Scary truth about what is our hurting our kids..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remember the days when rock music and dancing were really bad for kids?

Stop. This is the world we live in now.

This attitude is a real problem. Those of us who do parent responsibly when it comes to smartphones (delaying their introduction, limiting screen time, monitoring usage, etc) are forced to do so knowing that it will lead to our kid feeling left out because unfortunately, most parents don't do any of that. Just throwing your hands up and saying, "That's the world we live in," exacerbates the problem.

Does it ever give you pause to think about how the tech giants who create this technology frequently shield their own children from it?

We could all join Beachy Mennonites: http://www.beachyam.org/FAQs.htm
"The more conservative groups would either prohibit computers or limit computer use to record-keeping and forbid Internet. Moderate groups allow computer use and make some sort of limitation on the Internet, such as, email-only, Internet use allowed outside of home (work or library) but not in the home, or filter software."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My teen doesn't have a cell phone.

What's your excuse, OP?

Humm...ok, so your point is what? How sad if they have an emergency they cannot contact you or someone for help.

HAHAHA that is how bad parents just giving their kids a cell phone. generations and generations of kids survived without cell phones.

We also had access to lots of pay phones.

Lame. There was no pay phones at parks, neighborhoods, and athletic fields. That is where most kids are. Also, anywhere there was a pay phone also has free land lines you can ask to use. Oh and every living human adult has a pay phone you can ask to borrow.

I call BS! There were payphones EVERYWHERE when I was growing up (in the 70s). They looked like this:



And there'd be one at least at every park and field. If the field was at a school, there was a row of phone booths right outside the school. There were phone booths outside of any storefront, and certainly there would be one at the gas station if you really needed one to walk that far. They were as common as soda machines are now.

NP. Photographic evidence submitted to DCUM. End of argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, I thought this was going to be about helicopter parenting and expecting perfection from our kids. I think that's what's causing all of the anxiety and depression, not smart phones. The kids don't have their own lives, they are not allowed to be independent and make mistakes. They are coached and coddled on every aspect of their lives from a young age and expected to get into the best schools, etc. Smart phones are a red herring.

Smart phones ARE their ONLY release and feeling independent in a helicopter world. They have social media, disgusting porn, bullying, sexting, snapping, and angry you tube channels showing how to be an anorexic or learn how to cut yourself where parents can’t see.

It is literally the worst two combinations these poor teens can have. The fact that there are parents on here talking about calling the cops if a kid is bike riding without a phone and not upset that a phone is doing the harm IS the problem. Thinking the phone is keeping your kid safe is the ultimate irony.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My teen doesn't have a cell phone.

What's your excuse, OP?

Humm...ok, so your point is what? How sad if they have an emergency they cannot contact you or someone for help.

HAHAHA that is how bad parents just giving their kids a cell phone. generations and generations of kids survived without cell phones.

We also had access to lots of pay phones.

Lame. There was no pay phones at parks, neighborhoods, and athletic fields. That is where most kids are. Also, anywhere there was a pay phone also has free land lines you can ask to use. Oh and every living human adult has a pay phone you can ask to borrow.

I call BS! There were payphones EVERYWHERE when I was growing up (in the 70s). They looked like this:



And there'd be one at least at every park and field. If the field was at a school, there was a row of phone booths right outside the school. There were phone booths outside of any storefront, and certainly there would be one at the gas station if you really needed one to walk that far. They were as common as soda machines are now.

I lived in the suburbs. There were no payphone booths in my neighborhoods. None at the playgrounds, and not at the ball field that was in the back of the development. It did have a phone you could use IF the snack bar was open as the land line was inside of it. The closest pay phone was about 1.5 miles from my house at the community pool. And I would still use the phone in the lifeguard office so I could buy 10 Swedish fish at the pool snack bar instead of calling my mom. I rode to and from that pool with friends every day. No parents needed. That’s what lifeguards are for. LOL. Good times. I would hate to be a kid today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My teen doesn't have a cell phone.

What's your excuse, OP?

Humm...ok, so your point is what? How sad if they have an emergency they cannot contact you or someone for help.

