A growing group of parents in Brookline are teaming up to try something new to keep their kids off screens.
With mounting evidence surrounding the negative impacts of smartphones and social media, particularly on the developing brains of children and teens, groups and coalitions across the country have pledged to delay introducing children to smartphones and social media.
In Brookline, parent groups have pledged not to give their children smartphones until after eighth grade, and the School Committee is developing a mobile device policy to guide schools on how to manage device usage — and minimize distractions — in the classroom.
Brookline Kids Unplugged is the latest local group to try to avoid the mental health and developmental problems associated with smartphones and social media.
Similar to other groups, this coalition of parents pledged not to give children smartphones until they are 14 years old and to delay introducing social media until 16.
What sets Brookline Kids Unplugged apart, says co-founder Michelle Lai, is its focus on facilitating real-world play and independence in the meantime by scheduling group meetups and playdates. The group will next meet in mid-July, Lai said.
Lai, who is a Ridley School parent of a fourth and fifth grader, said she has always been cautious about screen use, but recently noticed that her older daughter felt social pressure to have a smartphone. She helped start Brookline Kids Unplugged to create solidarity among parents facing similar challenges and to build community among kids, she said.
“The goal of this group is to create a lot more opportunities for in-person interaction for the kids,” Lai told Brookline.News in an interview.
Brookline Kids Unplugged currently includes 68 students in kindergarten through seventh grade, with 28 students at the Ridley School, where it was initiated. The remaining students are spread throughout K-8 schools in the district, as well as nearby private schools.
Hazhir Rahmandad, another Ridley parent and co-founder of Brookline Kids Unplugged, said the negative impacts of smartphones and social media are the “tip of the iceberg” when it comes to the presence of technology in everyday life.
“What might be even a bigger challenge when you add up the millions and millions of kids using these, is the amount of time they lose on things that don’t really stick around,” Rahmandad said. “Skills of life are crowded out when we move children into online spaces rather than offline spaces.”
Kids react
Many of the students involved in Kids Unplugged — particularly younger ones — told Brookline.News that they feel positively about the initiative. Several said they already have some technology, such as Kindle e-readers, iPads and smart watches, but their use is limited. They might text their parents on their smart watches or use their iPads on weekends.
All eight students interviewed said they had hobbies that they enjoyed more than spending time on their screens, ranging from soccer and gymnastics to crocheting, coding and reading.
“I just pick up a book, start reading, and then my mom’s like, ‘Hey, Neev, time for snacks or time to do your homework,’ and I’m like, ‘No, thanks,’” said Neev, a fourth grader at the Ridley School.
For Esme, a Ridley fifth grader who is part of the initiative, most afternoons and weekends are occupied by soccer practice and musical theater rehearsal. Though she wouldn’t have much time to use technology, she said her lack of devices does sometimes make her feel isolated from her peers, most of whom have smartphones.
But she wishes more students from her grade would join, she said.
“I went to [a friend’s] house … and we had fun without screens, like, crocheting and stuff,” Esme said. “Going over to a friend’s house that does have screens, they’re on their screens more often.”
Many of the students talked about the importance of internet safety and said they understood why they weren’t yet allowed to have social media or smartphones. Most of them agreed with the rule, with some saying they didn’t want to become “addicted” or experience an unsafe situation online.
Some worried about how their screen time might be monitored in the future, and whether their parents would trust them to use technology as they grow up.
“I don’t want them to be like, ‘You can only watch from 2pm to 3pm, and not on Fridays,’” said Eva, a fourth grader. “I want them to have the feeling that we’re responsible enough to know how much is a good amount.”
Borna, a fourth grader, did not seem surprised or impressed about the initiative that his parents signed him up for, recognizing that there is a growing movement to keep children off phones.
“Parents everywhere are already trying to get their kids off screens, so starting a group to do this more often doesn’t really seem very special,” Borna said. “I bet millions of people already do this.”
Families interested in joining Brookline Kids Unplugged should reach out to [email protected], Lai said.
发表回复