Over the last few years I've used this space to call out some of the darker aspects of our modern, technological age, particularly as they relate to teen use of smartphones.
*social media apps as a platform for bullying
*the of the "I didn't even know they had apps that did that!" apps
*the correlation between screen time and reduced energy and productivity
But the attached article has some truly astonishing, and I must admit, frightening, research statistics. It's a four or five minute read, but I encourage you to read the whole thing, and pay attention.
Social withdrawal, depression, and suicide attempts - successful or not - are in a whole different league from "I fell asleep in math because I was up too late on my phone." I'll admit, I'm one of the first to pshaw such stats when it comes to my own kids. Clearly, these are other kids who aren't like my kids. My kids would never be susceptible to such dangers. And I'd venture to say I'm not the only one in that camp. But I have to say, I'm a little bit shook (teenspeak for rattled). We're reaching, or we're already at, a tipping point where we have to give some serious thought as to whether or not the negatives of our kids having unfettered access to cell phones outweighs the positive.
I don't know what the answer is yet, but at least you now know. And as the wise man once said, "Knowing is half..."
Well, you know.
Think about it.
Pastor Jason