HAHAHA that is how bad parents just giving their kids a cell phone. generations and generations of kids survived without cell phones.

Seriously. When no one else had cell phones either. There may have been a pay phone here or there, but mostly out on your own for hours and hours staring at age 6/7. Now all adults have them and every store/business has a phone. Your kid really doesn’t even need one and if he had one, it can be for dialing a few numbers only, not a $700 smart phone with monthly services all paid for by Mommy and Daddy.

Ok, so you had neglectful parents. At 6/7 we were not off on our own. Not all iPhones or smart phones cost $700. And, yes parents should pay for phone service. What next, you expect your kids to pay for their own food and clothing. You sound as selfish as your parents were to you. I have no issue with my child having a iPhone or other phone. Yes, I will pay for it. It is for me, not for them.

DP. Completely disagree with you. In the 70s and 80s, kids just went and played outside in their neighborhood. We weren't far away, but our parents weren't hovering over us every second of the day either. We were not neglected, you are a helicopter parent. We were fine without smartphones.

People who give their kids access to smart phones before high school are idiots. That's neglectful parenting. Even high school kids don't really have the maturity and reasoning capabilities to handle social media. If we are honest, many adults don't either.

We always had a parent or neighbor supervising. 6-7 year olds should be supervised. You complain your kids aren't connected to you and don't care about family time, well, this is why. You don't make it a priority to spend that time with your kids or even play with them.

My kids have access to all the devices. My 8 year old will get a phone in a few months for camp. Mine use it to stay connected to family. They call and text their aunts, their grandparents including ones in another country all the time. Everyone loves it. It may tear apart your family because of how they/you use it but for us it keeps us connected.

I get so tired of kids coming up to play with us on the playground when their parents are either ignoring them or not there. When we bring food, it amazes me how many kids just help themselves and parents don't care that their kids take food from strangers or even ask/thank us.

You sound like a world class douche to be honest. The fact that you think parents up kids asses 24/7 AND 24/7 electronics are awesome, while handing an 8yr old a smart phone is great parenting. Wait a few years chump. Your oldest is 8 and you are clueless

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
NP. Photographic evidence submitted to DCUM. End of argument.

I don't think the 30 year olds on this forum have any idea what it was like to have phone booths everywhere. You could walk inside one, and it even had this thing called a "telephone book" which was kind of like a contacts list for your whole town or city. Everyone's name, phone number and even address was published there.

You always had to carry some quarters and dimes in case you needed to make an emergency phone call. It was like being sure your cell phone was charged.

Sometimes assholes cut the cord to the phone though and that was sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the issue is social media more so than phones. My nephew has an iPhone but isn't on Snapchat or Instagram or Facebook or Twitter and isn't preoccupied with getting likes/hits/friends.
He's not

yep, i have three tween/teen kids, very minimal social media interest. Keep them busy/active and this wont be an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, I thought this was going to be about helicopter parenting and expecting perfection from our kids. I think that's what's causing all of the anxiety and depression, not smart phones. The kids don't have their own lives, they are not allowed to be independent and make mistakes. They are coached and coddled on every aspect of their lives from a young age and expected to get into the best schools, etc. Smart phones are a red herring.

Smart phones ARE their ONLY release and feeling independent in a helicopter world. They have social media, disgusting porn, bullying, sexting, snapping, and angry you tube channels showing how to be an anorexic or learn how to cut yourself where parents can’t see.

It is literally the worst two combinations these poor teens can have. The fact that there are parents on here talking about calling the cops if a kid is bike riding without a phone and not upset that a phone is doing the harm IS the problem. Thinking the phone is keeping your kid safe is the ultimate irony.

+1 It is so strange to me that people are not looking at the statistics. You know... the whole "you're entitled to your own opinions, but not to your own facts."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This article sounds like every "scare tactic" article from the past.

Rock & Roll is Hurting Your Kids
Dancing is Hurting Your Kids
Fraternizing with the Black Kids is Hurting Your Kids
TV is Hurting Your Kids
MTV is Hurting Your Kids
The Simpsons is Hurting Your Kids
Video Games are Hurting Your Kids
Marilyn Mason is Hurting Your Kids
The Internet is Hurting Your Kids

Rinse, repeat.

