The Digital Childhood

My husband and I made a fatal error. We gave our pre-teen limited access to a screen at a developmentally vulnerable age. And then we took it back.

On today's show: A cautionary tale about what happened when we eased up on our household's screen rules.

Here's a preview:

[3:00] My household's descent into screendom: How did we get here?

[16:00] "The light went out behind her eyes" and other tween behavioral and personality changes

[21:00] The four foundational harms of smart phones, according to Jonathan Heidt

[28:00] Kids are highly susceptible to both conformist bias and prestige bias. That's why phones are so darn powerful

[31:00] If you don't want your child to act like a TikTok influencer, don't give them access to TikTok!

[32:00] The presence of screens reduces a child's interest in all other non-screen activities (and other helpful reminders)

Resources mentioned:

• We have an aligned sponsor! Head to Duckfeetusa.com and use code MAMAMINIMALIST FOR $50 off.
• The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

 

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