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I believe that the reason social media is so attractive to people is because it gives us options for controlling interactions with others. People and socializing can be unpredictable, and as people experience less and less "face-time" with others, their skills in interacting and expressing themselves become diminished. The ability to not only control, but also construct our interactions takes much of the stress out of being a social creature. 

I have 2 children under 10 and limit their access to social media and technology as much as possible. It is interesting to see their friends who are allowed a lot of access try to cope with being in our home for sleep-overs and such. Their schoolmates hardly know what to do without a computer or Wii. As a volunteer in a school setting, I see this unrestrained access translating into an extremely limited attention span, inadequate sleep, and poor retention.

My children may not understand why they aren't allowed the technology that their friends have- but I believe that as a result of this parenting choice, they are going to be more creative and focused individuals, with a greater capacity for relationships and unstructured play.

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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