My workout buddy at the Y related the following story to me this morning:
Yesterday his 11-year-old daughter was without her phone because she was being punished for something or other. They did various activities throughout the day and my buddy noticed that his daughter was noticeably happier and more engaged than she usually was -- he mentioned looking at ferrets at the mall and playing a card game, etc.
He said that had she had her phone with her then there is no way she would have been as interested and engaged in the world as she was that day and that she would have been smiling and laughing less and just been generally less happy overall.
But, nevertheless, she continually begged for her phone back throughout the day.
He had noticed this pattern over time, my buddy said, and it was like you could just give her the phone and then watch her become withdrawn, sad, and angry, or you could take the phone away and watch her become smiling, happy, and engaged but then also beg to have her phone back so that she could be withdrawn, sad and angry.
Just for more context, she was adopted out of the foster care system about five years ago and she seems to need to create a lot of drama at school for some reason.
Yesterday his 11-year-old daughter was without her phone because she was being punished for something or other. They did various activities throughout the day and my buddy noticed that his daughter was noticeably happier and more engaged than she usually was -- he mentioned looking at ferrets at the mall and playing a card game, etc.
He said that had she had her phone with her then there is no way she would have been as interested and engaged in the world as she was that day and that she would have been smiling and laughing less and just been generally less happy overall.
But, nevertheless, she continually begged for her phone back throughout the day.
He had noticed this pattern over time, my buddy said, and it was like you could just give her the phone and then watch her become withdrawn, sad, and angry, or you could take the phone away and watch her become smiling, happy, and engaged but then also beg to have her phone back so that she could be withdrawn, sad and angry.
Just for more context, she was adopted out of the foster care system about five years ago and she seems to need to create a lot of drama at school for some reason.