It was not that long ago that we called them helicopter parents. Parents that seem to hover over their children to make sure that nothing goes wrong; that they stay safe and empowered throughout the day.
What is happening now?
Now we have a new term created by the ubiquitous smartphone. “The connected family”. Modern parents are giving cell phones to younger and younger children so that they can stay connected to their kids. I partially blame this situation on cell phone providers like Sprint and Verizon who offer cheap cell plans with multiple phones.
According to gabb.com,
‘Kids are mastering their tablets before kindergarten and getting their first smartphone as young as ten. Texting, location sharing, and video calls give parents the chance to communicate with their kids on demand, no matter where they are.
For parents, that access offers reassurance; for kids, it offers potentially greater independence, but sets new expectations around availability, response time, and oversight.’
A survey was conducted by gabb.com with 1000 US parents of kids age 6 through 17 about how they stay connected to their kids with this digital technology.
Here is what they found out.
85% of parents contact their kids at least once a day. One in five parents checks in multiple times per hour.
93% of parents text their child at least once a day. Texting seems to be the leading way that parents contact their kids when they’re not in the home.
85% of parents use GPS or other location-sharing to keep track of their kids. 9% do this without their child’s knowledge.
On the flip side.
43% of parents have reduced how much they monitor their child. Hoping to build more independence and trust.
54% of parents surveyed said they favor banning cell phone use through the school day. A third of those parents still want to have access for emergencies.
My, how things have changed.
OK, this is my old dude’s reaction where I say, “well, when I was a kid”.
There were no cell phones when I was growing up. I was the youngest of four and in retrospect, I think my parents were glad that I spent as little time communicating with them as I did. By the time I hit junior high, I was a pretty independent kid. On an average morning, I would get up, have some breakfast, say goodbye to my mom, and head off to school. I wouldn’t see anybody in the house typically until after 5. If I got home earlier, I’d wind up plunking my butt down in front of the TV while my mom was doing something else.
From a safety standpoint, having a cell phone on my person would have been a wonderful thing, especially if I went out on a Friday or Saturday night when I was in high school, but that’s not what we lived with.
Because of the way I grew up in that time, I find it very difficult to believe that a child of 10 needs a cell phone today.
But it’s a new era with new standards and attitudes.
The way you communicate with and monitor your children and grandchildren is your business, not mine.
Horse Lake Reserve (Wenatchee Foothills)
The Horse Lake-Sage Hills Trail crosses the 980-acre Home Water Wildlife Preserve in the heart of the Sage Hills
Gallery Credit: Mark Rattner with KPQ Newsradio 560