[HN Gopher] An Important New Study on Phones and Kids
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An Important New Study on Phones and Kids
Author : paulmooreparks
Score : 21 points
Date : 2025-06-29 09:50 UTC (13 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (calnewport.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (calnewport.com)
| me_smith wrote:
| We will be having our first child soon so these are the type of
| things that interest me. I want to limit phones and screens. I
| assume it's easy at first but as they grow older there will be
| more friction as they interact more with other kids and the
| outside world. I know at some point they will need to know how to
| use them but when is the right time? Curious if anyone has any
| tips?
| mixmastamyk wrote:
| The "need to know" part is overblown. I first used the internet
| around age twenty five and had zero difficulty picking it up.
| Also toddlers can drive tablets these days, that's not
| difficult anymore either.
|
| Screen time is your friend. Also I started teaching how
| computers, later internet work at age 7-10. Then teach safety
| and how to use tools like firefox and ublock etc.
|
| Hold off on smartphone as long as possible, it will be a
| constant fight. We didn't have any help from the school, only
| undermining, but looks to be changing.
| me_smith wrote:
| Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts. Internet
| safety is something I need to remember to instill as we
| progress through all the tech that they will be interacting
| with.
| jeppebemad wrote:
| Unless you have a zero screen policy with your kids - which I
| can definitely recommend - the trick is to give them incredibly
| small doses and being consistent with it. My son is 6 and he is
| perfectly happy with 30 minutes once a week when his younger
| brother is taking his nap.
|
| We tell him it's not good for him, which is why we limit it. He
| occasionally complaints, but most of the time he is looking
| forward to the 30 mins, and will close the iPad on his own when
| the timer ends. Consistency is key.
|
| Second advice is to not give them authority over what to watch.
| No YouTube. Spend some time curating what will be acceptable.
| In the first few years (we started allowing it when he was 3)
| they will watch anything. Just stay of the dopamine stuff!
|
| It helps that we never have the tv on when they are awake.
| Break your own bad habits first - but that's general parenting
| advice...
|
| Good luck to us all!
| me_smith wrote:
| Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts. I had a
| chat with a friend with a 2 year old and he also underscores
| the importance of consistency. We already stay off the tv
| most of the time so hopefully that helps. Any recommendations
| for what to watch in the early years if not on YouTube?
| Thanks again.
| mquander wrote:
| My "common sense" (IMHO) suggestions from the perspective of a
| parent of a 5yo (i.e. not in the "socializing with friends
| online" stage yet):
|
| - "Screen time" is not a natural category. You can watch TV,
| listen to music, read, socialize, make things, educate
| yourself, and play games using many kinds of screens and non-
| screens. Use your common sense to think about how much time is
| reasonable to do any specific activity. Decide what you think
| and then enforce it.
|
| - Everything in moderation. Rarely was someone worse off
| because they did something they enjoyed for half an hour a day.
|
| - Your kid is going to want to imitate you. If you personally
| aren't happy with how you spend your time, then fix it, and
| your fixing will do double duty.
|
| - The fundamental question is how you want to balance giving
| your kid time to do the stuff they enjoy, versus doing stuff
| that you think educates them, expands their horizons, or
| otherwise builds character somehow.
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(page generated 2025-06-29 23:01 UTC)