, Columnist
Social Media Is Just One Online Habit Hurting Teens
Constant digital surveillance — including by parents — could be contributing to kids’ mental health struggles.
Is he watching the phone, or is the phone watching him?
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Last spring, my tween was begging for more independence, starting with being allowed to walk home from school alone. The mile-plus walk involves crossing a few busy streets. I was hesitant; she doesn’t have a phone, so she had no way to contact me if something went wrong. But we practiced a few times (with me trailing her a block behind) to be sure she was confident of the route and talked about what she would do in various scenarios.
Then, we allowed her to do something that some parents in our uber-connected era might find truly wild: roam free.