Spanish parents not realising they can already ban their children from having cell phones at any time they want and on whatever terms they want
this post was submitted on 15 Dec 2023
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It's not simple, and the fact that you are trying to make it sound simple is confusing at best.
Even if a very small percentage of teens has a phone, the social pressure for all to have it becomes unbearable.
Plus things like marketing phones to children and teens would also be banned if a law like that were to come into effect.
One of the best things you can teach you children is to ignore social pressure.
Exactly , look what happens in the US some people fall for social pressure to have an iPhone because everyone use iMessage
It's amazing that you're such an illuminated parent, and no doubt a blessed human being who doesn't suffer social pressure, but your point is meaningless/harmful as it ignores the reality that most humans and parents suffer from social pressure.
Therefore it's important to teach children to deal with it.
So basically ban cellphones for every other kid so mine doesn't feel pressured to have one?
How would that even work?
Not sure you're arguing in good faith, as the answer to this is apparent. Of the long list of harm cellphones and social media bring to children, having a few children with cellphones within a social context (school, etc) would bring the harm anyway.
the social pressure for all to have it becomes unbearable.
So what? Humans are social animals. We live in societies. Having to adapt fit int is part of our nature. Obviously ignoring your peers preferred method of communication doesn't work and it's a good thing it doesn't because communication is the fabric of society. You could as well decide to make up your own language.
That said, individuality needs to be protected and peer pressure needs to kept in check. But you do that via parenting, teaching and maybe banning advertising aimed at minors. Not by fighting windmills.
Just because these people can't vote yet doesn't mean they shouldn't have rights or be treated with dignity and respect like the rest of society.
I'm disappointed with people arguing that literally banning smartphones would somehow improve the social situation for anyone.
Just because you cannot see bullying or collect statistics about it quite as easily, does not mean it disappears. I'd argue the opposite: blocking others online is trivial compared to doing the same in-person.
We also have to acknowledge that some children simply are more introverted, and will want to stay more secluded than others. Forcing them to behave in other ways seems counterproductive.
Just because some parents (understandably) struggle with raising their kids shouldn't mean that they're all doomed to what amounts to nationwide collective punishment.
I for one support children's rights, at least on this one point.
Edit:
Exact circumstances can, and will very, as every child is unique. Therefore, we should allow for case by case decisions. Luckily, the de facto situation already has the parents deciding, which makes sense in most cases IMO.
And taking away the phones of other people won't stop online bullying either (e.g. spreading rumors without the victim's knowledge).
you can still be bullied online, if you arent online yourself. People can still spread rumors or damage your image with real world repercussions in the hellhole that is teenage social circles.
And this is little that parents of affected children can do about, and it is certainly no parental shortcoming that their child has become the victim of bullying. It can hit anyone and any family.
So while i also dontthink this is the best measure, the motivation is valid.
I think it's a problem they don't get vote in the first place. If 90-year-olds can, so can 15-year olds. My money is on the average 14-year-old to make better decisions (40% of 90-year-olds have dementia, so that's a safe bet).
I'd say the age of criminal responsibility - between 12 and 15 in most of Europe - seems like a reasonable cut-off. If you're too immature to vote on a law, you're too young to go to prison for breaking it. We could however leave passive suffrage to the actual age of maturity (and full criminal responsibility).
Just because these people can't vote yet doesn't mean they shouldn't have rights or be treated with dignity and respect like the rest of society.
The problem is mostly not the people, but the social media services, that take advantage of them for as much profits as inhumanly possible, and in the process affect their personality in a wrong way.
Sometimes I too feel that they shouldn't have a smartphone, but in reality it's a problem with these corps and their motives, who affect everyone else too but has deeper effects for young people.
But the solution also involves parents raising their kids, instead of youtube, facebook, tiktok and whatever else. To some extent it also means having some oversight on what their kids see online.
I am especially interested in your stance on technology and introversion. In which way do introverted children benefit from technology, and technology exclusively? And how would the inability to access technology force them to behave differently?
My first instinct was to decry this as a reactionary move.
But anyone that has been a teenager knows that a significant portion of teenagers are absolute sociopathic assholes. That's how it is, and how it's been for a long time. And while I wouldn't blame the teenagers for this, we should not pretend otherwise.
Limiting the way they can project this onto each other seems like a reasonable thing to do for the sake of mental and physical health.
Although I don't think banning the devices would work at all, that's way too easy to circumvent.
I don't know how old are y'all but I wasn't 16 that long ago. Teens can be stupid and everything but if it wasn't for me having a personal device with no parental oversight I would have had a very very hard time figuring out my bisexuality and stepping away from toxic Christian dogma
It's spain, there's a non zero chance that that's the entire point
They mean at schools?... right? ๐
Should ban smartphones but not your basic telephone-sms-only brickphone. Takes some load from parents
So they'll access social media sites from tablets and laptops?
Absolute idiots.
I have no idea where I would be without a phone. Having a phone and being able to access the internet has allowed me to do so many things. Without it, I wouldn't have discovered my sexuality, vent about my mental health, pursue my interests and hobbies, or most importantly, have access to a vast amount of information.
The problem is not that people of my age have phones, but instead that that their parents don't raise their own kids. The right age to get your own phone varies from person to person. People should educate their kids on internet safety and make sure that their kids can come to them if they see something they shouldn't have instead of expecting their government(s) to do all the parenting for them. Parents, raise your own fucking kids.