If you have a child of any age and you’ve taken a cell phone or device away from them, you’ve seen what can happen. Hell hath no fury like a kid who is getting their device taken away from them, regardless of the reason.
The first time I took my son's phone away from him was when he was 12, and I couldn’t believe my eyes or ears. He cried for a long time and threw a tantrum unlike any other I'd ever seen him throw. He seemed almost depressed for days, and it took a good week before he was back to himself.
It was then when I realized my son seemed happier without the phone
To me, though, it was petrifying
I’ve been well aware I feel different — more depressed and anxious — since owning my smart phone. I’m old enough to have memories of not having this in my life. I remember the days before Instagram and being able to go to Google whenever I wanted. I grew up in a time when you had to wait for your favorite show to come on once a week or get a phone call on the rotary phone from a friend. I had a wonderful, non-distracted life to compare this current state to.
I didn’t compare myself to the hundreds of people — most of them total strangers — I see on the internet each day, nor did I sit and aimlessly scroll for hours. I played, read, wrote, and spent hours daydreaming. I looked forward to seeing people in real life and having real connections. I made actual plans.
It can’t be a coincidence that all three of my kids don’t feel the need to go out and socialize, or don’t have a strong drive to leave their room. In their minds, staying home in their rooms to themselves isn’t missing out — not having their phones and having to spend time with family or friends is missing out.
It’s a sad truth we all have to face
I do think watching this film helped them understand it more, but if I’m being truly honest, they aren’t putting their phones down much more than they were before.
But I’m not giving up. I’m hopeful more eye-opening shows like this will be made so future generations can learn to put some space between themselves and the apps. Perhaps the first step will be to lead by example — one app at a time.
