Resources
Starting the conversation about smartphones and social media with other parents can seem daunting, but remember, you don’t need to change anyone’s mind. As parents we have all been put in a really difficult position by big tech and we fully respect everyone’s freedom when it comes to parenting. Its really important we talk about this without blame or judgement. Many parents will already share your concerns about smartphones and social media and will be glad to learn that that your child won’t be getting a smartphone. This will encourage them to delay as well.
Please check for updated resources at Smartphone Free Childhood
Here are some resources and links to further information:
Screen time
Here is a summary of how screen time affects children’s development, with practical tips to manage it at home.
Artificial intelligence
With growing concerns about the risks of AI such as misinformation, emotional dependency and mental health effects on vulnerable users the Social Media Victims Law Center in the US have put together an in-depth guide covering the legal actions involving ChatGPT, along with the concerns being raised by families and individuals impacted.
Collective action
Smartphone Free Childhood
Join your local group delaying smartphones by signing the Parent Pact at Smartphone Free Childhood.
PAPAYA
PAPAYA offers workshhops and practical solutions to promote wellness and improved mental health in young people, helping them achieve a healthy balance with technology through either delaying smartphones or establishing good tech boundaries.
Safe Screens
Campaign group calling for regulatory change to protect children from the widespread harms of smartphones and social media.
Wait Until 8th
Based in the USA, Wait Until 8thwebsite has great resources and a blog.
Books
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
Psychologist Dr. Jonathan Haidt shows how the crisis in teen mental health was seeded by a decades-long shift from a play-based childhood to a phone-based childhood defined by over-supervision, structure, and fear in the real world but scant protection in the brutal online world.
Wired Child: Reclaiming childhood in the digital age
Child psychologist Dr. Richard Freed explains why addictive so-called child-friendly technologies are depriving kids of joy in the real world.
https://richardfreed.com/wired-child/
Films
Childhood 2.0
A feature length documentary about the dangers of social media and its impact on childhood.
Our kids Online
An important documentary and the personal journey of two parents in NZ exploring what children are exposed to online with excellent advice for parents. Available to rent or buy on Vimeo.
https://www.ourkidsonline.info/
Mirror Mirror
This two-part documentary film from Australia is available for free on YouTube. It exposes the risks both children and adults face online.
The Great Hack
This documentary, available on Netflix, is about digital rights, information warfare and how data collected by social media and Cambridge Analytica has been used to manipulate political outcomes from Brixit to the election of Donald Trump.
The Social Dilemma
This documentary explains how social media is designed to be addictive and the social impacts of the algorithms it uses.
Kids For Now video
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For more information on internet safety check-out Teched Off
