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School Took Away Smartphones. The Kids Don’t Mind

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Re: School Took Away Smartphones. The Kids Don’t Mind

#4

Post by thenerdhead »

Here's a link to read: https://archive.ph/vj2Pv

While I love seeing these stories about kids moderating their screentime and seeing the benefits, I worry equally as much as the early generations who grew up with an abundance of screentime (TV, Video Games, Early Internet).

I think all categories of screentime are considered addictions and I wonder if distance away from them for extended periods of time helps provide enough perspective as to how much value they actually bring to your life in comparison to other people or things that do make you happy.

Re: School Took Away Smartphones. The Kids Don’t Mind

#5

Post by knaik94 »

Only dumb phones seems decent in theory and for kids, it will help increase self control around screen usage, but there's a lot of unscientific theories surrounding the consequences of screen usage. People aren't forgoing real life for the sake of their phones, communication and friendships have become more technology based.

The school did this as a response to a student live-streaming a fight. Banning phones is not solving the underlying problem there, it's just covering it up. It's not a big school, with only 57 students.

I also strongly dislike the continued narrative of pushing "dopamine" as an "addiction" that you control with screen usage. Dopamine system dysfunction most commonly presents as ADHD, it's not a bad habit that can be fixed. I understand phones become an easy way to escape and it becomes a negative coping habit for some, and it's especially important to teach teenagers how to address it, but pretending less screen time is always a good thing is a very pre-broadband internet mindset. It's not the direction modern society is headed.

Re: School Took Away Smartphones. The Kids Don’t Mind

#6

Post by scottiebarnes »

knaik94 wrote: post #5

Only dumb phones seems decent in theory and for kids, it will help increase self control around screen usage, but there's a lot of unscientific theories surrounding the consequences of screen usage. People aren't forgoing real life for the sake of their phones, communication and friendships have become more technology based. The school did this as a response to a student live-streaming a fight. Banning phones is not…

There's quite a few studies showing the association between social media and depression in youth: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7392374/

Re: School Took Away Smartphones. The Kids Don’t Mind

#8

Post by janef0421 »

I find this trend of opposing and banning smartphones reductive. Smartphones are just a tool, like any other, and can be used productively or unproductively. In my view, most of the unproductive use comes from the corporate apps and platforms that are designed to maximise profit for their owners, rather than being useful to the user. I think it would be more valuable to teach teenagers how to use smartphones in an intentional and productive manner, rather than banning them.

Re: School Took Away Smartphones. The Kids Don’t Mind

#9

Post by ratg13 »

janef0421 wrote: post #8

I find this trend of opposing and banning smartphones reductive. Smartphones are just a tool, like any other, and can be used productively or unproductively. In my view, most of the unproductive use comes from the corporate apps and platforms that are designed to maximise profit for their owners, rather than being useful to the user. I think it would be more valuable to teach teenagers how to use smartphones in an in…

If you don't have any control over the devices, you're fighting an uphill battle to control the students.

There are more students than teachers, and students are more likely to take cues from other students rather than teachers.

Leaving students to their own devices and hoping they make the right decisions would be an exercise in futility for class sizes over 15ish students.

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