our oldest (15) didnt get a phone until about 13. Middle (10) has an apple watch for the phone function, 7 year old doesnt have a phone. They all have macbooks, ipads, etc.
our internet goes on for them at 6am, turns off at 7am. They have to be dressed, ready for school, brushed teeth etc, before they start at 6am. I have never had to wake my kids up for school in their lives.
They get internet again at night from 7:30-8:30 once all their work is done (reading a chapter in a book, math one grade level higher, foreign language, music). They function as a team so they all need to be done before any of them can start doing electronics.
When I was a kid (12-17) I was addicted to one of the first online graphical role playing games in the country (80s PLATO system - avatar). My dad was a CS professor so I had easy access to the network terminals. He would never have one in our house as he had phd students drop out as a result of being addicted to the game. He constantly reminded me it was better to write the game than to be addicted to the games.
At some point I just outgrew them and I periodically try to play them, but they are so shallow compared to real life I cant get addicted again.
I think as long as kids have plenty of "real life" activities that they love, they will be able to enjoy the internet in moderation.
The kids that really struggle are the ones whose parents dont help them to cultivate real world passions and success so they just spend all their free time online.
our internet goes on for them at 6am, turns off at 7am. They have to be dressed, ready for school, brushed teeth etc, before they start at 6am. I have never had to wake my kids up for school in their lives.
They get internet again at night from 7:30-8:30 once all their work is done (reading a chapter in a book, math one grade level higher, foreign language, music). They function as a team so they all need to be done before any of them can start doing electronics.
When I was a kid (12-17) I was addicted to one of the first online graphical role playing games in the country (80s PLATO system - avatar). My dad was a CS professor so I had easy access to the network terminals. He would never have one in our house as he had phd students drop out as a result of being addicted to the game. He constantly reminded me it was better to write the game than to be addicted to the games.
https://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2013/11/game-124-avatar-1979...
At some point I just outgrew them and I periodically try to play them, but they are so shallow compared to real life I cant get addicted again.
I think as long as kids have plenty of "real life" activities that they love, they will be able to enjoy the internet in moderation.
The kids that really struggle are the ones whose parents dont help them to cultivate real world passions and success so they just spend all their free time online.