The key is not to ban cell phones, but to educate by example.

Last year we started in the History of Philosophy course to prepare a philosophical dissertation that has to be done in the PAU exam. A few days ago we started with our first dissertation of the course. The title was about whether Social Networks and technology affected young people. One of the guys did his dissertation and it started with an axiom. In philosophy an axiom is a is a proposition so clear and self-evident that it is admitted without demonstration. This student wrote his first axiom: Every cell phone in a boy's pocket has been put there by someone. You can make all the crusades you want against cell phones but the fact that in all the discussions you never talk about who bought the device. It's as if these gadgets have arrived, invaded our lives without us knowing it. But it would be cheating ourselves if we do not admit that it is the parents who are responsible. 

In this debate we are not being sincere, it is always better to blame someone else for how bad the world is and thus sleep with some peace of mind that I have been forced to buy the phone because the whole class has it, because I have my daughter located and when they are of a certain age and go out partying to know where my children are. But that does not take away the fact that we parents are the ones who have made the decisions and we hope that they do not have consequences on our children's lives and ours as well. 

Maybe this generation spends a lot of time alone because we have jobs with very long schedules, our children leave school very early in high school and spend a lot of time with their cell phones in their hands, because homework (another big debate) has been eliminated because they do it with Chat GPT (brilliant excuse) and so on. 

Now we think of solutions and discover that reading can be the great salvation of our children, but we do not realize that in order for them to read at home, parents have to read, the socioeconomic level also influences and the number of books we have at home is also important. But if mom and dad don't read, it will be difficult for salvation to come from this side. Even so, I think that reading is very important. 

The example of parents, the true education

And I am truly sorry, the engine of the family is the parents and they are the ones who educate their children with their example and love. The example we set is the best way to educate. Either we are the best version of ourselves that we can be or we will be an example of nothing. Personal growth, marriage as a path of improvement and therefore of the family is the way we will educate our children in the best way. What I mean by this is that if you have your cell phone in your hand all the time, your child will say don't scratch me because first give me your example of what to do. 

That's why when you see those children at such young ages using the cell phone so that we can eat at ease in the restaurant, you can already see that the child has self-control problems and the virtue of temperance is hard for him/her. Of course, if we have never thought that this virtue is fundamental from 0 to 6 years old, then don't be surprised if your daughter is still having tantrums when she is 12 years old. Not to mention the enormous number of children with obesity problems because we have not taught them to eat well. 

If you have a child who finds it hard to do chores, to keep up the effort over time, to keep his room tidy, then you know that he lacks a bit of strength. Maybe in the end I do everything myself, as mothers say, it is true, but with that we do not help our children to gain autonomy and strength. And yes, it is a battle we have every day, which we end up winning by the way. Because your children, who are very smart, are waiting for you to lower the intensity that lasts a week or so, which is what has happened so far, so we parents should be the first to be strong. Again the example. 

I think, and with this I finish, that the problem of the cell phone is best solved with well-educated parents, who are the example that makes children not have it so complicated. Parents with the ability to reflect a little, see what is happening and make action plans to make their children better people. And that is done from the unconditional love you have for your children, because they are your children, you loved them.