Teens and Their Phones...

When working with teens, it sometimes still shocks me the look they get on their face when discussing their phones. It's a combination of fear and anger combined into one look. As someone who can still remember the bag cell phone, it is quite amazing how technology has changed over the years. Wow, now I really feel old! For parents trying to balance the progression of technology with their child, it can be like a mine field. It can be so difficult because phones are not just used for texting , they are also using it for school purposes (research, teacher websites, etc.).  Jodi Gold, a psychiatrist writes in her book "Screen-Smart Parenting" that at ages 11-14, children increase their screen time by 3 hours. If you consider multitasking, this increases by 4 hours. This means with this age group, they are using screens 8 hours and 40 minutes a day, with 12 hours of exposure! More importantly for teens, this is their primary communication with their peers. The phone has replaced the mall. This is why often you will be shocked as a parent their response to having phone privileges lost. I highly recommend reading Dr. Gold's book along with this article: http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/2014-8-19-when-come-between-teens-and-phones