10 reasons why handheld devices should be banned for children under the age of 12

Hello there,

I’m a pediatric occupational therapist doing Tech Talks in Canadian First Nations schools, and am passionate about changing the ways in which children use technology. I wrote below piece for Huffington Post back in 2013 and still stand by the premise that Steve Jobs and Bill Gates followed with their own children e.g. no handhelds until 12.

I’m heavily into doing Tech Talks in classrooms, and am getting close to development of certification program for teachers to do Tech Talks for students, as well as develop tech mgt policy in their schools.

Love to connect with others doing same, or interested in the area of tech education and mgt in schools.

Cris Rowan
crowan@zonein.ca
Author of Virtual Child - The terrifying truth about what technology is doing to children

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Chris,
I am a Social Worker based in Europe. I go to international schools doing the same kind of talks and also teaching teachers. I would love to share experiences.

Allison Ochs
allison.ochs@editcm.com

@Allisonochs @crisrowan

Hi there, I’m a pediatric physiotherapist in New Zealand. I share the same view and would like to create an education platform/spark some change over here. Can I ask how you got into this area, do you do need to do further research/qualifications, do you feel like you’re having an impact? Has anyone discussed legislative change? Love to share experiences as well. Thanks!

@Allisonochs @crisrowan

Hey! I’m a web developer in Brazil, I’ve worked in the marketing world, where most of my concerns started, and now, I have the oportunity to work as a Business Analyst in a company that sells a management system for schools. Due to that, I have some access to actually scheduling a talk about the subject.

I’ve been thinking about addressing this issues in local schools, but despite of the fact that I understand the problem, I don’t really know how to talk to other parents about how they should control and talk about technology with their kids.

I really wanted to get some insight in how to address this, in a way that it’s not too restrictive, for I believe that we should teach our kids that cellphones and computers are not necessarely a entertainment channel, but first and foremost, a work and study tool.