But Mom...I'm the ONLY one!

If you’re the parent of a middle school student who doesn’t have his or her own iPhone 5, you’ve probably heard this complaint: “But MOM…You don’t understand! I’m the only one, and I’m missing out on EVERYTHING!”

And you know what? They’re right. According to Dr. Brenda Hunter and Kristen Blair, the authors of From Santa To Sexting, they’re missing a lot. For starters, they’re missing:

• That unsolicited “sext” from their classmate attempting to cyber bully the girl that sits next to them in Spanish class. 
• A 10-20% reduced brain size due to overexposure to media and Internet. 
• A lowered ability for creativity, especially in English class. 
• Sleepless nights due to “hypertexting” as the phone vibrates under their pillow all night. 
• 9 hours a day of recreational media stimulation 
• The possibility of being denied entry to law school in a few years, as 40% of those institutions will check their social media pages before accepting him/ her as a student. 

So mom and dad, go ahead - deprive your kids. Be the parent. Say “no” to a personal cell phone, individual Facebook account and the onslaught of social media until your son or daughter is in High School. And in exchange, say “hello” to a little more innocence.

And oh, BTW…. assure them they’re not the “only 14-yr-old in America without one!” My son is the other one.

For more encouragement to parents of teens, check out Dr. Dobson’s powerful new interview “From Santa to Sexting: Protecting Your Middle-Schooler” with Dr. Brenda Hunter and Kristen Blair.