Kids with smart phones

A friend of mine posted a meme listing the bad things about giving a kid a smart phone. That you steal their boredom, which might prompt them to be creative. To pick up a guitar or a paint brush. Or even a ukulele.

It got me thinking about how we blame so many of our ills on such easy targets. Phones are ubiquitous so it's easy to think that they're a problem.

I wouldn’t have met the person who made the original post had it not been for my phone and computer being internet capable.

If you’re reading this I’m not trying to beat a dead horse or make you feel bad, it just got me to thinking, and then to writing.

A lot of people blame smart phones for damaging our kids. That they will somehow grow up to be less realistic in their goals and expectations. That they’re less willing to work at a job they don’t like for less money than they feel they deserve.

Jodi Foster was raked over the coals because she said young people are a pain in the ass to work with in show business. She went on to say that young people have learned their value. That they know how to say no.

Someone being a pain in your ass might just be an expression of their healthy self esteem and I'm pretty sure that's what Jodi Foster was saying.

Phones are blamed for the coming generation’s bad mental health. Or is it because we’re able to see what their lives are like because they’re allowed unmoderated communication? The kids coming up today are not a silent generation.

I’m not saying there are no down sides to kids having phones, but I think we’re not able to see the good as easily because we need to get our eyes checked. Because we’re old.

We were bored when we were young and it made us the awesome people we turned out to be. We were told to suck it up and quit crying, or we’d be given something to cry about. We weren’t able to tell the world how we felt and it shows.

So if you’re worried about your kid, gather them in your arms and give them a hug. Whisper that you love them. Or just send them a text with a heart and a hug emoji. It’s less awkward that way.