Major UN report issues warning over excessive use, with one in six countries already banning the devices

I personally think that responsible smartphone use should be learned and practiced, rather than outright banning them.

I think this shows that adults are terribly addicted to their devices and think if they can’t stop using them, children won’t either. They certainly can’t teach how to use phones responsibly if they can’t do it themselves. Unfortunately for children the result is an outright ban.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldEnglish
    122·
    1 year ago

    I certainly don’t think (generally, there are exceptions, one of which I will mention below) they should be used in class, but a cell phone call to us at lunch has saved my daughter from a couple of urgent and embarrassing situations she doesn’t want others to know about. I would say that’s useful. It also enables us to let her know basic things like I’ll be late coming home from work, so she shouldn’t let her anxieties play up when we’re not there in time.

    Now I said there were exceptions. My daughter has a fellow student who is diabetic and his phone monitors his insulin. He has it with him in class because of that. I would hope that any global ban on smartphones wouldn’t include that kid’s phone and the same for similar kids.

    • SmashingSquid@notyour.rodeoEnglish
      4·
      1 year ago

      The second thing was my first thought. As an adult the idea of not having my phone causes extreme anxiety because it’s needed for my medical devices. It’d be even worse for a teenager at school, especially if their insulin pump is only app controlled and they want to be able to eat lunch.

      This is more on the parents not making use of built in controls. I have my niece’s and nephew’s phones set so they can only make calls, send texts, or use school related apps during school hours. Everything else is grayed out.