I’ve used this analogy before, but if I don’t have a pool in my backyard, no one can drown in it. In the same way, if my son doesn’t have social media, he cannot be bullied, humiliated, and belittled on social media. He can’t be obsessed with likes, comments, etc. He can’t feel less than because everyone else’s highlight reels look so fantastic.
I’m encouraged that more experts like Dr. Goldin are chiming in to encourage parents to hold off on giving their kids smartphones. I can only pray that with expert advice like his and other parents using their voices as I have used mine, we can all come together and be brave enough to make the right, if unpopular, choices when it comes to our kids, smartphones, internet use, and social media.
