Speaker 1: And we are back with another edition of the Federalist
Radio Hour. I'm Matt Kittle, Senior Elections correspondent at The
Federalist and your experienced Shirpa on today's quest for Knowledge.
As always, you can email the show at radio at
the Federalist dot com, follow us on x at FDR LST,
make sure to subscribe wherever you download your podcast, and
of course to the premium version of our website as well.
Our guest today is Claire Morrell, fellow at the Ethics
and Public Policy Center. Her new book, The Tech Exit,
A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones,
offers some very timely help to families looking for a
screen detox. Claire, thank you so much for joining us
in this edition of the Federalist Radio Hour.
Speaker 2: Thanks so much for having me.
Speaker 1: You bet. It's a fascinating book, and we will delve
into that momentarily. But I would like to begin with
a recent US Supreme Court decision that I think is
so important because, let's face it, as parents, we know
what a cesspool the internet can be. With all of
the good that it has offered, it certainly has offered
its share of awful too. The US Supreme Court late
last month, at the end of its term, upheld a
Texas law requiring consumers to provide age verification in order
to gain access to commercial websites that, frankly our pornographic
in nature, provides sexually explicit material. It was the first
time that the Court has imposed requirements on adult consumers
in order to protect minors from having such access. It
is worth noting that the majority opinion was six' three.
Claire that means that three of our justices said it's
a burden or too much of a burden to require
these porn pedlers to verify the age of the people
going on to their. Sites what do you think about
The Supreme court decision what it ultimately.
Speaker 3: Means, now this is a, huge huge win for parents
and families and children Across america because it made really
clear that these age verification laws they are. Constitutional it
does not place an undue burden on adult privacy and.
Speech that's what the court. Ruled they said this is
to be viewed under intermediate scrutiny because the burden on
adult speech is only, incidental and they really tried to distinguish,
listen these these laws are not banning any type of
Con they're not saying that adults can't post or access
this type of. Content it's just saying you have to
prove you're an adult to access this. Content so the
case is all about access and just restricting children's access to,
obscendee which again the court recognized states have a compelling
interest to protect children from this obscene. Material and the
opinion was very explicit that it said adults don't have
A First amendment right to a void age, verification that
we have accepted these laws in the real world in
brick and mortar, stores and it's just applying those to
the online. Space so it's a common sense solution that
both really does protect adult privacy and. Speech they just
have to verify their inn adults and importantly puts an
effective hurdle in place to make sure that children aren't
accessing this. Content AND i can tell you a lot
of children are exposed to these pornography websites on. Accident
they click on a link through social media or a search,
engine and they don't realize where they're going and it
just immediately because there's no age, verification they're exposed to
all the subscene. Content and so it places a really
effective and important hurdle so that even if a child
were to click on a link, accidentally they're not suddenly
exposed to this extremely obscene.
Speaker 1: CONTENT i don't understand the argument against. THIS i, mean
we all know that there are age restrictions on buying,
cigarettes on buying, alcohol all kinds of age restrictions from
state to state across the, country and they're unified at
the federal level in different. Areas why would this be an.
Speaker 2: Exception, no it shouldn't.
Speaker 3: Be AND i think critically this, decision and this was
noted in the oral, Arguments Justice gorsich kept making this
point that we don't want one constitutional regime that governs
the real world and a different constitutional regime that governs
the online. World our goal should be to make those.
Speaker 2: As equal as.
Speaker 3: Possible and so What i've noted in PIECE i wrote
about this case The National review was that this case
critically brings the virtual world into alignment.
Speaker 2: With the real.
Speaker 3: World this law that has been you, know these laws
have been in existence in the brick and mortar world
honestly since like the nineteen, fifties and we're just catching
up to say we have to have this in the
online world, too which is where most children are encountering.
Pornography they're not going to brick and mortar, Stores they're
stumbling across it online and so it's critically. Important and you,
know the court addresses the internet has, changed even just
in the last twenty years that now ninety five percent
of teens have. Smartphones where it's too. Easy there are
too many portals to the online. World it's impossible to
put this all on. Parents we don't have.
Speaker 2: Parents we don't tell.
