Deep down, a lot of parents have the same regret: I wish I waited a bit longer before letting my child have a cell phone.
Katherine Martinko definitely doesn't have that regret. A journalist, author and mother of three, she still won't allow her 14-year-old son to own a smartphone — and she isn't about to change her mind anytime soon.
If you read her new book — Childhood Unplugged: Practical Advice to Get Kids Off Screens and Find Balance — you will understand why.
"The biggest fact that bothers me is just the sheer amount of time that kids are spending on screens," said Martinko, a recent guest on Village Media's Inside the Village podcast. "We're looking at averages between five-and-half to eight hours and 39 minutes a day that teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 are spending on their phones...What are they not doing because they're spending all that time on devices?"
You can watch the full episode HERE.
Hosted by Scott Sexsmith and Michael Friscolanti, the Editor-in-Chief of Village Media, Inside the Village is a news and current affairs podcast that provides a weekly window into some of the best local journalism from across our chain of Ontario newsrooms. Produced by Derek Turner, the program also explores bigger-picture issues that impact people across the province.
Every episode is available HERE. If you prefer the audio version, it is available wherever you find your favourite podcasts.
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