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Kevin Guiney P.Log. CCLP's avatar

When our kids were growing up, we never had this much tech to contend with. In our day, we had a landline phone, we had to manage for a time before pagers, because when I was on-call for my job, you had to literally be by your phone and have it availble, so we had restrictions on times with friends on the phone. When pagers came in, then it didn't matter. Writing this, I feel like I'm from the dark ages...but on the upside, I've seen the evolution from the slide rule to the calculator to where we are today. On parenting, leadership as a parent has always mattered, be it drinking responsibly, watching the cuss words, and making sure that you did your best to walk the talk. Fantastic piece Dhani, another great resource for parents coping with today's tech.

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Dhani Ramadhani's avatar

What a great reflection, Kevin! Definitely not the dark ages, just a different rhythm. I grew up in Indonesia, and for many of us, there was more of a leapfrog effect with tech. Where you saw the gradual shift from landlines to pagers to smartphones, it all felt much more compressed on my end.

Now, I blink and feel like I’ve already missed the next big thing. Maybe we’d all benefit if tech did slow down a little. 🤷‍♀️

Just trying to stay honest and open in this parenting journey. Thanks so much for reading and sharing.

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V S Uma's avatar

Hey

Very good article for today’s parents.

It’s a challenge for parents in this AI era .

Given the inquisitive nature added to this screen magic in our life it’s a tough tack to streamline children’s thoughts to a focused direction

👌🏼

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Dhani Ramadhani's avatar

Thank you 🙏 sometimes it’s hard to acknowledge that parents struggle too with screen time. And most definitely a challenging time for parents all around.

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V S Uma's avatar

True true

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Courtney Hart's avatar

I do a lot of parent consultation work, and one of the things that comes up time and time again is the lack of education parents themselves have on things like algorithms and the lack of insight they have related to their own relationship with technology. This is a great resource for them!

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Dhani Ramadhani's avatar

Thank you, Courtney! Great insight! Honestly it is hard to reflect on our own use of technology. My kid literally called me out on it 😅

I hope this can help at least another parent like me. We’re up against pretty advanced technology build upon strong psychological insights 🙏

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Courtney Hart's avatar

Ugh, kids and their honesty (kidding but they will call us out!). It’s great yours was comfortable to do that!

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Dhani Ramadhani's avatar

I haven’t thought about that way yet, Courtney! yes I’m glad she is comfortable to do that 🤍

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Alys Hedd's avatar

I think that maybe part of the reason I've been getting a bit anxious today is to do with scrolling so much on this app! I haven't been on social media for a few years because it caused me issues. I'm going to have to watch out for that. And I know what you mean about being on the phone when the kids are trying to get your attention - definitely guilty!

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Dhani Ramadhani's avatar

I’m sorry you’re feeling anxious. The struggle is so real. The way these apps are designed and amplified by the algorithmic engagement really sets us up for maximum screen time. 😔

That’s why I’m aiming for small behavior change, that will hopefully lasts. ✌️

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Alys Hedd's avatar

Yeah, the algorithms work way too well on me and my dopamine seeking brain! I hope you find some middle ground that works for you and your family too.

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Dhani Ramadhani's avatar

AMEN 🙏 hopefully we’ll find a healthier source of dopamine!

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