Speaker 3: Parents it's your job to run around and make sure
every store in town doesn't sell, alcohol, tobacco or obscenity
to your. Kids and this is the same for the virtual.
World parents should not have to try to effectively shut
down every possible access point to a pornography. Website it
should be on those sites to verify that the people
accessing their material are adults and not. Children and that's
what this decision.
Speaker 1: Does that's very. Interesting i'm curious what you think about
what it says this. Decision moving, forward with the cases
yet to come before The court on where The internet
and the regulation of The internet, goes we know that
with the birth of The information Super. HIGHWAY i don't
know if you know, this but Al gore created it
many years. Ago we still have a good chuckle on
that about the former vice president and presidential candidate and
perhaps his overstatement on his initial involvement in the. Process
all of that, said When congress was talking about the
open use in the public domain of The, internet it
wanted to create a pretty wide birth at the time
because of concerns, about you, know over zealous restrictions on
The First. Amendment much has, changed, though has it not
in the last thirty plus years since we've gone beyond
My space and all of these other original creations of The.
Internet where do you think this court case suggests that
we're going in terms of regulating and changing the laws
on that.
Speaker 3: Front, Yeah i'm hopeful that it means good. THINGS i
think at at the, minimum it made extremely clear that
states have over passed these age verification, laws but it
also left open other options to states to protect children
from online. Obscenity that was one of the critical pieces
of this decision was by applying intermediate, scrutiny the court
was now setting aside the least restricted means, test which
if a law is treated under strict, scrutiny you have
to prove it's the least restrictive means means for obtaining that,
outcome because you don't want to burden adult. Speech so
setting aside the least restricted means test and opening up
intermediate scrutiny is incredible for a state's ability to regulate
in this area because now they could actually take multiple
approaches to protecting children from online. Obscenity they don't have
to prove that one build a path is the least restrictive.
Means there's now other options that they could. Pursue and,
so you, know age verification for porn sites is obviously
a very common sense. Solution but what the court recognized
is that states need to be able to govern and
legislate in this, area and they said that nuance of
balancing adult rights with this compelling interest to protect children
requires intermediate scrutiny so that states can explore other options
that would balance those rights in order to protect. Children
and So i'm actually hoping that this court case decision
really opens a path for states to pursue and explore
more options that they may have not even been considering
given the past legal hurdles they had to, overcome and
so the application of intermediate. SCRUTINY i can't over state
enough just how critical that is to giving states much
more flexibility in this area and also To. CONGRESS i
would really love to See congress pass a federal age
verification for porn site's. Law this case just makes it
very clear that that type of law is. Constitutional SO
i don't know what more Mandate congress needs to take
up the solution so that we have this protection, nationwide
not just state by. State and twenty four states have
passed these. Laws it's not Just. Texas that is nearly
half the, country and so it really provides a path
forward for all those laws to be, upheld for more
states to pass these, laws and, then AS i mentioned in,
general just give more states flexibility and trying to regulate
the internet in terms of protecting, kids especially from online.
Obscenity that states will now have more options to.
Speaker 1: Pursue that's interesting because you, know we think about this
as A texas, case but it really is a case
for every state out there that is considering or has
one of these laws in. Place as you, mentioned almost
half the states do very meaningful moving forward in terms
of state by state legislation and as you, say congressional
legislation weighing into. This with all of that, said we
know the pitfalls and potholes of the, internet access to,
it and more than, that as we have expanded the
use of these little devices next to, us that are
constantly around, us it has become more and more difficult
to get away from. Them your, book once, Again The Tech,
EXIT A Practical guide To Freeing kids And teens From,
artphones is all about this brave new world that we've
been existing in now for for several. Years and you,
know kids place in that brave new. World what inspired,
YOU i guess to delve into this.
Speaker 2: Topic, no that's a great.
Speaker 3: Question so my research and policy work the last almost
five years now has focused on protecting kids from online,
harms and you, know looking at just solutions like we
just discussed age verification for pornography, websites parntal consent for social,
media just laws that would actually just help us better
protect our. Kids but in my, WORK i would frequently
interact with parents and they would always ask, Me, okay
based on your, research what SHOULD i do for my own?
