The Digital Childhood
My husband and I made a fatal error. We gave our pre-teen limited access to a screen at a developmentally vulnerable age. And then we took it back.
On today’s show: A cautionary tale about what happened when we eased up on our household’s screen rules.
Here’s a preview:
[3:00] My household’s descent into screendom: How did we get here?
[16:00] “The light went out behind her eyes” and other tween behavioral and personality changes
[21:00] The four foundational harms of smart phones, according to Jonathan Heidt
[28:00] Kids are highly susceptible to both conformist bias and prestige bias. That’s why phones are so darn powerful
[31:00] If you don’t want your child to act like a TikTok influencer, don’t give them access to TikTok!
[32:00] The presence of screens reduces a child’s interest in all other non-screen activities (and other helpful reminders)
Resources mentioned:
- We have an aligned sponsor! Head to Duckfeetusa.com and use code MAMAMINIMALIST FOR $50 off.
- The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
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