To all, I recommend the reading of two books, Digital Minimalism and Glow Kids, which discuss the huge downside of “too much screen time” being spent on our smartphones and tablets. This goes for all of us, especially our teenage children/grandchildren. Each book discusses this from a different perspective.
Specifically, when it comes to teens, our children are losing the ability to have thoughtful conversations with their peers as they choose instead to only “connect” with their friends by texting or “liking” something posted on social media. Analyzing another human being’s emotions by observing their body language and listening to the inflection of their voices when they are speaking is an integral part of being human. Rather than sending a text or email to “connect” with someone, I strongly recommend that all of us pick up the phone or better yet, go and meet with someone, face-to-face, and have an actual conversation. If we have something meaningful to say, say it in person during a face-to-face conversation and forget texting or emailing!
When we continue to monitor our phones and “connect” with people via texting, emailing, and liking someone’s social media post, we are NOT having any meaningful conversations. Such one way communications are void of any meaningful exchange of human emotions due to the impersonal lack of human feedback which would otherwise take place during an actual face-to-face conversation with another person. As a result, many young people are developing huge anxiety issues as they lack the ability to make their own interpersonal judgements without relying on others to verify the accuracy of what they think might be acceptable behavior. Additionally, the book “Glow Kids”, reports on the peril of young children suffering mental health issues due to becoming addicted to video games and then violently acting out some of the shoot and kill scenarios contained in those video games.
This is a suggestion for each of us to consider regarding the physical and mental health of ourselves and our family members.
