End the Phone-Based Childhood Now | Hacker News Reader

End the Phone-Based Childhood Now

theatlantic.com

31 pointsarrowsmith17 comments

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Non-404 link:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/03/teen-...

I think as with most things, setting an example is the only way.

I knew I wouldn't be able to credibly ask my children not to use a smartphone if I myself was addicted to it.

Why?

Adults drink alcohol, drive cars, watch pornography, play violent video games, get tattoos, go skydiving, ...

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Edit: Seems like I wasn't clear enough. I'm saying it's perfectly fine to tell children that different rules apply to them until they are adults.

Yeah, and if your kids see you doing all that you definitely won't be able to stop them from picking up whichever ones they like.

Edit re edit:

Saying different rules apply isn't enough, examples still need to be set. Kids learn from what they see a lot more than what they are told.

Great comeback! OP shouldn't have children. But hey Im glad this trend is changing- the unspoken solve for environment is reducing in headcount. Zing!

I think you're missing their point. People with poor impulse control shouldn't have kids.

The most well organized, highly educated, and disciplined people tend to be either single (millennials) or married without kids (gen x) by choice.

This isn't even a new problem, but now we blame the internet instead of (just) video games and tv.

> The most well organized, highly educated, and disciplined people tend to be either single (millennials) or married without kids (gen x) by choice.

Source? I’m interpreting this to mean either

1. Of all people who are those things, a majority are single or intentionally childless, and/or

2. There is a positive correlation between being single and/or intentionally childless, and the qualities you mentioned.

Fantasy thinking! 99% of people including "smart" people, in your bubble, have kids with 0 thought or planning... Hell didn't you see Oppenheimen? Like all white men, he knocked someone up and like a coward had it removed. Just don't. Self control trumps intelligence most of the time.

Im glad no kids do those things trying to emulate older people they've seen doing those things

Yep, let's all go to bed at 8pm to lead by example.

You mean this sarcastically, but in my experience indeed this is the only way to get kids to go to sleep early.

I still believe the best course of action is for most people to CHOOSE to not have children. There is no law that says I have to have children. You can’t put me in prison because I failed to create 2.1 or more children. I want everyone to reject societal expectations and elect (from their own personal choice) to refuse to have children.

Everybody should have a right to have children. As a corollary, everyone has a right to NOT have children. With US society as hostile as ever to parents, We must take a stand.

No more children.

https://archive.is/ZBCJl

Its really unfortunate; This hits the kids from the less interested or less capable parents a lot more than the other kids.

You know the kids who have bad grades and a tv in their rooms vs. kids who have to learn even in holidays.

And due to smartphones being so addictive, you need to have a little bit of smartness to handle them

So is it the lack of independence or the phone?

404 page?

Correct URL is https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/03/teen-...

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