The decision to give our daughter a phone was driven by her increasing independence as she started walking to school by herself. We wanted her to be able to call us in case of an emergency, but we did not want to track her with a GPS device. We opted for a minimalist phone because it is a simple device that allows her to make voice calls and send SMS messages without the distractions that come with smartphones.
Many parents are not aware of the existence of minimalist phones, and they assume that giving their child a phone means giving them a smartphone. We believe that it is important for parents to be informed about the different types of phones available and the benefits of minimalist phones. We shared our experience with other parents in our community and were happy to see that many were interested in learning more about minimalist phones.
Peer pressure
One of the concerns that parents may have when giving their child a minimalist phone is peer pressure. Children may feel left out if all their friends have smartphones, and they may want one too. It is important for parents to talk to their children about the dangers of using smartphones and social media, but it is not enough to simply tell them not to use them. We believe that it is important for children to understand why they should limit their use of smartphones and social media and to make their own decisions based on that knowledge.
We believe that in four years, when our daughter turns 12, more parents will be aware of the dangers of smartphones and social media, but it will still be a problem. Social media and smartphones are addictive, and it is difficult for children (and adults) to resist their pull. However, we remain hopeful that more people will become aware of the negative impact of these devices on mental health and democracy.
Relying too much on technology
In addition to discussing the benefits of minimalist phones, we also talked about the dangers of relying too much on technology. We discussed how chat GPT4, a computer program that can generate text, is replacing jobs that require writing and summarizing. While this technology has its benefits, it can also lead to a loss of skills and a lack of creativity. We believe that it is important to strike a balance between using technology to our advantage and not relying on it too much.
Overall, we believe that giving our daughter a minimalist phone was the right choice for us. It allows her to be independent while also giving us peace of mind knowing that she can call us if she needs to. We hope that more parents will consider giving their children minimalist phones and that the trend towards simpler technology will continue. As always, we welcome your thoughts and comments on our website or YouTube channel.
Why we gave a phone to our 8 years old daughter?