Dear Editor,
Technology has conditioned us to equate excess with superiority; more apps, more features, more notifications. Yet the real question is: after being overwhelmed by countless Trump memes and phoney news, is it finally time to ditch the smartphone for a tool that narrows its focus to effective communication? Should our children follow suit?
In a survey conducted by Jonathan Haidt, author of Anxious Generation, over 1,000 Gen Z adults (aged between 18-27) were queried about their social media usage and whether they wish certain platforms were never created.
The obtained answers were troubling, though expected. Approximately a third to half of the participants wished that certain social media outlets, namely Instagram (34%), Facebook (37%), Snapchat (43%), TikTok (47%) and X (50%), did not exist.
Haidt’s analysis reveals that nearly 50% of respondents claimed they would not permit their child to own a smartphone before they start high school. Moreover, more than half agreed with limiting a child’s access to smartphones before reaching high school age.
Over one-third endorse social media prohibition for individuals under sixteen, while most agree with the proposal that social media firms should formulate safer alternatives for users under eighteen.
As social media entities and governments contemplate upcoming regulatory procedures, the responsibility lies on parents to take the initiative, cease using smartphones and encourage their children to do the same.
Basic phones, with their absence of constant internet browsing, social media, constant notification alerts, and other “smart” features that bombard us with counterfeit news, memes, warnings, alerts, and rolling news articles that clutter our lives, can afford us the ability to stay connected without the absorption.
Kind regards,
CATHERINE CONLON,
Ballintemple,
Cork.