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Deadly Smartphones
Is the addiction to smartphones killing our kids?
Nine-year-old Heaven Vega was found dead by her mother on Saturday February 16, 2019. She hung herself after arguing with her mother earlier that morning about using her cell phone. Her Mom told her it was too early to use the phone. Read the full story in the New York Post here.
Tragedies like this continue to happen with young children when they are denied access to their electronic devices. It should come as no surprise that young kids are so addicted to their electronic devices that they feel the need to escape if those devices are taken from them because adults are just as addicted.
Some people can leave home and forget their wallet or purse, money etc. and continue on to work but if they forget the smartphone then they immediately turn around and go get it even if it means being late or stuck in traffic.
For some, a smartphone is like an appendage. When one does not have it, he or she feels like they are missing an arm or leg. We have a tendency to gravitate towards our phones whenever there is a moment of down time. Without our phones, we become impatient when we do not have anything to occupy that down time.
Maybe it’s time we give our electronics, especially smartphones, a time out. You can now track your screen time on Iphones. Make it a goal to decrease that screen time every week. Replace time surfing the internet, playing videogames, or watching television with an hour or two outside each day or pursuing a hobby. We need to make a conscious effort to create a culture that values and encourages time away from electronics. We need to do it for ourselves and for our children.
