Let’s Rethink Addictive Tech This Holiday Season
Do you wish you knew more about safer, healthier tech options for kids? Are you trying to delay purchasing a smartphone, but still need a way for your child to communicate with friends and family? Are you tired of wrestling with parental controls that never really work? There are better tech options for kids and teens out there, but so few parents know about them.
Since 2007, Big Tech has been engineering their products—smartphones, apps, etc.—to be addictive, which ultimately makes them more money. This is why parenting around tech has become so much more difficult in the last 20 years. But we don’t have to accept this business model. There are lots of small tech companies creating products that allow kids and teens to use tech as a tool without the worry that it will take over their lives.
So how do you choose tech for kids that does only what we need it to do, nothing more? When our kids get old enough to walk around the neighborhood themselves and want to connect independently with friends outside of school, we often consider getting them a phone. When we think phone, we usually think smartphone, and smartphones are SO much more than a phone. They’re super computers in our pockets full of addictive apps, opportunities for endless scrolling, and portals to every corner of the Internet. Getting our child a smartphone for communication means we’re choosing tech that does way more than we need it to; all those extra things can become a battle. The phone feature rarely causes problems, it’s always another function like texting, social media, gaming, YouTube, porn, or gambling that becomes addictive.
Likewise, when our kids need a device for homework we often get them a laptop, only to find that parental controls are hard to set up—and easy to get around. Then we’re stuck policing our kids while they try to do homework on a device with YouTube just one click away.
Luckily, there are products out there that make tech easier for parents to manage and are healthier for kids. These products were often created by parents who didn’t like the all-or-nothing choice. They couldn’t find a better option to the addictive tech that monetizes kids’ attention at the expense of a healthy childhood, so they decided to make one.
There are wonderful new wifi landline phones just for kids – Tin Can, MyPhone, Waffle and Ring Ring Club. These phones bring back the joy of talking on the phone and the independence of kids making plans themselves. No screen, no Internet, just a friend at the other end of the line. When kids get a little older, WaffleGo is a screen-free option to keep them safe while they’re out-and-about.
By middle school, tweens often need a device with more capability, but they’re not yet ready for the responsibility of a fully-loaded smartphone. Starter phones like Gabb, Troomi and Pinwheel are healthier alternatives because parents get to choose what goes on them. These phones are like learner’s permits so parents can introduce tech intentionally.
Kids often have a grandparent wanting to get them an iPad as a holiday gift, even while their parents don’t feel ready for tech battles. A much healthier, non-addictive alternative to the iPad is Daylight Computer’s new Daylight Kids. It has a blue-light-free screen, robust parental controls, and is designed to foster self-regulation, not iPad meltdowns. For teens, the original Daylight Computer is a healthier, less distracting option for homework.
What about cameras and music? Companies like Camp Snap and Paper Shoot offer kids a screen-free camera experience, while Mighty Player and Kite bring back the joy of listening to music on a screenless device.
We don’t have to accept Big Tech’s business model for our families anymore. Let’s rethink addictive technology this holiday season!
Want to see some of these alternatives up-close? Stop by the Alternative Device Fair December 5th, from 2–5 p.m. at St. David of Wales Episcopal Church (2800 SE Harrison). Co-hosted by Mindful Media (mindful-media.net) and Oregon Unplugged (orunplugged.org), we’ll be raffling off several alternative devices so come put your name in the hat!