Kids SHOULD i give them a? Smartphone when CAN i
let them on social? Media and the ANSWER i gave
them was from my, RESEARCH i had been convinced THAT
i would not be letting my own children have access
to smartphones or so social, media that the harms were that.
Bad the screen time limits and prontal controls sold to
parents by the tech companies as the, solution the kind
of moderate approach of let your kids use our, technology
you can mitigate all the harms with our screen time
limits and prontal controls was not. True from the research
THAT i was, seeing these controls were not fully, effective
and the screen time limits were not sufficient to mitigate
the extremely addictive design of the. Platforms that the screen
time limit does not map on to a child's mental
or emotional time spent in the virtual world that They
it creates a constant craving for more because of the dopamine,
released and so no time limit was ever, enough and
even a short amount of time each day could create
a very strong compulsion change the child's, behavior their mood
revolving around the time that they could get back onto that.
App and SO i recognize THOUGH i had young, kids
they were five and, under and these parents often had.
Teenagers you, KNOW i had not the experience to, say
this is how he made it through the teen, years you,
know withholding smartphones in social, media and SO i set
out to write this book to prove that a smartphone
free childhood is actually. POSSIBLE i was really wanting to
just prove it to, myself since this is WHAT i
wanted to. Do BUT i really had become convinced from
my research that a smartphone free childhood was. Necessary BUT
i wanted to, understand you, know is it possible to do,
that and if, so how had families done? This and
so my Book The Tech exit is a result of
all of that, research those interviews with dozens of families
and hundreds MORE i heard of who have actually success
successfully opted out of smartphones and social media during childhood
and even.
Speaker 2: Through the teen.
Speaker 3: Years and so this book offers parents a very practical
roadmap how to reverse course if you've already given your
children these screens like smartphones or social. Media just successful
steps for how to detox from these, devices but then
how to keep going over the long.
Speaker 2: TERM i realize it sounds.
Speaker 3: Daunting to imagine a childhood where your children don't have
smartphones like, ever like pushing that off until adulthood can seem,
daunting but so many families have done. This it's actually
a growing movement of. Parents it was, extremely extremely encouraging
to speak with these, families and SO i distill the
kind of key commitments and principles that these families adopted
to help them successfully exit these addictive screen technologies during.
Childhood and that is the result the book is the
tech exit is the result of all the research in those,
interviews and SO i would just encourage parents that it's
never too, late and THAT i think often the challenges
and hurdles to a smartphone free childhood seem greater than
they actually. Are AND i kind of address all of
those maybe common misconceptions in the book and kind of
explain how these families did. This AND i invite other
families then to join with these families who are saying
no to screens and to recognize that the tech exit
is fundamentally really a positive. No that they're saying no
to these addictive screens was saying yes so much more
in the real, world and these children are, Flourishing their
childhoods are not boring or dull as you may as
you may perceive to think, that, oh these kids off,
screens they must be so introverted or, weird or you,
know just having very boring, childhood and it's quite the.
Opposite they're extremely. Engaged they have, real meaningful, friendships and
they are pursuing lives of really true flourishing off of the.
Screens and SO i hope that this message will reach
parents Across america and just give them really the courage
and the hope that they need to pursue this, lifestyle
the courage to say, no and just the hope that
this is actually the best thing you could do for your,
child and it's actually more possible to do it than
you may.
Speaker 4: Realize why has the housing market absolutely? Tanked The watchdout
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Speaker 2: Financially be.
Speaker 4: Informed check out the watchdot On Wall street podcast With
Chris markowski On, Apple spotify or wherever you get your.
Speaker 1: Podcasts, well you, know you bring up a good. POINT
i think about WHAT covid taught, us among many. Things
we've spent years in isolation in many, ways you, know
some had it worse than, others obviously depending on where you.
Were but that became such a time of you, know,
dependency even more dependency on these devices and electronic, devices
these these smartphones and in these kinds of. Ways and
it was in it was and remains an artificial way of.
Connecting AND i, think among other things that the pandemic,
DID i think this reliance in this isolation with smartphone
technology really made us disconnected as a. Race and and
so THEN i think about that and how much more
it has become so part Of american, life AND i
think it is daunting for for some some. Parents you,
know as a, parent a dad of three, kids all,
teens NOW I i have we've gone through these kinds of.
