Let’s teach teenagers how to use smartphones responsibly

Old Harbour: So, there’s this big conversation happening about how smartphones are affecting our kids. Dr. Emily Sehmer, a child psychiatrist from the UK, is really worried about the impact these devices have on mental health. She’s even thinking of keeping her kids away from smartphones and social media until they’re 16. Sounds like a solid plan, right? But she also thinks other parents should consider doing the same.

But here’s the catch: her idea of “sheltering” might not work out as planned. Kids are clever and might just find other ways to sneak in some screen time. You know how it goes—sometimes the things we tell them not to do become even more tempting. Plus, just because they hit 16 doesn’t mean they’re ready to handle the online world responsibly.

Instead of just slapping on restrictions, we should really dig into what’s causing these mental health issues in the first place. Teaching kids how to use their smartphones wisely and understand social media is key. Parents should keep the lines of communication open, chatting with their kids about the not-so-great stuff they might see online and helping them figure out how to deal with it.

Now, wouldn’t it be great if there was a way for kids to have smartphones that are safe? Like, imagine an app that lets parents control what their kids can access. It could have features for safety, like tracking their location, while still giving them some freedom. As they grow up, parents could gradually give them more access, but in a thoughtful way.

As a teacher and life coach, I totally get where Dr. Sehmer is coming from. But let’s not forget that kids are drawn to their phones partly because there aren’t many fun alternatives out there. Back in the day, kids had engaging books and exciting classes that made reading enjoyable. Nowadays, it feels like students are stuck reading boring excerpts from old books and answering dull questions. No wonder they’re not into reading!

When I was teaching kids who struggled with reading, I made it fun. I read aloud to them, and they picked books that interested them. The change was amazing! One student even told me, “I used to hate reading, but now I get in trouble for reading in class.” How cool is that?

Interestingly, many teens I work with actually want to take a break from their phones. We can help them out by bringing back engaging reading in schools. It could really help with their anxiety and self-esteem issues that come from constant phone use. Let’s give them something better to focus on!