Essay 2.

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Essay 2.2

We are living in an era where technology is seamlessly integrated into our lives and has
become essential to carry out our day-to-day tasks. One such piece of technology is the
smartphone. Their diffusion has spread from adults to high-school teens, then to junior-high and
now even elementary school. This trend begs the question of when and how should kids use
smartphones, and undoubtedly, it is the parents who are left to do the answering. One such
answer comes in the form of an article written for the Globe and Mail by Anthony North titled,
“Why we’ve said no to smartphones for our kids”. North relies primarily on anecdotal evidence,
taking us on a journey through his household life. He highlights how parenting has become more
challenging due to the “smartphone-era”, exercising his own rules and regulations upon his kids,
restricting them completely from accessing any form of technology in an effort to divert them
from what he believes is now a “cliché of society”. And while a daring endeavour, revealing the
trials and tribulations millennial parents undergo when facing the matter, it ultimately manages
to only convey the insecurities of a parent, as the wider conversation discusses the issue along
with the solutions at a much deeper level leaving no stone unturned.

North’s article serves a great purpose- to highlight the dangers of excessive smartphone
usage, and the various effects it has on kids and teens today. While that is a great primary
purpose, it inadvertently does something else- it provides insight into a millennial parent’s mind,
shedding light upon the insecurities and struggles one might face raising kids in this generation.
The article is thorough regarding North’s “regime” about managing his own kids. However, it
doesn’t accurately portray both sides of the coin, often exaggerating the effects to produce a
biased image in his favor. Not to take away from the fact that there is some truth to the
exaggerations, but the manner North conveys his points throughout the article, and with lack of
evidence, leaves his sense of uncertainty looming over the reader as well.

Firstly, he believes that parenting in today’s day and age is tedious, and having to go
against the pressure of society makes them “tyrants”. He believes that other parents who cave in
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to this pressure cause their kids to become too distracted by their smartphones to the point that it
ends up affecting their sociability, along with their physical and mental health. In order to
reassure himself regarding his own parenting methods, North further builds upon assumptions
about individuals lacking social skills and physical fitness, directly linking them to smartphone
usage. This is a false premise with no statistics to support the argument because there are most
definitely highly social individuals, and highly athletic individuals who are using phones as
means to extend their social presence in the electronic world, such as Olympic athletes at the
Olympic village who leverage the technology to socialize without impacting their fitness. By
utilizing hyperbole like such, North loses semblance of parallel comparisons which ultimately
makes him seem as a confused parent who is unsure if he is taking the right steps to handle the
situation- such as forcing the kids to stay away from technology by various means and
threatening to give out “extra chores” instead to scare his kids into complacency. As expected
from any parent who cares deeply about his children and their future, North wants to do
everything in his power to care for them and ensure their well being, even if that means
restricting them completely from technology.

“Parenting has always been challenging and has always involved difficult choices. No
one can prepare you for the sleepless nights, the constant emotional and physical demands, and
the pressure of making decisions that may mess up your kid for the rest of their life. How do we
best parent in the smartphone era? At what age should we say yes to these time-zapping
technological wonders that may make kids feel more connected and paradoxically more
isolated?” (North, 2018) asks North, who himself is not fully confident in his methods to raise
his kids. This uncertainty and insecurity seeps throughout his writing as the reader can sense it
from the beginning of the article, long before North caves in to accept the fact that parenting is
challenging in this era, and that he is not so sure if his choices are the correct ones.

North mentions that he intends to keep the “tyrannical regime going for as long as he can
so that the kids don’t end up spending five hours or more a day glued to their phones checking
up on social media” (North, 2018). While the notion of smartphone usage is exaggerated, the
lack of statistics to backup the information makes one think if North is just another paranoid
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parent. However, in order to provide context to North’s argument, a journal by the American
College of Pediatrics cited a 2010 study of media usage trends of two-thousand 8-18-year olds
by the Kaiser Family Foundation suggesting that the average child managed 7.5 hours of screen-
time per day. However, due to multitasking, they managed to cram 10.75 hours of media usage
into those 7.5 hours. The breakdown was as follows: 4.39 hours viewing television, 2.31 hours
listening to music, 1.29 hours using computers, and 1.13 hours playing video games (American
College of Pediatrics, 2016).

