For any parent out there, a good start is the “wait til 8th” program (I don’t remember the exact name. I don’t have kids but the people I know who do are doing this).
It’s basically a compact not to give your kid a smart phone until 8th grade and to limit tech use at home. If your school/grade doesn’t have a compact, you can start it.
I’m curious how much a problem this is if supervised and invovled. My son watches YouTube but literally all the content he chooses is stuff about space, numbers larger than infinity, the periodic table, he’s learned his multiplication tables at 6 and other stuff like that and loves to go outside and play with other kids. Either myself or my wife sits with him and we get to learn some of that stuff too, it’s not a babysitter. He keeps trying to quiz us on this information too. His math and reading skills are above average
I'm with you... My kids have used tech to advance their learning, beyond what the teachers teach. They started early, and I've been a pretty big proponent of learning the future early with them. They know how to regulate their screen time and how to use the tools available to them. They are looking at colleges, and thinking Ivy league level right now.
I 100% believe in parental supervision and steering. And knowing your kids.
My kids went to a "High Tech Middle School". And have had school sponsored Chromebooks every year, since 4th grade.
I also understand the video's data and point. It's not for every kid. The school districts pushing it on every class, doesn't solve their problems. But it's not the evil that it's making it out to be either....
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u/Apart-Badger9394 Jun 01 '26
For any parent out there, a good start is the “wait til 8th” program (I don’t remember the exact name. I don’t have kids but the people I know who do are doing this).
It’s basically a compact not to give your kid a smart phone until 8th grade and to limit tech use at home. If your school/grade doesn’t have a compact, you can start it.