When my son was an infant - Victoria Dunckley's book "Reset your Child's Brain" changed my life - and the one line from that book that I keep in my mind is "I would rather have someone give my young child a cigarette than a screen device."
The idea is that both can be extremely addictive and both hijack brain development. But the device is acceptable to be seen with in public as a child so the habit is almost nurtured. Whereas a 7 yr old with a cigarette will be highly discouraged and shamed. It takes more effort to create a smoking habit than a screen habit.
Thank you for pulling all this evidence together. It's good to see this through the focus on young people. However, do you have any views about the impacts on 1) older people in the population or 2) and / or people with learning disabilities?
In all this BLAH, BLAH, BLAH you wrote, Jon Haidt and Zach Rausch. where's the truism that a person is responsible for their actions and the consequences of?
Children's brains are not fully formed and are not equipped to fight the pull of this addictive technology. It's not a fair fight. I would venture to say that adults' brains aren't equipped either.
If the BLAH BLAH BLAH you speak of is the corporate heads who are getting rich off depravely getting children addicted to their products, then: yes! They should absolutely be held responsible for their actions and the consequences of!
Where's you outrage over companies than makes alcohol, guns, fat and salt laden 'snack foods,' produce porn, offer gambling, etc..?
We live in a world where we are surrounded by things that are 'not good for us' simply because someone is profiting from them. If people took responsibility for their actions and understood the consequences of their choices, the companies you're raging against—which is futile—either wouldn't exist or would be significantly smaller.
haha - you don't know me at all. i have outrage for those companies too. but tech is very dangerous and dramatically impacting society on all fronts.
I won't argue with you anymore; I think you're a troll and I hope you don't sleep well at night for arguing against such things. But thanks for entertaining my reply.
When someone virtue-signals their outrage, I can pretty much tell what kind of person they are.
The fact that you are deflecting from people being responsible for their life choices and the consequences gives me a very clear picture of the type of person you are.
I am terrible at arguing; you can ask my husband. I am a parent who cares a lot and I believe there's a lot at stake. I will not interact with you anymore.
What kind of design changes are you all talking about? I keep seeing stuff like this but you aren't providing design change idea that don't involve censoring adults (like me).
Holding these companies liable for what people read and react to is like holding our phone communications firms for robo calls and such. Adults have some responsibility for what their families consume - including information.
Just as a quick reply to this one, I do all the limits and boundaries with my child, I really promise you I do, and I do everything I can to have off-screen time, outdoors play with the neighbours' kids, loving times together, BUT she still wakes up crying some days that I am putting limits on her information consumption that other peers don't have. We don't live in a vacuum.
Thanks so much for your reply. It's just so difficult to know sometimes, what the right thing to do is. We're not even into social media yet here - it is Roblox that is causing the issues at the moment - she's allowed a fair amount of time on there, and I do play games with her, but recently had to block a game that was massively age inappropriate, and that has been a really tricky fallout. But already some of her peers have smartphones and are using social platforms, and she is now asking for them regularly too - can feel the wave incoming. Having read The Anxious Generation, the evidence for me is clear, so gearing up for the ride to come! I do agree with Rick, it is about proactive parenting too, totally up for that - but sometimes it feels like a vertical challenge.
I hear you; that sounds really hard. I have read that it's SO much easier to do this with a community or school initiative, instead of one parent on their own. I feel so lucky to live in a community like that - many kids do have smart phones and interact with social media, but there also is a decent enough handful who don't that my teen feels she is not alone. And I don't feel alone.
I read an AWESOME article about studies that say that it's not enough to simply take the tech away; we must fill that void with positive real-life connections with people. That makes so much sense to me! Good on you for finding ways for her to have positive interactions to make up for missing the phone. A sense of belonging is so ultimately important for teens especially. Do you know any families who set similar limits you and your daughter could connect with?
I agree with D Elvin. I heard a successful musician who thanked their parents for not allowing them all the screens, because it left them time to be bored and spend hours playing their instrument.
Despite what teens express and what is the going attitude, I believe teens actually deeply want their parents to set limits and create a strong container for them.
Thank you for your pioneering, fearless leadership. I get such hope from your work.
When my son was an infant - Victoria Dunckley's book "Reset your Child's Brain" changed my life - and the one line from that book that I keep in my mind is "I would rather have someone give my young child a cigarette than a screen device."
The idea is that both can be extremely addictive and both hijack brain development. But the device is acceptable to be seen with in public as a child so the habit is almost nurtured. Whereas a 7 yr old with a cigarette will be highly discouraged and shamed. It takes more effort to create a smoking habit than a screen habit.
This research and reporting could not be more important -- thank you for putting evidence to what we all feel intuitively!
Thank you for pulling all this evidence together. It's good to see this through the focus on young people. However, do you have any views about the impacts on 1) older people in the population or 2) and / or people with learning disabilities?
