If you?re the parent of a tween or teen, you probably feel like your kid is on her cell phone, like, all the time. Between scrolling her Instagram feed and FaceTiming friends, it?s as much a source of entertainment as it is a communication tool. This is a trend that?s not going away?more than half of 10 to 13-year-olds own a smartphone, and that number just climbs as kids get older, according to MediaSmarts, a Canadian non-profit organization that focuses on media literacy.
With the pull these pocket-sized computers have, it?s not surprising many parents report the amount their kids spend on them to be a source of conflict. And in a survey by the U.S. non-profit Common Sense Media, 47 per cent of parents in the U.S. think their kid is addicted to their mobile device. As parents we tend to be reactive?we see our kids spending a lot of time on their phone and nag them to put it down?but that approach doesn?t teach good long-term habits. Here are some better ways to approach the conversation.
Make it a ?we? issue
Let?s be honest?it?s just as hard for parents to dock their phones, and there?s a reason for it. Parents and kids alike get a dopamine hit every time their phone pings with the arrival of a notification. With smartphones, we never know when the ping might come, which makes it doubly exciting when it happens?a phenomenon known as ?intermittent response.? That intermittent response is what makes it so habit forming, says Matthew Johnson, director of education for MediaS...