
Love this! Am going to share with my network and hope the parents of young ones take notice, as I do with many of your articles and shares. It's so important. We had this freedom as children, it's abuse to not allow it to the new generation.
I understand the sentiment. However it misses the problem altogether. The problem isn't that parents are busy or that kids are disconnected. It's that we have outsourced raising our kids to the government. John Dewey and his tribe first convinced parents that weren't good at raising kids. What was needed was experts, scientifically trained to raise them. Teacher became, and still is, the rage. Teachers colleges sprang up everywhere, pumping out a steady stream of experts: teachers, educators, principles, specialists in reading, writing, math, social studies, etc., etc., etc.
Kindergarten, then preschool, child care, infant care, Parents were freed of responsibility and drudgery. Mothers could go from the delivery room straight back to their workplaces. Fathers we not needed for anything except donating sperm. Soo\n they won't even have to be present for that. If round the clock nurseries are not available, minimum wage nannies from Guatemala or some other hell hole can be hired. If you're not particular about legal status, no problem; illegals can be gotten for less than minimum wages.
I envy Everett for having a mom so smart and caring!
What a wonderful and apt piece of writing. Excellent in every way. Have shared.