My Son Just Turned 6. My Ex’s Birthday Present for Him Has Me Seeing Red.
Slate • • technology
Key Points:
- A mother is upset that her ex-husband gave their 6-year-old son a smartphone with unlimited use, contrary to her wishes to delay phone ownership until high school.
- The advice columnist condemns the ex-husband's decision, calling it harmful to the child's development, but advises against destroying the phone due to potential conflict and replacement costs.
- The columnist recommends setting strict screen time rules at the mother's house, monitoring the child’s phone usage through parental controls, and modeling healthy screen habits.
- Suggestions include negotiating with the ex about blocking harmful apps and maintaining the phone only while the child is with the father, while encouraging non-screen activities during the child’s time with the mother.
- The columnist humorously notes the lack of an app that could disable the phone through excessive battery drain, joking that damaging the phone once (e.g., water damage) might be the only feasible way to render it unusable.
