I’ve been thinking about how to help parents delay giving their child a Smartphone and I thought about my own kid’s milestones. Childhood is a kaleidoscope of experiences, a journey punctuated by significant milestones that shape our children isn’t it? From their first tentative steps to the exhilarating triumphs of independence, these moments mark […]
Using smartphones as ‘digital pacifiers’ or ‘dummies’ is an increasing phenomenon in our modern society, where smartphones serve as soothing tools for both toddlers and teens. While the term ‘pacifier’ or ‘dummy’ traditionally refers to a rubber object designed to calm babies by satisfying their innate sucking reflex, the concept has evolved in the digital […]
Giving a child a smartphone without guidance is like giving them the keys to a 4×4 without teaching them how to drive – it can lead to terrible accidents and enormous dangers on their digital journey‼️ 97% of 12 year olds now have access to a smartphone and 45% are online ”almost constantly” So the […]
After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on many measures. Why? In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness […]
97% of 12-year-olds in Britain have a smartphone ‼️📱 You may have seen or heard the campaign that’s gone viral (in a good way‼️) by Daisy Greenwell who shared a heartfelt post on Instagram, outlining her worries about the expectation that children in year 5 and 6 at Primary School will be given smartphones, mostly […]
The Phubbing Epidemic I learnt a new word this morning‼️ The word “phubber” is used to describe a person who pays too much attention to their smartphone! Phubbing, a contraction of the words “phone snubbing,” is the act of ignoring a person you’re with in favour of using your mobile phone! Who knew? 🤷♀️ Are […]
I’ve just been interviewed by BBC Radio Sheffield about a new report suggesting that children who sit down and eat and TALK WITH their Mums and Dads have better social skills, do better at school and have better self esteem. IS THAT A SURPRISE ? Yet I heard many parents on the radio show […]
Tracking children on apps can be a controversial topic with both pros and cons. Are you ‘failing’ as a parent if you don’t track your kids ? 📍🤳 Listen to my conversation on BBC Radio 4‘s flagship news and current affairs programme discussing ‘Navigating Boundaries: The Pros and Cons of Child Tracking Apps’ If you […]
Esther Ghey, the mother of the murdered transgender teenager Brianna Ghey is campaigning for social media apps to be blocked on smartphones for under-16s and stronger parental controls to flag potentially harmful searches to parents, in the wake of the sentencing of her daughter’s killers. A group of parents are campaigning on Whatsapp for a […]
The “Daily Mail” ran a headline about whether our little ones are at risk from the baby TV stations aimed at pre-school kids. There is concern that some parents are using the TV, iphones, ipads as a form of easy and stress free babysitting – plonking their babies and little ones in front of a […]
I’ve just discovered Eric Pickersgill take a look at his extraordinarily powerful message – simply shown through his black and white photos of the impact of smartphones on our relationships, experiences and missed moments of being present #PauseToPonder http://www.ericpickersgill.com What can you do just for today to be fully present in the moment ? What […]
Children are starting school not able to speak properly because their parents are too busy looking at their smart phones to talk to them, a senior Labour MP has said. Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt warned that children’s development and their long-term prospects are being impacted by irresponsible parents more interested in Instagram and […]
I have recently been creating a One Page Profile with a lovely 10 year old who is nagging and nagging and nagging her parents for a mobile phone ! I don’t know what you think but I was recently on Sky News discussing 5 year olds who have their own mobile phones ! Now I love […]
I picked up a copy of the excellent “Digital Parenting” Magazine from Vodafone yesterday – you can read really helpful articles and “How To” Guides on all things technical from Parental Controls on XBox 360, to setting up Blackberry Parental Controls, to teaching you how to put YouTube on Safety Mode.
Ultrasound systems can be bulky and expensive. But a Redmond company by the name of Mobisante is looking to transform the industry with a new technology that turns a smartphone into a miniature ultrasound device. Read more here
A Practical Guide
A calm, practical starter guide from Sue Atkins to help you handle smartphones, social media, gaming, sleep and online pressure — without rows or panic.
Download the free scripts and tips here.
