Are Smartphones Ruining Childhood? | Jonathan Haidt | TED

14 Sep 2024 (4 days ago)

The Rise of Phone-Based Childhoods

In the 1990s, the internet emerged, sparking optimism about its potential impact on democracy and access to information.
Around 2010, the introduction of smartphones, apps, and social media platforms like Instagram coincided with a decline in the mental health of young people, particularly girls.

This shift from a "play-based childhood" to a "phone-based childhood" is believed to be responsible for the observed mental health decline, as excessive phone use limits social interaction, skill development, and engagement in hobbies.
Teenagers currently spend an average of five hours per day on social media, and seven to nine hours when including video games and other online activities.
This increase in screen time has led to a decrease in face-to-face interactions, sleep, and engagement with teachers.

Overprotective parenting styles became more prevalent starting in the 1990s, coinciding with a rise in news media and the introduction of the 24-hour news cycle.
A decline in trust within communities began in the 1980s and 1990s, leading to less outdoor play and increased indoor activities like television.

Parents are encouraged to collaborate and establish the "four norms" with other parents in their local communities and schools.
The "four norms" are: no smartphones until high school (around age 14), no social media until age 16, phone-free schools, and increased independence and responsibility for children in the real world.

Jonathan Haidt's daughter was allowed a Gizmo watch in third grade, which provided her with some freedom and independence.
Max, encouraged by his parents, began walking to school alone a couple of years before his peers.
At the age of 13, after attending the US Open, Max traveled to and from a late-night tennis game independently using the subway and a taxi.
Lenore Skenazy, author of "Free Range Kids", advocates for allowing children more independence.

Schools across the country are observing negative impacts of smartphones on students' learning, discipline, and test scores, leading them to implement phone-free policies.
The Let Grow Project, a free initiative encouraging children to engage in independent activities, is highlighted as a beneficial strategy for fostering children's confidence and reducing parental overprotection.

While acknowledging the educational value of iPads, it is advised to postpone giving children their own customizable iPads and smartphones until high school due to concerns about addiction, distraction, and exposure to inappropriate content.
If a group of families decide to take their children's smartphones away and replace them with flip phones or light phones, the children will still be able to communicate and engage in activities on computers or laptops.

Encouraging children to participate in activities with their friends, such as sleepovers, provides them with opportunities for social interaction and fun, addressing their fear of loneliness and isolation.
Establishing and enforcing family rules, such as prohibiting phones at the dinner table and mandating that they be left outside bedrooms at a specific time, helps to regulate phone usage and promote healthier habits.

Jonathan Haidt is optimistic about rolling back phone-based childhoods due to the rapid response from schools, states, and countries.
Haidt receives daily emails from parents who, after reading his book, are collectively limiting their children's phone use, resulting in children playing and riding bicycles together.
Haidt believes that widespread participation will solve the problem of excessive phone use in children.