The four-year-old daughter of a friend recently “picked my interest” while singing a song that was too advanced for her age. Out of curiosity, I asked, what are you singing, to which she replied, “my mummy plays it on her phone.”
The Chrisland school scandal is a “Value Problem” and not a “Smartphone Problem.” Let me explain:
Parents own 100% rights to the decision-making on whether or not their children should have smartphones or any other type of digital device (I speak about this in my next article).
The consensus from those that have watched the video is that the “act” didn’t resemble that of first-timers. One can then ALLEGE that a similar scenario might have occurred undocumented. Not necessarily these kids, but other kids too.
As adults, we know the secrets we keep and struggle with- could it be that your child is currently struggling- do you know the warning signs, what are the warning signs?
Note (when you focus solely on smartphones), the challenge isn’t whether or not these acts are happening- but whether or not they should have technology that exposes or documents it. This solution tackles the symptoms without focusing on the root cause.
When a child’s phone is taken away, it indeed limits access to contents a child can be exposed to (and this is good- one of the solutions, but not the only or major solution), however, it does nothing to moderate the curiosity and association of the child. It does not tackle or guide the behavior of the child. And the character the child is building in these formative years.
Value, on the other hand, guides the mindset of the behavior of your child, especially beyond places of your immediate control.
Note, the children’s phones and Instagram did not, in this case, create the sexual act- it only amplified it by giving it an audience. In my book, The Concise Guide to Online Etiquette, I share (specifically speaking to children) 10 guides to help ensure that their online presence is protected, and full of kindness and empathy Be sure to get it for your children!
In the girl’s story that I shared earlier- she does not have a smartphone, but she still had access to music beyond her age. Remember, just because your child doesn’t have a phone doesn’t mean that their friends won’t have one!
We can all agree that smartphones are a challenge for all age groups. I struggle too. However, in this case, value is the problem. Character building with or without a smartphone as our children keep growing should be our focus. Tech will find expression along the way (Again, explained in the next article).
In the next article, I write an overview piece on Parents, Teach, and their Children. It is foundational, and in my upcoming Webinars, I will dive in-depth into the specifics.