Age 11, I began walking to school on my own, during the era of the landline phone. This meant no internet, no mobiles, no ‘text me when you get there’. When my now-teen reached the age when she was ready to walk to school alone, my husband and I decided – like many other parents – that she should have a phone. This decision was prompted by one of the most primal of parental urges: to keep her safe. In allowing her to have a smart phone, however, we were opening up another can of worms: social media.
I had managed to avoid Instagram myself until lockdown, when I finally caved and took the advice of wise friends who extolled the virtues of a carefully curated feed. I love the connection and community, yet there is still much that I dislike about the online world. As a grown adult, I struggle at times with the effect it can have on my mental health. So, worried about the potential dangers my children could also be exposed to, I made the decision that, while they can and do have phones, they can’t be on social media.
Esta historia es de la edición June 2023 de Psychologies UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición June 2023 de Psychologies UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
The Keyes to life
Celebrated author Marian Keyes talks to Psychologies about milestones, good intentions, and feeling younger than her years
Take time to treat yourself
Does a spa day seem like an overindulgence you can't justify? Heidi Scrimgeour - fresh from an unforgettable experience - shares five reasons why you should reconsider...
Spread the joy
Connect with your food, understand your body, and transform your health with JoyFull – Radhi Devlukia-Shetty's mouthwatering new collection of effortless plant-based meals
Rest to reset
Let's make taking time out to soothe the soul, release held stresses, and restore calm an everyday essential, writes Nahid de Belgeonne
Anna Williamson Summer lovin'...
There is nothing that's guaranteed to up our feelgood factor- and our libido - like a little bit of sunshine! So as we feel the fledging rays of summer this month - with beach holidays and cocktails hovering just over the horizon - I'm taking the focus of this month's musings to matters beneath the sheets...
Empty nest
As parenthood takes on a new guise, open yourself up to change and let your grief give way to opportunity, writes Yasmina Floyer
Coming up for air Go lightly
Rather than clinging tightly to control, fearful that things will fall apart, Caro Giles sits awhile with uncertainty...
The mirror of feedback
Seek out other people's perceptions of you and adopt a practice of regular self-appraisal in order to learn and grow
Spotting the unseen
Invite in curiosity and question the biases that inform your beliefs, to open your mind to new ways of being
HOW TO CHECK YOUR BLIND SPOTS
Learn to look beyond your peripheral vision, widen your perspective, and chase down new challenges, urges Holly Treacy