Another study by a UK telecommunications regulator, Ofcom, released the following

statistics as part of their study on Smartphone usage in the United Kingdom: 37% of adults and
60% of teens admit they are highly addicted to their Smartphone, 51% of adults and 65% of
teens say they have used their Smartphone while socializing with others, 23% of adults and 34%
of teens have used their Smartphone during mealtimes, and 22% of adult and 47% of teens
admitted using or answering their Smartphone while in the bathroom (Sarwar & Soomro, 2013).
These statistics from the wider conversation help support North’s claims that in today’s world,
teens are the most susceptible to the negatives of smartphone usage. If teens are addicted to
smartphones and are utilizing them for such long hours daily, it is not hard to see where North’s
concern stems from. However, it does become hard to believe North if he blatantly throws
around numbers or statements without studies to solidify his opinions.

North’s article is rife with information regarding the current trend in society, but
ultimately, it feels as though “Why we’ve said no to smartphones for our kids” was written to
highlight how he taught and instructed his kids to not use smartphones at all and stay away from
technology. He is seeking solace and common ground with his reader, wanting his method to be
accepted, despite him knowing that it may not be the correct approach. It is technology, not the
boogeyman. Part of North’s insecurity comes from the fact that while he is aware of the pitfalls
of technology, he fails to address any sort of distinction upon the types of usage, or the many
facets of addiction that might cause individuals to become obese, have sleeping problems,
perform worse in school, and engage in risky behaviors (American Academy of Pediatrics,
2016), or “check up on their social media every other second of the day” as he casually refers to
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it. There seems to be an underlying assumption that current society is shaping parents to
mindlessly give away smartphones to their young children without understanding its impact on
them.

However, the reason behind most parents providing smartphones to their kids nowadays
has more to do with the wider conversation, and the benefits of smartphone usage that North fails
to mention. The same smartphone that North believes adds stress to his life, can be used to
reduce stress in the school-work life. In today’s fast paced world, smartphones come with task
schedulers, enable users to interact with friends and family from anywhere around the world
promoting their social life (Sarwar & Soomro, 2013). It also allows us to interact, stay up-to-date
with the latest news and development in the political/social circles. The smart use of
Smartphones will increase your brain function instead of using the device only for entertainment.
It could be used to access useful information, and makes staying connected easier than ever,
keeping the social bonds active allowing reduced stress and promising social support (Sarwar &
Soomro, 2013).

Furthermore, smartphone usage within and without the classroom make it easier for
students and teachers to collaborate. Students on sick leave, or who miss school for other reasons
would be able to attend class through their smartphone and keep up with their work, rather than
falling behind due to unanticipated circumstances. Dictionaries, flash-cards, calculators, and
learning games built in to the smartphone help children study better and be more resourceful
when using the internet, along with the utilization of apps such as Blackboard, Kindle and Nook
which one can use to stay on top of class material and readings (Sarwar & Soomro, 2013). The
smartphones also enable distance learning which helps underprivileged students access
educational material, or provide students, in general, a way to utilize their time such that they can
continue their education without impacting their work and family life (Sarwar & Soomro, 2013).

Additionally, one of the bigger reasons for parents to provide smartphones to their kids is
for emergencies, and the usage of the GPS tool to track their whereabouts. Signing up for
services like Google Latitude, or Foursquare helps parents keep track of their children’s location
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at all times. Also, the GPS service can be used by the child to find their travel destinations in
case they lose track of their way. Apart from location services, if a child faces an emergency,
then the smartphone can be utilized to contact services such as 911, medical aid, or to contact the
parent. One call can potentially be the difference between life and death (Sarwar & Soomro,
2013). As a millennial parent, North is aware of these benefits. But, to make his method sound
more appealing, he decided to omit any such positive facts associated with smartphone usage,
and instead focused on the negatives to make his arguments.

However, as we read the final few lines North has to say to us, we realize that he himself
doubts his parenting method. “As they approach high school, we wonder if they will be
ostracized. Will they miss out on social get-togethers that are so often organized last minute with
texts? We hope their friendships will be stronger than that.” He succumbs to fault and realizes
that while this is something he can do temporarily while his kids are young, his method will
falter as his kids get into their mid and late teens, start earning, and start making their own
decisions. He is relying on the hope that his kids will have better judgement and good friends
who support their lifestyle.

