Academic Corner
Severing Parental Ties in the Smartphone Era Poses Challenges
"It’s time to cut the cord and let them work out issues of their own."
Like many parents of college-age kids, I loaded up the car Beverly Hillbillies-style with all of my son’s essentials; including a half-dozen cans of Old Spice spray, enough Mountain Dew to keep his entire dorm awake until winter break, an Animal House poster, and my son, and headed to Binghamton University for his sophomore year. This experience was a bit different for me this year. Last year, I was worried he would spend too much time at frat parties and too little time in the library. I was also worried how he would cope on his own because, as I have mentioned many times in various previous articles, he is not exactly the most self-reliant creature. This year, move-in day was a whole new experience. Whereas last year he was very happy …
Jay Chapel
9:42 am on Tuesday, October 30, 2012
I worry about the method of "keeping in touch". Texting and Facebook are poor forms of communication. They deny people the ability to have some privacy, allow for rumors or lies to be circulated in moments, and disrupt face to face conversations. We shut down our son's smart phone for a few months and the changes were dramatic. Our daughter is next! more ›