Just discovered your writing. This is such a wonderful post. While I'm with you 100%, my life's work revolves around another reason -- known harm from wireless radiation of all types.
Agree 100% with all of these on the list. There has been a push to make a run around parents for decades now. With smartphones and social media, it’s easier than ever for kids to see content they should never see. There are too many stories of adults in their early 20s who got addicted to porn soon after getting their first smartphone at a very early age.
Many people think it’s all a conspiracy but I’m in meetings where education policy is being discussed. Many of them lump parents into a group called “trusted adults.” They see parents as no different than a teacher, counselor, or “caregiver.”
Thanks, Daniel. I appreciate your insight. One thing I see a lot is that parents don't seem to think that saying no to smartphones for their sons and daughters is even an option. Maybe this has its roots in parents as "trusted adults" instead of as primary authority?
I agree. Public schools, the department of education, and many of the NGOs that work in schools are promoting this concept of “trusted adults” and trying to erase the critical and unique role that parents should play in the raising and development of children.
Do you believe The Church en masse is shirking its responsibility to instruct parents that they are the primary decision makers and what that should look like in society? I think a lot about how Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego bucked the cultural trends in Babylon and, as far as we can tell from the text, the other young Jewish men just assimilated. I wrote a bit about that here: https://dearchristianparent.substack.com/p/daniel-shadrach-instagram-and-tiktok
- Media is the #1 way the demonic is infiltrating our minds, lives, families, and communities. It's more than porn -- it's witchcraft; violence; advertisements & consumerism; political propaganda; distorted views of history; immorality like atheism, indifference to God, fornication, abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, & even disguised occult rituals that are cleverly woven into shows and music, etc., etc., etc. There is virtually no end to the ways that media is feeding us evil and normalizing it.
- Devices cause anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems, along with exacerbating bullying and extremely destructive, distorted social comparison.
- Devices & video games extinguish hobbies, extracurricular learning, and natural interactions with the world and friends, and replace them with media consumption.
- Devices erode physical fitness and the informal physical activities of childhood (playing outside or inside, sports, games, etc.).
AMEN! The first reason mentioned in the article (fitting in) can be heartbreaking for those parents & kids making the smart choice to go without smart devices. All the other teens (even truly Christian ones, even homeschoolers!) have phones, and the kids' interaction is almost wholly around phones, even when they are there together in person, so the kid/teen without a device is always on the outside of the group.
Parents need to find a group to socialize with, from when their kids are young, that makes a pact of NO PHONES for kids/teens.
On the upside, most traditional Catholics (i.e., those who prefer the traditional Latin Mass) do not give their kids phones or unsupervised devices, and most of them homeschool, so there is a built-in community for kids & teens. It's like they're the only group that gets how **extremely** harmful these devices are to kids (and adults), in so many ways.
Also, related to #7, instant gratification, smart devices decrease kids' memory, attention span, creativity, reasoning ability, and general brain function. This is extremely harmful and affects every aspect of our entire lives. In one sense, we *are* our brains -- our spirits need to work through our brains, at least while we are here on earth.
Think of the societal implications for a dumbed-down populace with the attention span of a gnat -- in spiritual growth, connnection with God, governing (and being so easily governed and propagandized), decision making of any kind, business, parenting (!!), friendships, creativity, science & technology, etc.
Since the mainstream media will never take the lead in promoting this wisdom, we need to make some pamphlets and billboards with this message and hand them out, leave them around places like waiting rooms & bus stations, and especially AT CHURCH!
There’s only one reason teenagers shouldn’t have cellphones: They Have Parents.
Very well written. Agree 100!
Thank you! I hope we can keep spreading this message to parents, pastors and youth leaders so that we can make well informed decisions for kids!
Just discovered your writing. This is such a wonderful post. While I'm with you 100%, my life's work revolves around another reason -- known harm from wireless radiation of all types.
Agree 100% with all of these on the list. There has been a push to make a run around parents for decades now. With smartphones and social media, it’s easier than ever for kids to see content they should never see. There are too many stories of adults in their early 20s who got addicted to porn soon after getting their first smartphone at a very early age.
Many people think it’s all a conspiracy but I’m in meetings where education policy is being discussed. Many of them lump parents into a group called “trusted adults.” They see parents as no different than a teacher, counselor, or “caregiver.”
Thanks, Daniel. I appreciate your insight. One thing I see a lot is that parents don't seem to think that saying no to smartphones for their sons and daughters is even an option. Maybe this has its roots in parents as "trusted adults" instead of as primary authority?
I agree. Public schools, the department of education, and many of the NGOs that work in schools are promoting this concept of “trusted adults” and trying to erase the critical and unique role that parents should play in the raising and development of children.
Do you believe The Church en masse is shirking its responsibility to instruct parents that they are the primary decision makers and what that should look like in society? I think a lot about how Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego bucked the cultural trends in Babylon and, as far as we can tell from the text, the other young Jewish men just assimilated. I wrote a bit about that here: https://dearchristianparent.substack.com/p/daniel-shadrach-instagram-and-tiktok
Five more reasons...
- Media is the #1 way the demonic is infiltrating our minds, lives, families, and communities. It's more than porn -- it's witchcraft; violence; advertisements & consumerism; political propaganda; distorted views of history; immorality like atheism, indifference to God, fornication, abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, & even disguised occult rituals that are cleverly woven into shows and music, etc., etc., etc. There is virtually no end to the ways that media is feeding us evil and normalizing it.
- Devices cause anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems, along with exacerbating bullying and extremely destructive, distorted social comparison.
- Devices & video games extinguish hobbies, extracurricular learning, and natural interactions with the world and friends, and replace them with media consumption.
- Devices erode physical fitness and the informal physical activities of childhood (playing outside or inside, sports, games, etc.).
- Devices interfere with sleep.
AMEN! The first reason mentioned in the article (fitting in) can be heartbreaking for those parents & kids making the smart choice to go without smart devices. All the other teens (even truly Christian ones, even homeschoolers!) have phones, and the kids' interaction is almost wholly around phones, even when they are there together in person, so the kid/teen without a device is always on the outside of the group.
Parents need to find a group to socialize with, from when their kids are young, that makes a pact of NO PHONES for kids/teens.
On the upside, most traditional Catholics (i.e., those who prefer the traditional Latin Mass) do not give their kids phones or unsupervised devices, and most of them homeschool, so there is a built-in community for kids & teens. It's like they're the only group that gets how **extremely** harmful these devices are to kids (and adults), in so many ways.
I didn't know how parental controls are wiped out by app updates...but makes sense! Thank you for the insights.
Also, related to #7, instant gratification, smart devices decrease kids' memory, attention span, creativity, reasoning ability, and general brain function. This is extremely harmful and affects every aspect of our entire lives. In one sense, we *are* our brains -- our spirits need to work through our brains, at least while we are here on earth.
Think of the societal implications for a dumbed-down populace with the attention span of a gnat -- in spiritual growth, connnection with God, governing (and being so easily governed and propagandized), decision making of any kind, business, parenting (!!), friendships, creativity, science & technology, etc.
Since the mainstream media will never take the lead in promoting this wisdom, we need to make some pamphlets and billboards with this message and hand them out, leave them around places like waiting rooms & bus stations, and especially AT CHURCH!
Great article! Arlene Pellicane was recently on Focus on the Family with a similar mission. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zex0uelKOJ8