Today’s world is pretty amazing. There is literally nothing outside of a few keystrokes away from finding out almost anything, within seconds of it striking your curiosity. I can recall getting my first computer with a full-color display monitor, weighing about 10-15 pounds, about 1 foot deep in length, rounded screen, and 1 gigabyte of hard drive space. This was amazing at the time. Playing solitaire and mine sweeper on it seemed so awesome, it was almost the equivalent of owning your own jet pack (or whatever you find utterly remarkable to own). Internet took up your only phone line and had the most obnoxious sounding connection sequence ever known to man. Reading a book was faster than searching the web… Google did not yet exist.
Now we carry tens and hundreds of gigabytes on us a day via pocket, purse and/or other carrying bag, weighing less than a pound, connected to the web at all times, and our opponents of games we play can pretty much be anywhere on the planet. Technology has come so far in even just the last decade, digitally, we’re free to see and absorb pretty much anything we want, with little to no limitations. That kind of freedom can also easily bury you in a heap of trouble. With nude/provocative pictures being all too casual in today’s technology era, parents with young kids growing up around this trend have to be nervous. Curiosity will one day hit them, and regardless of your efforts, making the right/safe decision may not be the path they choose to travel. Many of them will find that decision coming back to haunt them.
Knowing this to be the case, this particular mother put together an 18 rule system for her son. It is strict and probably seems a bit extreme, but it also has a TON of great advice for him… and anyone really. I particularly endorse rule number 15 with every fiber of my being. Its never too late for any of us to take that advice. Check it out, parents and people. This may help prevent a battle down the road that nobody wants to fight.
———————————————————————————————————————–
- It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren’t I the greatest?
- I will always know the password.
- If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads “Mom” or “Dad”. Not ever.
- Hand the phone to one of your parents promptly at 7:30pm every school night & every weekend night at 9:00pm. It will be shut off for the night and turned on again at 7:30am. If you would not make a call to someone’s land line, wherein their parents may answer first, then do not call or text. Listen to those instincts and respect other families like we would like to be respected.
- It does not go to school with you. Have a conversation with the people you text in person. It’s a life skill. *Half days, field trips and after school activities will require special consideration.
- If it falls into the toilet, smashes on the ground, or vanishes into thin air, you are responsible for the replacement costs or repairs. Mow a lawn, babysit, stash some birthday money. It will happen, you should be prepared.
- Do not use this technology to lie, fool, or deceive another human being. Do not involve yourself in conversations that are hurtful to others. Be a good friend first or stay the hell out of the crossfire.
- Do not text, email, or say anything through this device you would not say in person.
- Do not text, email, or say anything to someone that you would not say out loud with their parents in the room. Censor yourself.
- No porn. Search the web for information you would openly share with me. If you have a question about anything, ask a person ? preferably me or your father.
- Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a restaurant, at the movies, or while speaking with another human being. You are not a rude person; do not allow the iPhone to change that.
- Do not send or receive pictures of your private parts or anyone else’s private parts. Don’t laugh. Someday you will be tempted to do this despite your high intelligence. It is risky and could ruin your teenage/college/adult life. It is always a bad idea. Cyberspace is vast and more powerful than you. And it is hard to make anything of this magnitude disappear — including a bad reputation.
- Don’t take a zillion pictures and videos. There is no need to document everything. Live your experiences. They will be stored in your memory for eternity.
- Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe and secure in that decision. It is not alive or an extension of you. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than FOMO — fear of missing out.
- Download music that is new or classic or different than the millions of your peers that listen to the same exact stuff. Your generation has access to music like never before in history. Take advantage of that gift. Expand your horizons.
- Play a game with words or puzzles or brain teasers every now and then.
- Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you. Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder without googling.
- You will mess up. I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You & I, we are always learning. I am on your team. We are in this together.