A reassuring read, in the sense that I know I’m on the right track with my study and my parenting. Thankyou 🙏
Maybe Los Angeles isn’t that shit hole satanic headquarters that everyone’s screaming about
Yes, thank you so much. Sharing this far and wide.
In all this BLAH, BLAH, BLAH you wrote, Jon Haidt and Zach Rausch. where's the truism that a person is responsible for their actions and the consequences of?
Children's brains are not fully formed and are not equipped to fight the pull of this addictive technology. It's not a fair fight. I would venture to say that adults' brains aren't equipped either.
If the BLAH BLAH BLAH you speak of is the corporate heads who are getting rich off depravely getting children addicted to their products, then: yes! They should absolutely be held responsible for their actions and the consequences of!
Where's you outrage over companies than makes alcohol, guns, fat and salt laden 'snack foods,' produce porn, offer gambling, etc..?
We live in a world where we are surrounded by things that are 'not good for us' simply because someone is profiting from them. If people took responsibility for their actions and understood the consequences of their choices, the companies you're raging against—which is futile—either wouldn't exist or would be significantly smaller.
haha - you don't know me at all. i have outrage for those companies too. but tech is very dangerous and dramatically impacting society on all fronts.
I won't argue with you anymore; I think you're a troll and I hope you don't sleep well at night for arguing against such things. But thanks for entertaining my reply.
When someone virtue-signals their outrage, I can pretty much tell what kind of person they are.
The fact that you are deflecting from people being responsible for their life choices and the consequences gives me a very clear picture of the type of person you are.
I am terrible at arguing; you can ask my husband. I am a parent who cares a lot and I believe there's a lot at stake. I will not interact with you anymore.
You’re not arguing, you’re virtue signalling.
Saying people aren’t responsible for their life choices and the consequences of is 🤣🤣🤣
So grateful to you two and your teams. Been waiting for you to weigh in after the LA case. Thank you!
What kind of design changes are you all talking about? I keep seeing stuff like this but you aren't providing design change idea that don't involve censoring adults (like me).
It's only a matter of time. This sort of tech, and AI in general, has a lifespan.
Not peer reviewed (but accurate): Fundamental Computational Limits and the Trajectory of Technological Development https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.30929141
From first principles (not PR): The Knowledge Bomb: Structural Instability from Compression Without Closure https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.31302829
I couldn't ask for that day to come any faster. How it unfolds, we don't know.
Holding these companies liable for what people read and react to is like holding our phone communications firms for robo calls and such. Adults have some responsibility for what their families consume - including information.
Just as a quick reply to this one, I do all the limits and boundaries with my child, I really promise you I do, and I do everything I can to have off-screen time, outdoors play with the neighbours' kids, loving times together, BUT she still wakes up crying some days that I am putting limits on her information consumption that other peers don't have. We don't live in a vacuum.
In the long term, I wonder if her hurt of feeling left out will be more or less than the harm of having access to the media.
Thanks so much for your reply. It's just so difficult to know sometimes, what the right thing to do is. We're not even into social media yet here - it is Roblox that is causing the issues at the moment - she's allowed a fair amount of time on there, and I do play games with her, but recently had to block a game that was massively age inappropriate, and that has been a really tricky fallout. But already some of her peers have smartphones and are using social platforms, and she is now asking for them regularly too - can feel the wave incoming. Having read The Anxious Generation, the evidence for me is clear, so gearing up for the ride to come! I do agree with Rick, it is about proactive parenting too, totally up for that - but sometimes it feels like a vertical challenge.
I hear you; that sounds really hard. I have read that it's SO much easier to do this with a community or school initiative, instead of one parent on their own. I feel so lucky to live in a community like that - many kids do have smart phones and interact with social media, but there also is a decent enough handful who don't that my teen feels she is not alone. And I don't feel alone.
I read an AWESOME article about studies that say that it's not enough to simply take the tech away; we must fill that void with positive real-life connections with people. That makes so much sense to me! Good on you for finding ways for her to have positive interactions to make up for missing the phone. A sense of belonging is so ultimately important for teens especially. Do you know any families who set similar limits you and your daughter could connect with?
Here's that one:
https://biologyofbecoming.substack.com/p/why-putting-phones-down-isnt-enough?utm_source=multiple-personal-recommendations-email&utm_medium=email&triedRedirect=true
I agree with D Elvin. I heard a successful musician who thanked their parents for not allowing them all the screens, because it left them time to be bored and spend hours playing their instrument.
Despite what teens express and what is the going attitude, I believe teens actually deeply want their parents to set limits and create a strong container for them.
Love all this, thank you so much for your helpful and human words. So helpful.
https://unbekoming.substack.com/p/the-silent-drift-of-western-institutions