Battles but it sounds like from your book you have
multiple examples of how you replace. This you, know this
what can feel, like you, know an addictive drug for.
Kids so let's walk through some of those steps and
the experiences that the families you talked to.
Speaker 3: Had, yeah SO i try to encourage parents that just
start with a thirty day digital. DETOX i think sometimes
doing this over the long haul can seem, Like, okay
that's a really big. Decision we're not sure we can do.
That just test it out for thirty. Days and WHAT
i will say Is i'm not going to sugarcoat. It
the first few days and weeks will feel really challenging
because these screens actually have addictive, effects and children can
go through symptoms of. Withdrawal they can be more, irritable,
moody and just and kind of depressed because you've taken
the screen away because there is such a strong compulsion towards.
It but just replacing that with your own time and
attention and screen free activities is. Possible and so these
families really committed to doing this thirty. Days the first
few days or weeks may have been a lot more parental,
involvement but then what happens is they kind of pushed
through this point of resistance and kids creativity and their
ability to play independently starts to come. Back they actually
stop asking for the, screens their habits are reshaped and.
Reformed Doctor, Dunkley Victoria dunkley wrote a, Book Reset Your Child's.
Brain she's a medical doctor and she was treating kids
in her practice for symptoms of autism AND, adhd and
what she found was often screens were just mimicking or
exacerbating those, symptoms and that taking the screens away for
some kids resolved their symptoms. Entirely they didn't actually have
autism OR. Adhd these screens had induced this kind of
state of hyper arousal of their nervous system that was
mimicking those. Conditions and then for children who really truly
did HAVE adhd or, autism just taking the screens away
for thirty days cut their symptom in. Half and so
what she says in her book is that it takes
that kind of amount of, time thirty, days to really
help a child's developing nervous system, reset but it's.
Speaker 2: Possible it's possible.
Speaker 3: For their nervous system to, reset their habits to be.
Reshaped and what these families say is when they made
it to thirty, days they saw these benefits in their
kid that they didn't even know were, possible that they
were just pleasantly, surprised BECAUSE i think so many parents
can't picture dealing with a difficult child without a. Screen you,
know it becomes an easy way to calm them down
just handing them a. Device but when you take it
away and you kind of push through that point of,
resistance your child comes out the other side of this
detox much, STRONGER i, mean a much more flourishing, child
free of the kind of dependence and addiction to the.
Screens with their nervous system, reset their habits, reshaped their
brain can really actually rewire, itself especially the younger they,
are the more plastic the. Brain and so reading these
stories about these families who, detoxed diving into the science
behind a detox totally convinced me that at a, minimum
any family can try a thirty day detox and see
the results for yourself and then let those positive results
spur you on to keep. Going and that's what most
of these families have, done is then they took that
and adopted that lifestyle. Permanently AND i then walk through
the kind of five key principles or commitments of these
families that helped them go over the long, term even
through the teen years even through high. School same note
as smartphones and social. Media and so just, BRIEFLY i
can't unpack and full what each of these chapters deals
into in the, book but at a high level THAT
i try to help readers remember these principles with an
acronym which is feast, feast and that's in contrast to
the digital fast from. Screens so if you detox from
the screens for thirty, days.
Speaker 2: What do you re. Enter you re enter a.
Speaker 3: Feast and SO i wanted parents to have as positive
vision as the guiding, principles and so those briefly they
stand FOR f stands for find other. FAMILIES i, mean
this was just, critical both or and. Other with the
FAMILIES i spoke, to they said they were able to
find just one or two other families who also were
committed to not giving their kids smartphones or social, media
and that allowed their children to have a few with
their peers who also weren't on these technologies and parents
to have allies to encourage them and keep them going
when they may base base points of resistance or encounter.
Challenges and that just felt like having those that kind
of camaraderie of doing this with a few other families
creating these kind of counter communities resisting these things together
was really helpful and keeping this lifestyle sustainable for the longer.