What North has failed to realize is that removing technology from his kids’ lives is not
effective parenting. His current method doesn’t answer the question regarding how kids should
use smartphones. Instead, it completely ignores it, avoids it like a plague, and brute forces an
actual “tyrannical” regime. And in this sense, it is tyrannical and not humorous double-entendre.
To be a better parent, he must take on a more active role rather than completely preventing
technology use. The solution of technological age lies in the technology itself. Instead of outright
banning technology use in his household, he needs to regulate and monitor usage like a
responsible parent. It is important to educate the masses regarding the positive and negative
impact of smartphones so that they can use its capabilities smartly, unlike North, who fixes on
the negatives. Furthermore, there are several initiatives from different vendors to combat the
misuse of smartphones at workplaces and at universities. SAP, Air watch, MacAfee and many
other vendors provide solutions to control smartphone in offices and universities (Sarwar &
Soomro, 2013). Such measures are very useful in environments, where security of information is
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the top priority. These can also be useful in controlling the access of smartphones in universities
to minimize the use of social websites, misuse of smartphones for cyber bullying, cheating in
examinations and tests. These mobile management devices will also enable the administrators to
remotely control the access of these devices check what services are running on a specific device
(Sarwar & Soomro, 2013).

In conclusion, while North is able to initially highlight the issue regarding smartphone
usage for teenagers and kids, his bias and insecurities take over the flow and examples of his
articles. It is only from the wider conversation, that we can infer a much deeper understanding of
the topic and come up with solutions for millennial parents to combat the issue without feeling
stressed. It is important to look at, and educate ourselves regarding the positive aspects of
utilizing smartphones in a world that is constantly incorporating technology in everyday life,
instead of disregarding and shunning its use.

References

North, A. (2018, January 29). Why we've said no to smartphones for our kids. Retrieved March
28, 2018, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/why-my-wife-and-i-say-
no-to-smartphones-for-ourkids/article37745556/

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016, May 10). Why to Limit Your Child's Media Use.
Retrieved April 02, 2018, from https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-
life/Media/Pages/The-Benefits-of-Limiting-TV.aspx
In this article found at healthychildren.org, a website hosted by the American Academy of
the Pediatrics, and run by qualified pediatricians across America, we are provided with
interesting statistics that have been fact-checked and have been pulled off of actual studies
done by those qualified in the field. These facts are relevant as they are accurate and have
been picked out of actual research work done by professionals in order to be easily
accessed by parents who wish to inform themselves of effects of technology on children, as
well as find guidelines on how to better care for their kids.
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American College of Pediatrics. (2016, November 09). The Impact of Media Use and Screen
Time on Children, Adolescents, and Families. Retrieved April 02, 2018, from
https://www.acpeds.org/the-college-speaks/position-statements/parenting-issues/the-
impact-of-media-use-and-screen-time-on-children-adolescents-and-families
This article from the Parenting Issues section of the American College of Pediatricians’
website discusses the “Impact of Media Use and Screen Time on Children, Adolescents,
and Families”. This article puts together qualified research from professionals in the field
and highlights how visual media, excessive exposure to screens (TVs, tablets, smartphones,
PCs etc), especially at early ages, associates with lower academic performance, self-
esteem, and increased risk of obesity, behavior problems, aggression, and depression. It
highlights that parents, too, must limit their own screen time and improve their interaction
and engagement with their children as well, to ensure the safety of their kids.

Sarwar, M., & Soomro, T. R. (2013). Impact of Smartphone’s on Society. European journal of
scientific research, 98(2), 216-226.
The intention of this study is to investigate how Smartphones are impacting the
society and also how Smartphones are going to transform the culture, social life,
technology landscape and other diverse aspects of modern society. The intention of this
study is to understand all the positive and negative aspects of Smartphone on the society.
The study will primarily focus on impact of Smartphone on business, education, health
sectors, human psychology and social life. At the end, the study will summarize the impact
and conclude based on wide range of impacts that Smartphones have on society. The paper
will also recommend solutions, in order to reduce the negative impacts of Smartphones
and realizes more benefits of this exciting technology.