Conversations are Key

New Canaan Unplugged

New Canaan Unplugged

— 2 min read
Conversations are Key
Photo by Juliane Liebermann / Unsplash

The new school year is a great time to “start fresh” and build new habits around digital discipline. The conversation might be hard at first and the changes might not all stick, but the best part will be the dialogue you create with your family. Below we offer some thought-starters on beginning the conversation.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

  • SHARE AN INSPIRING STORY- The Sunday Times (UK) recently ran a first-person story from their lead interviewer, Decca Aitkenhead. She made her teenage sons and their friends go without smart phones for 4 weeks and sent them on a camping trip alone. The story HERE is worth your time and worth sharing with your teen.
  • GIVE AN EXAPMLE - Cristiano Ronaldo (world famous professional soccer player) won’t give his 14 year old son a phone or allow him to access social media. Why? So that he will reach his full potential. HERE is a short video of him explaining his decision.
  • REVIEW THE RESEARCH - There is a growing body of research around the impact of device usage on mental health. Below are 2 studies worth discussing with your family:
    • The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recently released an investigation on Early-Childhood Tablet Use and Outbursts of Anger. Results suggest early childhood tablet use can impair emotional regulation. Read the abstract HERE
    • In 2023, Sapien Labs released one of the most widely referenced surveys on mental health and reported age of first smartphone or tablet ownership among 18-24-year-olds. TLDR: The later someone gets a smartphone, the better their mental health is. The report is linked HERE.
book near eyeglasses and cappuccino
Photo by Sincerely Media / Unsplash

ARTICLES WORTH YOUR TIME

Its not easy to withstand the pressure to get your kids a smart phone. This quick article from Boston Magazine gives you some helpful tips to continue saying "No" when kids persist. Click HERE to read.

Even back in 2020, parents were wrestling with tecnology use and screen time. This extensive survey from Pew Research Center found that 2/3 of parents in the U.S. said parenting is harder today than it was 20 years ago, with many citing technologies – like social media or smartphones – as a reason. Click HERE to read.

Help New Canaan Unplug

If you are interested in creating a healthier relationship with technology for our children, please check out our survey HERE to let us know how you can help.

New Canaan Unplugged is a parent-run group completely independent from the New Canaan Public School System and the Town of New Canaan.

Read more