How the smart phone changed your kids
By Tom Quiner
Good news: teenagers are getting pregnant less often. Democrats, the media, and Planned Parenthood tell us it is because of the efficacy of contraception, which is transparently false.
By the same token, pro lifers tell us it is because of the efficacy of abstinence programs, which is true to some extent, but perhaps not as much as we’d like to see.
There’s another variable in the mix: the smartphone. The smartphone is changing our kids in very unhealthy ways.
The more kids use smartphones, the less they sleep; the less they hang out with their friends; the less they date; and the less sex they have.
In other words, the drop in teen pregnancies is affected to a great degree by the anti social impact smartphones have on kids, according to a fascinating article in The Atlantic by Jean Twenge titled, “Have Smartphones destroyed a generation?”
This is a sobering read, backed by more than a smattering of data. The graphs below provide a glimpse of the impact the smartphone has on your kids.
I am struck by the ambivalent feelings today’s kids have about getting their driver’s licenses. In the past, kids couldn’t wait. A driver’s license was a ticket to independence.
The smartphone apparently breeds dependence, complacency, uncritical thinking, unhappiness, and depression. It makes kids ripe for the promises of the Left.
What should we do about it?
The answer is obvious: reduce and restrict access. Realistically, do you think that is going to happen?
Of course not.
Houston, we have a problem.
All we thought about after turning 13 was getting to drive…getting a job to earn so we could buy ANYTHING w/ 4 wheels. We loved our cars that were as old as we were and seriously messed up. We were so proud. My 13 yo has NO phone and WILL work to buy an old piece of crap car she can take great pride in driving to her part time job.
Good for you! My kids are old enough that I didn’t have to deal with most of this. Video games was the challenge. My neighborhood has a ton of kids, but I’m amazed at how few are outside in the summer playing.
Tom, we are moving to a small mid west town where our girl can walk around the whole place alone w/o fear. She’s never been able to do this in the Atlanta area. Her outdoor time was relegated to my time to take her out to the park or our back yard pool. She didnt look at people who spoke, b/c she was a cautious city girl. She now knows she can talk to the people (pop 180) w/o fear. City kids are being robbed.
Good luck!
The fact that the others are too distracted by phones to want sex is a bonus for my family. She can have a car and the boys are too tired to mess up her life.
😉