TERM e stands for, educate exemplify or, sorry, educate explain and,
Exemplify and this chapter is really about trying to explain
to your children why you have these tech, restrictions that
these aren't just restrictions handed down from on. High but
there was a lot of conversations that the parents had
with their, kids trying to educate them for themselves on
the harms of the digital technologies so that they're actually
prepared to face them as, adults explaining the rationale behind those,
decisions and then exemplifying the kind of responsible technology use
you'd want your children to have as. Parents AND i
think you, know this is very convicting to a lot of,
parents but we all often struggle with addiction to our own,
devices and so just asking ourselves if how we are
using a smartphone is really how we'd want our child
to be using a smartphone as an, adult and thinking
about what we're modeling for them and explaining and having
lots of conversations around. That and SO i think a
common myth is, OH i JUST i need to give
them a smartphone when they're young SO i can train
them on it to use it health in healthy ways an.
Adult but that is actually the. Opposite giving a child
a powerful technology too young before they're really mature enough
to handle that can really undermine their ability to develop
the skills to use it wisely as an. Adult it
hinders their development of self control and emotional. Regulation but,
instead as we have in other areas of our, life
we recognize some things harmful or dangerous for a child to,
operate so we, explain we talk to them about, it
and we model what a healthy use of that looks
like as an. Adult so like alcohol would be a
prime example of. That parents modeling a healthy use of,
alcohol having conversations with their children about. It you, know
we're not giving alcohol to young, children but we're training
them about, it and it should be the same with the.
Smartphone and so that's WHAT i saw in these. Families
they were very intentional in having conversations and modeling that as,
parents and that actually then led their children and their
grown children when they went off to college to really
if they ended up getting smartphones or social, media be
able to recognize in themselves when they were using it too.
Much they were much more able to self regulate towards
a healthy use of it than their peers who had
grown up on, smartphones who had a a lot of
just dependence and addictive behaviors towards the. Phones because if
you grow up and you form your habits without, it
you don't have the same dependence on. It you've actually
lived life from zero to eighteen without a. Smartphone you're
actually able to function without it in. Ways that really
always kind of serve as a guiding force for kids
then to recognize if they're using it too, much because
they know.
Speaker 2: What life looked like without, it so that's really.
Speaker 3: CRITICAL a this short kind of quick Chapter Adopt, ALTERNATIVES
i just try to inform parents about all the great
alternative phones that are now available instead of a SMART
i think a lot of parents genuinely give a child
a first smartphone because they are trying to fulfill a
communication need.
Speaker 2: On the part of that.
Speaker 3: Child but there's better options available now that don't have
an internet browser or social media or online gaming that
can still be used as a tool to talk or.
Text some of them many of them actually have LIKE,
gps other tools that you might want a child to
begin to be able to, use especially if they're, driving
but none of the addictive.
Speaker 2: Apps or internet.
Speaker 3: Browser and SO i give examples of how the families
then delayed the age of first cell, phone and then
when they did get a, phone adopted one of these
alternatives like the gab phone or bark phone or pinwheel
phone or wise. Phone there's actually many options out there
now for. PARENTS s stands for set up digital accountability
in the home and family screen, rules and this principle
is just one of these families just practiced really technological
transparency in their. Home so even when a child does
get a first email account or first dumb phone where
they're texting or communicating with their friends on it that
there was no kind of expectation of absolute privacy of
a child's communication, channels but that there was openness between
the children's channels of communication and the parents that the,
parents if they wanted, to could check that email account
or check those text messages to make sure their children
weren't getting into something dangerous or inappropriate that they shouldn't.
Be and so it doesn't mean that parents are constantly
surveilling their, kids but that there is an expectation of digital,
accountability and most of the family said that in itself
was the protection for their. Kids just knowing that mom
Or dad could check it really kept them from getting
into dangerous. Things and then the family screen rules that
these families all had in common was that screen use
was always public and, purposeful that if a child needed
to access The internet on the family, computer it was
done in a public place and for a specific purpose
that anyone else in the household could see. Into because
these families are not anti, tech they're actually for a
very intentional use of, technology and they recognize smartphones and
social media are powerful and addictive technologies that don't belong in.
