As kids enter their middle and high school years, many parents question regulating phone usage. Some find themselves giving their child autonomy over screen time, while others find that some guidelines can benefit their children.
At times the regulation can be frustrating for students such as Bella Maldonado ’27. The lack of access to social media platforms and other apps can, at times, hinder her ability to explore new things and get her work done.
“If I need to research a topic or want to know more about it, I like to watch YouTube videos,” Maldonado said. “But once the clock hits that time mark where those certain apps shut off, I can’t watch anymore.”
As she has grown more used to the rules, she has begun to understand that her parents created the rules out of love and that they might be onto something.
“I got my phone for my birthday in the eighth grade,” Maldonado said. “At first they didn’t put any limitations on it and I was on it all the time. I slept less too because I was scrolling on Instagram and Youtube.”
Psychotherapist, author and mother Nicole Runyon, argues that without these restrictions, development can be negatively impacted. She has a set of guidelines for parents, that includes the use of watches and safe smart devices, eventually leading up to smartphones and social media.
“From 14 to 18, they can introduce smart devices, but no use of social media until 18,” Runyon said. “Even then smart devices should be limited, there should be rules about not having them in their rooms at night and there should be designated areas of the house that are ‘no phone zones’.”
Ashton Zimmerman ’25, has found reducing his own social media usage has been valuable over time. He acknowledges that limited social media usage can help to increase productivity.
“Most times, social media serves as a distraction way more than it can serve as a useful tool,” Zimmerman said.
He also believes that restricted phone usage can limit other things as well.
“You could definitely be less exposed to things that could be beneficial to you,” Zimmerman said. “Maybe it’s social interaction or learning new things, but limiting the distractions could also limit more than just the distractions.”
