No Electronics!

This is a headline that will certainly get our attention. Just like Zoey in Kit Kat Camp; No Electronics, it cannot be swallowed by many people. Let me first say that a lot of people are working to help protect the next generation. Many families have put great limits on phones and electronics in the home.

You may or may not have heard of Jonathan Haidt. He is a social psychologist and author. His newest book is entitled The Anxious Generation. In it, he proposes that phones are one of the reasons our young children have become so anxious.

The following was taken from LinkedIn, written by Mr. Haidt.

“New article in The Atlantic, by me, out this week. My claim is that the new phone-based childhood that took shape roughly 12 years ago is making young people sick and blocking their progress to flourishing in adulthood. We need a dramatic cultural correction, and we need it now.

In the article and in my upcoming book I argue that we need to institute 4 new norms:
• No smartphones before high school.
• No social media before 16.
• Phone-free schools.
• More independence, free play, and responsibility in the real world.”

I don’t agree with everything he proposes. But, I definitely think that this should be a conversation.

My first Kit Kat book was written to remind us of the importance of play and using our imaginations. I don’t advocate throwing everything out but use it in moderation. I believe we are the anxious generation. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to help them cope in this world.

Try one or all of the 6 activities that don’t require a phone or technology. Let’s let kids play and expand their minds with their creativity.