Wednesday, February 27, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
A smartphone contract for teenagers
By T. Lee Brown
Correspondent
Thirteen-year-old Chase Frankl of Sisters
signed a contract before his parents got him
a smartphone. Item number 1 deals with
the sense of entitlement kids often develop,
believing that constant access to technol-
ogy is a requirement their parents must
fulfill.
Other items help the family navigate
responsibilities such as chores and home-
work. An evening shutdown time keeps
the phone from affecting Chase9s sleep.
Tech-induced lack of sleep is a big health
problem among teens in America.
Contracts establish solid guidelines. From
there, it9s up to parents to do follow through
on consequences. Guidelines help Chase
keep a reasonable view of his own phone
use.
<Sometimes if I think my parents are
being unfair,= Chase says, <I can just read
over the contract and it9s in there.=
The Frankls offered to share their contract
with the community in case it might prove
useful to other families. It has been lightly
edited for publication.
Contract — Terms of Use — Cell Phone
This is not my phone. It is a device purchased, as part of a plan, which is owned and
paid for by my parents. Above all else, I understand, use of this device is a privilege
and not a right.
I only get to use this device once my chores and homework are complete. Any
neglect (or negative attitude) toward said chores, will result in loss of phone privilege
the following day. Continued chore neglect will result in increased confiscation periods
up to and including full loss.
Parents agree to pay majority of phone costs/fees as long as I remain a full-time
student in good standing. In addition, I will receive an increase to my allowance. $5 of
this increase will go toward plan payment of phone.
There will be no zeros/below-C grades (including class grades) or GPA less than 2.5
for the duration of phone usage.
Behavior will be that of a gentleman at all times in school. Any negative teacher
comments on attitude and/or disrespectfulness and/or effort level will result in phone
consequences.
I will extend such <gentleman-like conduct= to my phone etiquette and/or text mes-
saging (or any such electronic communication) at all times. I will not hide behind mes-
saging/texting to bully or be disrespectful to anyone at any time. Above all else, I will
not message/text something I would not say to someone9s face. Result of a violation
will result in a minimum one week confiscation of device. Continued violation will
result in increased confiscation periods up to and including full loss.
I will not use my phone in class& ever, at family mealtimes, or whenever my par-
ents deem usage would be inappropriate or antisocial.
I will not give my phone number/contact information to anyone I wouldn9t feel
comfortable inviting into my home. This is a safety issue.
My parents can see everything I do on my device through parental control options.
They receive notifications on any violations I conduct. Confiscation duration will be
determined by my parents.
I will not ignore my parents9 call or texts if/when I can reasonably respond/reply.
Continued pattern of lack of responsiveness will be evaluated by my parents to deter-
mine confiscation duration.
Any loss/damage to my device is not covered. I understand, not only the importance
of how I use the device, but also the physical control of it. If I lose it or damage it, my
device is gone and will not be replaced until I can afford my own phone.
I will not use my phone after 9 p.m. unless otherwise approved by parents. No later
than 9 p.m., I will return my phone to its charging station in my parents9 bedroom. Any
violation will result in loss of phone privilege the following day. Continued violations
will result in increased confiscation periods up to and including full loss.
Over time, if I have no violations in any of the above items, my parents may decide
to add more applications or time extensions past 9 p.m. to my privilege to use this
device that is owned by my parents.
Mom ___________________________ Dad_______________________________
Teen ______________________________________________________________
What9s your family9s tech style? Email
freelance writer T at t@kidmadecamp.com
with your story. Suggestions, questions, and
feedback are also welcome.
PARENTING: Managing
digital use is important
to many families
Continued from page 3
suggests that increased screen
time (on the part of parents
and/or children) may be con-
tributing to kids9 developmen-
tal problems, lack of empathy,
attention-deficit disorders,
anxiety, and depression.
Says Jillian, <You always
hear from parents, 8They
wouldn9t know what to do
without their phones,9 but
you9d be amazed & just how
quickly they adjust and really
thrive at not having that screen
in front of them.=
The Frankls considered
getting Chase a flip phone.
<Ironically, the flip phone
was harder to lock down than
the smartphone,= says Paul.
<The iPhone has better paren-
tal controls on it.=
Chase says his friends
sometimes laugh at him when
those controls limit his phone
use.
<Nothing that big,= he
shrugs. <Some of my friends
don9t even have phones. We
usually jump on a trampoline
or go down to the creek or just
do something fun.=
Solo time offline is impor-
tant, too. Studies show that
time alone in a natural envi-
ronment can bring great
rewards.
<It9s a cool feeling,= Chase
says. <You can just be out
there, and think about what-
ever you want& It9s nice to
have downtime without any-
one watching you or texting
you. You can just be alone and
do whatever you want.=
That kind of independence
is one goal of the Frankls9 par-
enting style.
<A bit more old-fashioned
type parents is what we want
23
to be,= says Paul.
Reading about technology,
which he uses frequently for
his job, got Paul concerned.
<The addiction, the phone,
the way it pings, the way it
traps their minds at a younger
age, has the same effect nar-
cotics have on adult brains,=
he says. <That feeling doesn9t
actually create happiness; it
creates that you want happi-
ness. But you don9t neces-
sarily find happiness in the
phone.=
Paul was disturbed to learn
<how smart the engineers are,
where they actually design the
phones to be addictive. The
whole scrolling in Facebook is
a method to addict you. Even
when [Facebook-Instagram]
sends you Likes, it9s not in
realtime.=
Likes and other notifica-
tions show up based on when
Facebook-Instagram9s algo-
rithms predict the user will be
most likely to get sucked into
the app.
<It seems a bit 4 I don9t
know if evil is the right word,
but they know it9s manipulat-
ing the mind,= says Paul.
The contract and ongoing
discussions with his parents
give Chase a thoughtful per-
spective. What advice would
he offer to others about their
phones?
<I guess just, be on it less,=
he says. <When you don9t
need to be on it, be out in
the world. It9s about making
memories and experiences in
real life.=
In the long run, he
observes, <Nothing you do
now on the phone is really
going to matter.=
As part of our ongoing
series about kids, technol-
ogy, and nature, The Nugget
sat down with The Frankl
family for an interview. How
does your family handle tech?
Email t@kidmadecamp.com.
Dr. Thomas R. Rheuben
General, Cosmetic, Implant
and Family Dentistry
~ Your Dentist in Sisters Since 1993 ~
We are here to help you smile with confi dence!
541-549-0109
|
304 W. Adams Ave.
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Sisters