Abby Connolly
Kailey went back and forth about giving her kids phones for a while. She took comfort in knowing there were so many parental controls regarding social media she could use to protect her kids.
However, when her daughter began using her phone to address and get involved in kid drama, she became uncomfortable.
Any drama that her daughter was getting into with her friends involved social media or their phones. Little arguments about exclusion, hanging out with different people, and things like that were getting addressed over the phone instead of in person, and Kailey didn’t like that.
“There’s always jealousy with teenage girls; there’s always going to be that layer,” says Kailey.
“But when we were younger, we didn’t have access to say whatever we wanted or what was on our minds right then and there. My daughter’s not in trouble or anything; it was just a decision I came up with. I just decided it’s gone too far [and] I’m not comfortable with this.”
Overall, Kailey feels that her daughter’s cellphone was causing her more harm than good, as it was an easy way to escalate drama in her life, and she didn’t want her daughter to deal with that kind of negativity.
“Phones and social media are all a part of society and the teenage experience now, [but] like, at what expense?” asks Kailey.
Now, Kailey feels her daughter should start using her cell phone when she turns 15 or 16 instead.
If you’re a parent, how do you feel about this issue? Do cell phones just add unnecessary negativity to your child’s life, or does that not matter, as kids need to have them for safety?
@the_geriatricmillennial Taking away my 11 year old daughters phone agter having one for a year because its feeling like more negative than positive lately. No opinions needed, parentinf kids in the digital age is hard enough but would love to hear what other parents are doing to maintain their kids independence while also being safe #momofteens #momoftweensgirls #momofdaughters #parentingadvice #teenswithphones #millennialmom #momsover30