Childhood but they are proactively training their kids on how
to use computers and The internet as a tool the
way it was meant to be, used and that's by
having it be used in a way that's public and.
Purposeful and then any screen entertainment like a television in
the home always used in a way that was sparing
and shared and so not a daily. Habit but they would,
enjoy you, know watching a football game on the weekend
or a family movie night on A friday, night and
it was always an activity that was done together BECAUSE
i think sadly often the way screens are used in
homes are dividing family. Relationships each member turns to their
own screen for their own individualized, entertainment and these families
really pushed back against, that having a large communal screen
used for entertainment in a way that was shared and
bringing the family closer. Together and then the last point
was just tea trade screens for real life responsibilities and.
Pursuits and this was the most fun chapter to, write,
honestly just what these families had filled childhood with instead
real life hobbies, sports you, know, music, reading playing, outside
all the THINGS i think about if anyone just, pictures you,
know if you think of childhood and like the idyllic,
childhood those are the activities that you think, of and
that's what these kids are. Doing BUT i will say
even more importantly than, that it wasn't just replacing kids
screens with activities or, hobbies but also really helping kids
take on more. Responsibilities that there was an intentionality of
kids learning to do chores or tasks around the home
to be a contributor and a producer to the family
and taking on responsibilities that would actually help children progress
towards adulthood and develop the skills that we would all
want our children to, have whereas screens really stunt those.
Skills and so just the emphasis in these families towards,
service serving each other first in the home and then
actually helping a child take on more responsibilities to serve
their broader, community their, church their, school their local. Neighborhood
and so it was really inspiring because these kids instead
of being so self, focused BECAUSE i, mean the smartphone
is just inherently self focused. Device it makes you just
focus on, yourself your own individualized, entertainment projecting yourself out
to social media to be you, know reviewed by your.
Peers it's all about your own kind of self, expression self.
Entertainment these teens are experiencing the. Opposite they're very others
focused by learning to serve their families and their. Communities
and what a powerful antidote that is to the teen
anxiety that we see that has come through the. Smartphones
that when you're thinking about other, people you're really not
very worried or anxious about. Yourself and so that was
very inspiring to see in these.
Speaker 1: Families it's, interesting you KNOW i think About i'm of
a certain age WHERE i grew up without The. INTERNET
i grew up without small. Screens, now obviously we had
a couple of TVs in the, house AND i certainly
watched my share of, Television but that idealic childhood you
talk about is something that is always front of mind for,
me and as one of the great blessings of my.
Life you, KNOW i was a WHEN i, was you,
know in elementary school through middle. School in the, SUMMERTIME
i thought of nothing but baseball and basketball and you,
know hanging out with my, friends riding my, bike you,
know and that was the. Life AND i guess that's
the question THAT i, have is that with a generation
that has grown up knowing nothing but screens all around,
them even if they are, not you, know part of,
that because their families have taken this, track AND i
think it's very, Admirable but how do they ultimately relate
to the others around, them the vast majority of these
kids who are growing up so connected to their. Smartphones,
no it's.
Speaker 2: A really important.
Speaker 3: Question i'm glad you asked, it and it's SOMETHING i
do bring. Up is, that, unfortunately the harms of social
media and smartphones are not just individual they actually a
group level effects because what you just, said they change
the entire social, environment even for the kids that aren't
on social. Media if this is how everyone is relating
is through the, apps and so it's a big part
of actually the REASON i advocate for public policy. Solutions
Things i've advocated for are just raising the age of social,
media pushing it back towards sixteen or even. Eighteen the
country Of australia did, this they banned social media for
kids under. Sixteen because what you're recognizing is there is
a collective element to the, harm which requires collective. Solutions
the same way we've age restricted other technologies out of
childhood that we've recognized are too harmful and too powerful
for a child to. USE i mean motor, vehicles, firearms
these all have age restrictions to, them and SO i
similarly have advocated that for smartphones and social media because
of the dangers that they cause not just to the,
individual but to the collective group as a. Whole BUT
i will encourage, parents we can also find these collective solutions.
