Wait to Grant Smartphones Until High School
from The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt
How to Apply This
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Give only basic phones before age 14. Provide your child with a device that can call or text you and close contacts, but with no internet or app access. Model this as a privilege earned with responsibility.
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Align with other parents for community norms. Connect with other families to agree on smartphone age thresholds, aiming for collective action so no child feels isolated.
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Communicate your reasoning with empathy. Explain to your child the neuroscience of brain development and why waiting is a gift, not a punishment. Reiterate that delayed access is meant to protect, not control.
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