Jamie Lee Curtis Is Urging Parents To 'Put Down Your Cellphones'

Sep 22, 2018 by apost team

It can be a real challenge for parents to make sure their kids aren't getting addicted to screen time. The problem can get even more sticky when parents themselves are spending too much time on their cell phones. Our children are always watching our actions.

The fact of the matter is that our kids often end up imitating our behavior. If we tell them to get off of their screens when we can't pull ourselves away from our cell phones, what kind of message are we sending them? "Do what I say, but not what I do," is the message we're sending loud and clear!

Maybe it's time to sit back and evaluate what kind of example we're setting for our kids or even our grandkids! Actress Jamie Lee Curtis is speaking out about the problem of parents not demonstrating the right screen habits for their kids.

She submitted an essay to NBC News that goes into detail about society's overall problem with addiction to technology.

In the essay, Ms. Curtis warns all of us who are parents that it's our responsibility as adults to break this unhealthy chain of screen addiction before it infects the younger generations in our society.

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Curtis points to social media's ability to hook people into an unhealthy focus on the personal lives of other people, as well as a self-focused mentality.

If a person isn't careful, it can devolve from a platform for interacting with friends to becoming obsessed with who can get the most likes and shares.

She highlights the fact that people who spend excessive amounts of time on social media can become unhappy comparing their lives with the lives of others.

The actress then offers a solution to the problem: setting boundaries for screen time that are in effect not just for the children but also for parents.

This would include turning our phones off when the kids are around for certain specified periods of time.

She stresses that this is the only way our children are going to learn healthy personal interaction with those around them.

The leadership of France has echoed Ms. Curtis' sentiments. They're growing concerned about the amount of time French youth are spending on their phones.

They have gone so far as to take steps toward banning these and other internet-connecting devices from their schools for all children from age three to 15-years-old.

The ban is optional for high schools and will be decided at the local level.

French lawmakers explain their legal actions as a way to combat screen addictions in young people, as well as a way to prevent misuse of screens from interfering with educational instruction.

They also want to protect teens from some of the more harmful facets of internet use while they're on school property.

Jaime Lee Curtis is so passionate about this topic that she actually wrote a children's book about it, entitled “Me, Myselfie & I: A Cautionary Tale.” When children read her book, she hopes it will inspire them to actually tell their parents that they want them to put their phones away and pay more attention to them.

She hopes her lighthearted yet poignant children's book will serve as a catalyst to meaningful conversations about a serious topic.

Do you share Jamie Lee Curtis' belief that both adults and young people in our culture have become too addicted to spending time on their phones and other electronic devices? What are your thoughts about the French ban on cell phones in schools? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Pass this story along to any friends or family members who you think may also be concerned about this disturbing trend in our society.