Ourselves and so while public policy is one way to
provide collective, Solutions i'm encouraged AS i wrote these stories
in the book of families who are finding the creating
these kind of counter communities in their local. Area ONE
i talk about one neighborhood where the moms on the
street just started talking to each other about the kind
of childhood they wanted for their, kids and they, said
we want our kids to be riding bikes and playing
outside with each, other and agreeing on that common vision
really created a very vibrant community on the street where
the consensus is that kids are playing, outside not on.
Phones and you know that mom, said there's a couple
parents on the street that share their tech restrictions that
don't allow their kids to have. Smartphones but there's actually
other families on the street that their kids do use,
phones but it's not now the de facto go to
out activity because they've created this culture where kids are
playing outside and that becomes so appealing to even the
other kids who do have screens that they want to
go outside and play. Too and so just the kind
of HOPE i would hold out to parents is that
we can be the change that we want to see
by conspiring together with other parents in our, community in our,
churches in our schools and trying to get a group
of parents to agree on this positive, vision even if
we don't all land in the exact same places on
the tech. Restrictions pursuing a community that is really trying
to embrace a real, life in person. Childhood giving our
children real life relationships and friendships is a really powerful
antidote that pushes back against the kind of pressures towards
screens during. Childhood and what that mom said about her
street is now the other parents are kind of, like
don't be that parent to get your kid a. Smartphone
like we have this great thing, going you, know don't
be the parents to kind of bring smartphones into this.
Speaker 2: Community so, SCHOOLS.
Speaker 3: I also address a whole chapter in the book towards
what schools can do because they are also really powerful
in providing these collective. Solutions we see increasingly schools going phone,
free bell to, bell smartphone bands from the school, day
that even just removing phones from the entire schoolchool day
can change the social environment at school that it's not
just banned during class, periods but it's banned from bell to,
Bell and so it's not just children's learning environment that's,
protected but the social environment during the school day is
then not about what's happening on the apps or the text,
messages that they're actually in person together during the school.
Day so there's just a couple examples of the kind
of collective solutions that can help push back against the
dynamics that you're talking, about where even the kids who
aren't on the apps can be affected if everybody else
is socializing through these. Apps and so JUST i want
to encourage parents on the front lines that you can
be the change in your local. Community talk to other.
Parents that was what the whole CHAPTER i, Mentioned find
other families is just like all the different ideas and
ways that you can get other parents on board with this.
Speaker 2: Vision and then also talk to your.
Speaker 3: School if your school has not adopted a bell to
bell phone, BAN i would just point.
Speaker 2: You to that chapter of the.
Speaker 3: BOOK i present all the evidence for how affective these
have been in all the districts and states that are
adopting these. Policies and then, finally the last chapter the
book does talk about these policy solutions that parents you,
know can advocate for to their legislators to say these
are the kinds of solutions that they want to see
to really help push smartphones in social media out of
childhood at a higher.
Speaker 1: Level definitely strengthen numbers with something like, this where it
is so, prevalent it is everywhere we. TURN i can't
help but think of a funny scenario and image in
my mind where you have a bunch of, kids you,
know six seventh, graders eighth, graders out on a playground
and they're all stuck to their smartphones their, screens and
a kid walks out with a baseball and starts tossing
it in the, air and all of a sudden it
catches their attention and they, say what's that new? Technology
so this is a baseball, Here i'll show you you
can hit it. Too oh, wow that's. COOL i think
we've reached that point in our society, fortunately where maybe
is definitely time we rediscover what was so good about
being alive and being alive in the moment without all
of these diversions that we've had over the last several. Years,
well it is a fascinating, book a timely, book AND
i think there will be a lot of parents who
will SAY i could definitely use the. HELP i appreciate
you joining, Us claire on this edition of The Federalist Radio.
Speaker 2: Hour thanks so much for having.
Speaker 1: Me absolutely thanks to my guest again, Today Claire, morrell
fellow at The ethics And Public Policy center and author
of The Tech Exit Practical guide to freeing kids and
teens from. Smartphones it's time to Detoc you've been listening
to another edition of The Federalist Radio. Hour i'm At,
Kittle Senior elections correspondent At The. Federalist we'll be back
soon with. More until, then stay lovers of freedom and
anxious for the fray