”I'm grateful she doesn't have that crazy addiction - they are getting a new relationship with technology. Smartphones and social media have basically caused a great rewiring of childhood.”
As parents today, Blippi & Taylor Swift aren’t all we have to worry about. When it comes to our (young kids), it’s near impossible to avoid TV, tablets, and video games - we’re increasingly anxious about the role of smartphones, social media, and ultimately their mental health. For many of us these devices and apps start creeping into elementary school, and with middle and high school right around the corner, a thoughtful vigilance is required at home and school. Longtime friends of the pods Claire Yoon Elvers & Seif Hamid join Raman for an important chat we ALL need to be having in our communities with our fellow parents.
Author Jonathan Haidt's recent book — THE ANXIOUS GENERATION The Anxious Generation — has ignited some much needed conversations - online, and in communities. provides hard evidence to show the linkage between smartphones/social media to the decline in adolescent mental health. It's the data we needed to support what many of us already knew. And like many other parents we're chewing on this with mixed emotions - excited that the conversation is front and center with the potential to spark change over time. Yet also feeling a bit stuck given we're in the throes of parenting tweens/teens NOW.
We don’t pretend to have the answers to ANY of this, but it’s a conversation we ALL need to be having with each other, because the companies behind these technologies aren’t incentivized to help. While there is some cautious optimism that our governments will help (shoutout to NY governor Kathy Hochul), we have to be have to be raising these issues in our homes, schools, and communities. We hope this open and honest conversation inspires you to start your own, and is the first of many...
LEARN MORE
BOOK: the Anxious Generation: goodreads.com/book/show/171681821-the-anxious-generation
ARTICLE: End The Phone-Based Childhood Now: theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/03/teen-childhood-smartphone-use-mental-health-effects/677722/
INTERVIEW (Daily Show): youtube.com/watch?v=tcr0yg7Mvg8
NY NEWS: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/30/new-york-smartphone-school-ban-bill
CLAIRE & SEIF - PAST POD APPEARANCES
Claire Yoon Elvers (Jan’22): podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/claire-elvers-wayfairs-head-of-global-brand/id1509346585?i=1000547310780
Seif Hamid (Oct’20): podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/seif-hamid-and-sound-as-a-ny-arab/id1507595726?i=1000495612657
Ramadan (Apr’21): podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ramadan-mubarak-for-us-all/id1507595726?i=1000556141573
Seif + Arab of the Future (Jan’21)
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-arab-of-the-future-vols-1-4-culture-clashes-everywhere/id1516509265?i=1000505705732
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