I have long been an advocate of keeping kids off of social media until they’re at least 16 (and it so depends on the child!), so I was jazzed when I saw that HGTV stars Erin and Ben Napier are encouraging other parents to do the same. The “Home Town Takeover” co-stars are the parents of two girls, Helen and Mae, ages 5 and 2. And while their kids are definitely too young for social media now, the Napiers say they’re going to still be too young ten years from now.
I can’t help but agree with their perspective. As Erin says (ironically) on Instagram. “Research tells us social media is as addictive and destructive for developing brains as any drug.” The longer we keep our kiddos off of it, they better off they will be. Social media can be bad for self-esteem, and is a digital playground for bullies, not to mention predators.
To help bring some solidarity and community to parents who are making the decision to keep their kids social media-free, and to the teens affected by this decision, the Napiers have founded a non-profit called Osprey. I have to admit Erin’s explanation for why they are founding this organization totally warmed my heart and made me say “YASSSS GIRL!” out loud. Here’s what she says:
“My friends parenting smart phone-free middle schoolers have had a brutal experience of seeing their child left out, even though research tells us social media is as addictive and destructive for developing brains as any drug. This made me think: my kindergartener doesn’t expect to drive a car before she’s old enough. She doesn’t expect to own a house of her own before she’s old enough. If we build a culture in our home and school now where she doesn’t expect access to the entire world in her pocket until she’s much older, we can set her up for success. When the time comes, a simple phone that can just call and text will be great: in the same way she’ll ride a bicycle before she drives a car. Forming a circle of families and friends who are in this together when your kids are little, linking arms and doing what it takes to give your kids the gift of a social media free adolescence is the only way we change the culture. For the TWENTY THOUSAND parents who’ve already joined the Osprey newsletter after my post last month, we have a vision and a plan to give our kids support that starts now and takes them through high school graduation. Let’s make old school the new way.”
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This line especially stuck with me: “If we build a culture in our home and school now where she doesn’t expect access to the entire world in her pocket until she’s much older, we can set her up for success.”