Whether or not a smartphone for my child?

Mother: “My daughter is in group 7 and is the only one who does not have a smartphone. She is therefore also the only one who is not in the class app. She would prefer to have one, but accepts it. It has no influence on her friendships for the time being. How do I deal with the pressure from society around her, if she does not do well, the development of the brain does not do it? The study results and the mental and physical health suffer from the smartphone addiction, but I also don’t want to be bullied outside the group.

Influence the environment

Anneke Smits: “You are absolutely right. Apps on the smartphone have increasingly been made addictive in recent years, and its use is disrupted concentration. That children see online often still after school, which reduces their attention to the learning process.

« Moreover, because of the time they spend on that smartphone, children do not do a lot of things that are good for their development, for example playing without distractions with friends and girlfriends, reading sports and books.

« For all these reasons, the use of mobile phones is no longer permitted at primary schools and secondary education. Those phones should also stay in the lockers during breaks because those are the moments when students talk to each other.

« Primary schools are not allowed to use WhatsApp class groups. WhatsApp use For children under the age of 13 is forbidden in the Netherlands. Talk to other parents about this, and on parent evenings at school.

« In short: your aim is, but it is important to involve your daughter about the smartphone in your decision-making. Talk to her about the operation of social media. If necessary, give her an old-fashioned folding phone if she wants to be available on the way. And give a good example at home. Make the family life smartphone arm.

Resolute

Remco Pijpers: “It starts with the fact that your daughter and you choose a suitable high school. The new rule is that smartphones are banned from the class; sometimes schools also keep telephones out of sight during school (‘at home or in the safe’). Ask for information days how the smartphone policy works out. Does the school also provide media wisdom lessons?

« Meanwhile, pay attention to digital resilience. We live in a ‘impulse company’. Stimples come in not only via smartphones, but also via laptops and screens with moving images in public space. This way, continuous episodes at Netflix make it more difficult to stop consciously. Pushmeldings of digital school emissions make you back to the lopop.

« Being able to resist that continuous ‘call’ of technology is part of digital adult making. As a parent you can already talk to your daughter about it now. Ask her: » Do you ever notice that it is difficult to stop a video or game?  » « And what will help you to stop? » This way you help your daughter to be stronger later, also with a smartphone.

« It’s all easier said than done. So look for support from other parents, for example through the parent movement growing up smartphone -free. »

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