Attached below is a multi page memo that I wrote back in 2019 after I read the book “iGen.” I was actually part of the Alaska Society for Technology in Education Board at that time and spoke on this topic at the ASTE Conference. Since the recent publishing of the book “The Anxious Generation”, I’m seeing renewed interest in this topic of how our devices are affecting our kids.
All of the research that is presented in these books bolsters school district efforts to limit device use in schools, and hopefully prompts parents to limit device use at all other times.
We are not yet to this point, but I think we will someday look back at this current time of unbridled internet access and device influence, and begin thinking like we do currently of helmet usage and seatbelt usage. There was a time when we didn’t know better, but we know better now. I hope that understanding about technology's impact on mental health and social development continues to spread.
One glimmer of hope is the continued implementation of state laws limiting device access in schools. Within a year, it's quite possible that the majority of states will have policies in place. Another hopeful sign is happening in the home, where I am seeing an increased use of smartwatches as a first device, rather than full unbridled smartphones in young kids. Watches easily limit access to social media, Internet browsing, YouTube watching, and contacts can be easily manage.
