I’m probably on the older end of your readership (62), so I’d love to hear your thoughts on aging! Also, hang in there on the phone issue. We were also the parents who always said “no”. My son was the last of his friends to get a phone (when he graduated from high school), and we didn’t have video games. (Our boys played them at friends houses.) I teach high school, and I wish parents could say no more often.
Thanks for referring to Clare Coffey's article. I had not come across her work yet.
I just posted on the same topic a few days ago, 'From Feeding Moloch to 'Digital Minimalism'.
"Our children are suffering because of the increasingly inhumane conditions bred by their digital existence. We have created for them an environment that has removed them from reality both mentally and socially...In the ‘race to the bottom of the brain stem’ children are the most vulnerable contestants. Their minds are part of a relentless digital colonization, and unless we intervene, we risk the overall well-being of future generations."
The post includes a 'game plan' for steps to digital minimalism as well as an invitation to join in community for a digital detox during the month of May.
I would like to read your thoughts on aging! I have embraced the natural aging process and thank God for every year that He adds to my life: I have received the gift of 70 years! I’m firmly in the “pro-aging” camp. “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold.” Embrace God’s design.
For any/every mention of delayed/decreased smartphone access, I give thanks for you!!
And for the great curating of worthwhile voices...and for nurturing my hope for what Claire Coffey imagines as...
"...a collective norm forming out of a critical mass of individual stances: for every parent who delays the advent of the smartphone in their kids’ lives, the easier it is for other parents to do the same, and the easier it is on the children suffering the social burden of being an outlier."
Would love to hear more about your book signing! We love the Sister Seraphina series. Pre-ordered the third.
I am also interested in your thoughts about aging. I'm in my 30s and it has been astonishing to me how many people use Botox, have had surgery to "correct flaws," etc at my age or younger. I tend to think that social media hastened people toward anti-aging even more than we already hated it.
Which bring me to yours and Clare's thoughts about the smartphone and I say a hearty "hear hear!" Did you catch Tsh Oxenrider's podcast interview with Autumn Kern about smartphones? They explored the idea of what smartphones are forming us toward and I think that's something we should indeed consider more often.
Happy weekend!! May you all feel well at the same time soon.
I love your take on smartphones for kids. My kids are only 4 and 7 but my husband and I are adamant about waiting until at least the late teens for any social media. People keep telling me we’ll give in but it really is so important to me so it’s really nice to hear that it’s working for you so far. I’d love to hear your thoughts about aging too!
I think as the negatives become more clear, there will be more parents who insist on going a different direction. In fact, I think it might be an easier battle for you to fight because I really think there will be more soldiers on your side by that time!
I’m sending my first born to kindergarten in the fall, and I know I will be facing the cell phone debate sometime in the next few years. I’ve thought, “Maybe I’m naive, maybe there’s no way we can hold off until after high school to introduce smartphones.” So it’s refreshing to see that your family, as your kids are getting into teen years, is making it so far! I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and other articles on the case for careful consideration with smartphone use.
We'll see if we can make it all the way through high school! I am happy for any drivers to have a dumb phone or a "wise" phone that has access to only a few apps. But I am firmly against social media access for teens. We've at least made it up to high school without smartphones--onward!
Definitely interested in the aging article! I like to think I’m all chill and enlightened on this but I’ve developed crows feet (let’s call them smile wrinkles!) in the last year and every time I look at them I purchase a new superpowered eye creme.....
I would very much like to read your thoughts on attitude toward aging. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately as I enter my 40s and see more signs of age in the mirror. It’s so much easier to appreciate aging in others- I feel like my husband is more handsome than ever with his greying hair and beard, but I’m struggling to feel positive about my own greys, for example.
I’m probably on the older end of your readership (62), so I’d love to hear your thoughts on aging! Also, hang in there on the phone issue. We were also the parents who always said “no”. My son was the last of his friends to get a phone (when he graduated from high school), and we didn’t have video games. (Our boys played them at friends houses.) I teach high school, and I wish parents could say no more often.
