TheFreeQuaker on Nostr: I've got mixed feelings about this. Parents play a big role in their kid's life, it's ...
I've got mixed feelings about this. Parents play a big role in their kid's life, it's part of the job.
My teenage daughter still has tight controls on all her devices. She finds ways around it, we all have a laugh and talk about what she's been up to. There was a period, though, where she struggled with a toxic group of friends on Discord who were dealing with untreated mental illnesses. My daughter was drowning while trying to help them. They were relentless in hounding her to available 24/7 even after my daughter explained she had restrictions and the internet went off at 10pm for everyone in our house. It got to a point where we intervened and blocked Discord. She was upset at the time. We had dozens of talks with her. A year later, and after some counseling, she worked through her depression. When she came out of it, she thanked us profusely for helping her get her life back and giving her space to find herself and better friends.
Parents need better tools. While I don't support an outright ban, we must recognize social media can have a profoundly impact on teens. Adults struggle to grasp the algorithms' corrosive effects, let alone teenagers.
There are countless ways for parents to abuse their kids. I just don't think parents keeping an eye on their kids is the main concern. In my experience, it's the parents who look the other way that struggle more.
My teenage daughter still has tight controls on all her devices. She finds ways around it, we all have a laugh and talk about what she's been up to. There was a period, though, where she struggled with a toxic group of friends on Discord who were dealing with untreated mental illnesses. My daughter was drowning while trying to help them. They were relentless in hounding her to available 24/7 even after my daughter explained she had restrictions and the internet went off at 10pm for everyone in our house. It got to a point where we intervened and blocked Discord. She was upset at the time. We had dozens of talks with her. A year later, and after some counseling, she worked through her depression. When she came out of it, she thanked us profusely for helping her get her life back and giving her space to find herself and better friends.
Parents need better tools. While I don't support an outright ban, we must recognize social media can have a profoundly impact on teens. Adults struggle to grasp the algorithms' corrosive effects, let alone teenagers.
There are countless ways for parents to abuse their kids. I just don't think parents keeping an eye on their kids is the main concern. In my experience, it's the parents who look the other way that struggle more.