Have you given your child a mobile phone?

[Earl Aelfheah]

I?m fairly sure they don?t need a phone. It?s also arguably the case that carrying a phone makes them less safe. I would like to see all schools banning them personally.

[Orange owl]

If you don't want them to have a phone don't give them one if you do do

[Earl Aelfheah]

Yeah, that's fair enough, except if they're bringing them to school then that does effect everyone else. I can't see any good reason for kids to have mobiles in school personally.

[Jules-and-Boo]

yes - and I almost wish I hadn't.

I have to continually go on about restricting its use and the effect it has on sleep (SO easy to just keep chatting to friends).

My girls are finally putting them down before bedtime and sleep is improving, with all it's positive on-effects.

It has been an uphill struggle.

I suppose a generation ago, parents were nagging their kids about TV, but this is much more consuming - exposure to marketing/ media/ fake photos and bad body images.

Sites explored by my girls/ their friends include suicide sites(that's really popular among teens, btw as a boredom-buster but sadly too attractive); eating disorder sites; porn (yes - of the joys)...

They are not just snap-chatting, as if that's not bad enough.

Kids need mental stimulation in order to develop their brains - literally. Killing time by social media is NOT going to achieve that.

[Jules-and-Boo]

I actually took my daughter to a doctor as she was worried about her moods and couldn't get any context.

He basically told her to eat properly, go to the gym more often and sleep properly - AND PUT HER DEVICES DOWN

and that would improve everything.

The mental health issues that follow lack of sleep, lack of stimulation, lack of exercise are too real.