Thanks for referring to Clare Coffey's article. I had not come across her work yet.
I just posted on the same topic a few days ago, 'From Feeding Moloch to 'Digital Minimalism'.
"Our children are suffering because of the increasingly inhumane conditions bred by their digital existence. We have created for them an environment that has removed them from reality both mentally and socially...In the ‘race to the bottom of the brain stem’ children are the most vulnerable contestants. Their minds are part of a relentless digital colonization, and unless we intervene, we risk the overall well-being of future generations."
The post includes a 'game plan' for steps to digital minimalism as well as an invitation to join in community for a digital detox during the month of May.
https://schooloftheunconformed.substack.com/p/from-feeding-moloch-to-digital-minimalism
Thanks for sharing this!
I would like to read your thoughts on aging! I have embraced the natural aging process and thank God for every year that He adds to my life: I have received the gift of 70 years! I’m firmly in the “pro-aging” camp. “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold.” Embrace God’s design.
For any/every mention of delayed/decreased smartphone access, I give thanks for you!!
And for the great curating of worthwhile voices...and for nurturing my hope for what Claire Coffey imagines as...
"...a collective norm forming out of a critical mass of individual stances: for every parent who delays the advent of the smartphone in their kids’ lives, the easier it is for other parents to do the same, and the easier it is on the children suffering the social burden of being an outlier."
Just yes.
And I'm grateful for YOU. It helps to tell Gwen, "well....Lucy Souva doesn't have a smartphone either! You'll survive!"
Would love to hear more about your book signing! We love the Sister Seraphina series. Pre-ordered the third.
I am also interested in your thoughts about aging. I'm in my 30s and it has been astonishing to me how many people use Botox, have had surgery to "correct flaws," etc at my age or younger. I tend to think that social media hastened people toward anti-aging even more than we already hated it.
Which bring me to yours and Clare's thoughts about the smartphone and I say a hearty "hear hear!" Did you catch Tsh Oxenrider's podcast interview with Autumn Kern about smartphones? They explored the idea of what smartphones are forming us toward and I think that's something we should indeed consider more often.
Happy weekend!! May you all feel well at the same time soon.
Tentatively scheduled for June 17th at The Bookshelf in Thomasville, GA but I'll share the details as soon as I can!
I haven't listened to Tsh's podcast with Autumn Kern yet! I'll check it out.
I love your take on smartphones for kids. My kids are only 4 and 7 but my husband and I are adamant about waiting until at least the late teens for any social media. People keep telling me we’ll give in but it really is so important to me so it’s really nice to hear that it’s working for you so far. I’d love to hear your thoughts about aging too!
I think as the negatives become more clear, there will be more parents who insist on going a different direction. In fact, I think it might be an easier battle for you to fight because I really think there will be more soldiers on your side by that time!
I hadn’t thought about it that way but that’s really encouraging!
I’m sending my first born to kindergarten in the fall, and I know I will be facing the cell phone debate sometime in the next few years. I’ve thought, “Maybe I’m naive, maybe there’s no way we can hold off until after high school to introduce smartphones.” So it’s refreshing to see that your family, as your kids are getting into teen years, is making it so far! I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and other articles on the case for careful consideration with smartphone use.
We'll see if we can make it all the way through high school! I am happy for any drivers to have a dumb phone or a "wise" phone that has access to only a few apps. But I am firmly against social media access for teens. We've at least made it up to high school without smartphones--onward!
Definitely interested in the aging article! I like to think I’m all chill and enlightened on this but I’ve developed crows feet (let’s call them smile wrinkles!) in the last year and every time I look at them I purchase a new superpowered eye creme.....
I would very much like to read your thoughts on attitude toward aging. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately as I enter my 40s and see more signs of age in the mirror. It’s so much easier to appreciate aging in others- I feel like my husband is more handsome than ever with his greying hair and beard, but I’m struggling to feel positive about my own greys, for example.