3 ms·

But the parents are too addicted to screens to parent. Jokes aside, it doesn't help that many parents are not great with technology (not everyone out there pos

But the parents are too addicted to screens to parent. Jokes aside, it doesn't help that many parents are not great with technology (not everyone out there posts on HN) so that even relatively straightforward settings changes like placing usage constraints on your OS may not be clear to parents. I bet many parents don't even know the extent to which they can do that, let alone how. The general point is, our overall management of consumer technology in society is a complete mess thanks to the fact that its solely driven by profit seeking.

gnicholas 3y ago
> But the parents are too addicted to screens to parent. I think this is actually the key to getting kids on board with waiting on a smartphone. If the schools told the kids that smartphone addiction isn't good, and that their parents may be addicted, that would empower the kids to chastise their parents when they're using their phones too much or ignoring people right in front of them. Then a couple years later, when the kids are thinking about wanting a smartphone of their own, it's already become ingrained in them (by having chastised their parents many times) that smartphones can be addictive, even for adults. They would then be more understanding that perhaps it's not in their best interest to get a smartphone so young. I would welcome having my kid chide me for being on my phone too much if it meant I could hold off on giving her a smartphone for an extra year or two.
elzbardico 3y ago
A fair point, but in that case, I think that an activist campaign focused on educating parents would be far more adequate. The problem with those kinds of pledges is that, like the prohibition, what starts with voluntary pledges ends up becoming a social taboo, then administrative rule, and finally, law.

3 ms·

But the parents are too addicted to screens to parent. Jokes aside, it doesn't help that many parents are not great with technology (not everyone out there pos

by voidhorse 3y ago

gnicholas 3y ago
> But the parents are too addicted to screens to parent. I think this is actually the key to getting kids on board with waiting on a smartphone. If the schools told the kids that smartphone addiction isn't good, and that their parents may be addicted, that would empower the kids to chastise their parents when they're using their phones too much or ignoring people right in front of them. Then a couple years later, when the kids are thinking about wanting a smartphone of their own, it's already become ingrained in them (by having chastised their parents many times) that smartphones can be addictive, even for adults. They would then be more understanding that perhaps it's not in their best interest to get a smartphone so young. I would welcome having my kid chide me for being on my phone too much if it meant I could hold off on giving her a smartphone for an extra year or two.
elzbardico 3y ago
A fair point, but in that case, I think that an activist campaign focused on educating parents would be far more adequate. The problem with those kinds of pledges is that, like the prohibition, what starts with voluntary pledges ends up becoming a social taboo, then administrative rule, and finally, law.