You might have an exaggerated sense of what kind of control parents can have over their children, and an underestimation of how pervasive Internet tech is among preteens.
My 12 year daughter, for example, is one of only a few kids in her class that don't have their own phone. And it's been like this for a couple years. Her friends think we're dragons for restricting her and her brother to 1 hour a day. Throughout the school day she is getting access to school iPads for 'free time' where it's open season on YouTube and the like.
The ages 11 and up are when parents get a harsh education in just how little 'control' they can (or should?) have over their kids. The best bet is to make sure there's open channels of communication and enough mutual respect that your kids will come to you when confused or upset, and maybe even listen to your advice. Trying to clamp down on them and control their access to the Internet (in an era where most of their peers have almost unfettered access) doesn't encourage that trust. We've learned the hard way.
Our (allegedly very good for our state) elementary school gives the Kindergarteners iPads. Not to take home—I think they wait until 3rd grade or something for that complete fucking nonsense—but during much of the school day. Their free time in lower grades is iPad shit. Mediocre edutainment games. Having the iPad read books to them. That ends up being quite a bit of their day. Meanwhile they have under half an hour of recess. Talk about screwed up priorities.
Do you know what occupies kids really well so you don't have to do your job? Ding, ding, ding.
In all honestly knowing how harmful those devices are to development of kids this should be banned.
Do your job and take care of kids that were trusted to you.
It seems crazy that the school allows that. This is sort of what I mean though, society in general doesn't recognise the danger. No school would just allow strangers into the school to chat with the kids during their free time, or get some flat earth loon in to speak with them, but quite happily expose them to YouTube without supervision.
Lots of schools, though, would allow 12 year olds to read books written by unknown authors or flat earthers. In a world where content is increasingly online, how do you draw the line between protecting preteens from dangerous interactions and preventing them from exploring interesting ideas?
I doubt they'd stock books on Flat Earth in the school library. Maybe it'd get a mention in a book on kookie conspiracy theories alongside Elvis being an alien. There wouldn't be enough material there to get a start then... just keep going indefinitely, like there is on the Web.
My 12 year daughter, for example, is one of only a few kids in her class that don't have their own phone. And it's been like this for a couple years. Her friends think we're dragons for restricting her and her brother to 1 hour a day. Throughout the school day she is getting access to school iPads for 'free time' where it's open season on YouTube and the like.
The ages 11 and up are when parents get a harsh education in just how little 'control' they can (or should?) have over their kids. The best bet is to make sure there's open channels of communication and enough mutual respect that your kids will come to you when confused or upset, and maybe even listen to your advice. Trying to clamp down on them and control their access to the Internet (in an era where most of their peers have almost unfettered access) doesn't encourage that trust. We've learned the hard way.