X10000

The same mainstream magazines that pump out these articles today about cell phones were railing against rock music, tv and integration of schools back in the day.

Also, teen depression is not on the rise. Teen depression has always been under reported.
What is on the rise is that teens are more comfortable now discussing depression and mental health issues out loud and asking for help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP. Photographic evidence submitted to DCUM. End of argument.

I don't think the 30 year olds on this forum have any idea what it was like to have phone booths everywhere. You could walk inside one, and it even had this thing called a "telephone book" which was kind of like a contacts list for your whole town or city. Everyone's name, phone number and even address was published there.

You always had to carry some quarters and dimes in case you needed to make an emergency phone call. It was like being sure your cell phone was charged.

Sometimes assholes cut the cord to the phone though and that was sad.

Or stole the phone book.

But yes, there were pay phones everywhere.

[Anonymous]

OP are you on AEM? if not, your people are there. You can get a post or two a day beating this drum.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My son can text and call on his phone and minimal ability to search. Very old phone. It serves it's purpose to be able to let him know if he needs to use his key because I'm not home when he gets home from school.

He couldn't figure this out if you didn't tell him?

If a 12-year old is used to mom being home when he comes home from school everyday---yes, if she's not there it would be concerning. If something unexpected comes up and I had to run out or I'm not home we communicate that. I don't say 'use your key' to get in. I tell him I will be home an hour later, etc.

God, what a bunch of a**Sholes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This article sounds like every "scare tactic" article from the past.

Rock & Roll is Hurting Your Kids
Dancing is Hurting Your Kids
Fraternizing with the Black Kids is Hurting Your Kids
TV is Hurting Your Kids
MTV is Hurting Your Kids
The Simpsons is Hurting Your Kids
Video Games are Hurting Your Kids
Marilyn Mason is Hurting Your Kids
The Internet is Hurting Your Kids

Rinse, repeat.

X10000

The same mainstream magazines that pump out these articles today about cell phones were railing against rock music, tv and integration of schools back in the day.

Also, teen depression is not on the rise. Teen depression has always been under reported.
What is on the rise is that teens are more comfortable now discussing depression and mental health issues out loud and asking for help.

Please post those links that reporting has been on the rise and not actual depression.

How about self harm? Reporting just on the rise?
How about anxiety? Just reporting on the rise?
How about abuse of medications? Just reporting on the rise?
How about attempted suicide? Just reporting on the rise?
How about actual suicides in elementary, tween, teen, and college students? Just reporting on the rise? Oh wait....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My son can text and call on his phone and minimal ability to search. Very old phone. It serves it's purpose to be able to let him know if he needs to use his key because I'm not home when he gets home from school.

He couldn't figure this out if you didn't tell him?

If a 12-year old is used to mom being home when he comes home from school everyday---yes, if she's not there it would be concerning. If something unexpected comes up and I had to run out or I'm not home we communicate that. I don't say 'use your key' to get in. I tell him I will be home an hour later, etc.

God, what a bunch of a**Sholes.

Not to mention his grandfather was in the hospital on and off the last few months so there was a lot of times I stayed overnight at the hospital so my husband was able to communicate with son pertinent information since I wasn't around and husband got home several hours after me....e.g., if he needed to go to a friend's house, to check to make sure all was okay, etc.

I think a lot of the answers are from people who are completely clueless about having older children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My son can text and call on his phone and minimal ability to search. Very old phone. It serves it's purpose to be able to let him know if he needs to use his key because I'm not home when he gets home from school.

He couldn't figure this out if you didn't tell him?

If a 12-year old is used to mom being home when he comes home from school everyday---yes, if she's not there it would be concerning. If something unexpected comes up and I had to run out or I'm not home we communicate that. I don't say 'use your key' to get in. I tell him I will be home an hour later, etc.

God, what a bunch of a**Sholes.

Oh bless your heart. Your son is what we call a snowflake dear. If he can’t figure out how to get in his own house with his own key, and read a note you left him, that is absolutely your fault as a parent.

Your posts are scary how tweens and teens can literally not function without Mommy.