Since ban my son is happier and relieved at the pressure lifted
A MOTHER who has banned her son from using his smartphone has said he’s told her he now feels ‘happier’ and is ‘relieved’ that the pressure of the phone is gone.
Emer Tobin is calling on the Government to legislate for a minimum age to be introduced for smartphone ownership for children in Ireland.
Mrs Tobin whose 12-year-old son is a sixth-class pupil at Blennerville National School in Co. Kerry says it’s now ‘time for action’ in tackling smartphone addiction amongst children.
Speaking to the Irish Daily Mail, the concerned mother said that she decided to take away her son’s smartphone over the Easter break, after problems arose with group chats on social media applications.
‘The problems with smartphones came to light just before
‘It’s heartening to see’
the Easter holidays in the school and we actually had taken my son’s phone away from him prior to the ban being introduced, in agreement between the parents and the school,’ she said.
‘We removed it as soon as there was issues going on.
‘Our son has had a head start on all the other kids in the school, and I suppose in the initial first few days, he was quite down in himself when we took it away. He felt very left out because he felt he had no way of contacting his friends and they were all chatting on the group [apps] and he was going into school not knowing what was going on.
‘Gradually things started to improve and when the ban came in and all the devices were taken away from all the children in the class, the difference was incredible.
‘I have two older children in secondary school, so it was difficult for us because he sees his siblings on the phones.
‘Over the past number of months he had been spending a lot of time in his room on the phone and less time with us, but in the past fortnight he’s up sitting in the kitchen with me, chatting and telling me about his day. He seems happier and he’s gone out playing every evening outside in the garden and playing basketball.
‘I have a younger son and now the 12-year-old is even spending more time with him and taking him out on the bike, so it’s heartening to see the happiness return. I see a huge difference in him and it was on the Nine O’Clock News last night and we all sat and watched the report on the school and the ban. Afterwards we discussed it with him and how he was feeling, and he admitted to me that he felt happier. He said to me, “I feel happier”, and generally he said he was “relieved” that the pressure of the phone was gone.’
Mrs Tobin is now calling on the Government to take action.
‘I really feel that it’s now time for an age restriction,’ she said.
‘The Government needs to legislate. It’s simple, I’m totally for it, it’s harder to say no these days and when kids are asking for them then parents do want to provide, but if the Government brought in legislation, then it wouldn’t be up to us.
‘At least the parent could then turn around to the child and say, “No, you cannot own a smartphone because it is illegal. It’s not my decision”.
‘That’s why this campaign is working for is in Blennerville.’