Protecting our Thumbs!

 All of this post is true--well--at least most of it.  :)

Occasionally this picture or something like it comes across my social media feeds.

Smartphones have clearly replaced many more items than what is listed here.  When was the last time you used a non-digital camera or played a record or CD?  The list goes on...

I'd like to suggest one more item smartphones have replaced.

I am a child of the 1970s, and for better or worse my parents did not care or show any remorse regarding the breakfast cereal we ate.  Sooooo--if it was sugared, I probably ate it.  I fondly remember picking cereal based on the toy that was in the bottom of the box as well as the cartoon character on the front of the box.  I recall a silly bunny, a toucan, a tiger with stripes, a leprechaun, a bear--oh my, the list is endless--all working their marketing genius on me.  And what did we do when we ate that cereal?  We read the back of box, of course.  No self-respecting kid in 1976 ever read the health information on the side of the box!  I read the games and puzzles on the back of the box.

The other day I was eating breakfast (No more sugared cereal for me--unless my wife isn't looking!), and I realized I had not read the back of a cereal box in years.  Why?  I have something else to read each morning.

My smartphone has even replaced the cereal box at breakfast!  I can scroll through the news, my email, texts, and social media all while enjoying my morning meal.  In fact, over the last few years I have noticed I am able to scroll with my lefty hand while doing more than just eating breakfast.  I catch myself scrolling while watching television, walking in the neighborhood, or even vacuuming!  All of this scrolling, however, has created a problem for me.  I'm embarrassed to say this, but I think I pulled a muscle in my thumb!

It's true.  My thumb has hurt the last few days, and I know the culprit--not enough sugared cereal!  :)

Why, you ask, would I share such intimate details about my youth and my physical health?

While I am a 50+ year old man with a smartphone I use way too much, I have noticed more and more of my youngest students also having smart devices at school.  Some students have "traditional" smartphones.  Others have watches and even tags on their backpacks.  To be fair, there are only a few students with these devices, but I've already had a number of conversations with staff, parents, and students about these devices.

I have learned that given the current state of anxiety in our country about violence in schools, some parents are genuinely concerned for their student's safety.  The students I've talked with seem to see these devices as novel toys.  Staff is a little in shock when a young student sends or receives a call or text from home in the middle of class.  All of my conversations have been understanding, but they center around, "Are our youngest students able to properly manage a smart device while at school?"  The adults I have discussed this with all agree the answer to this question is, "No."

As an elementary principal, this is new territory for me.  Technology has progressed quickly.  Yes, many of our oldest students in our district have had personal smart devices for years, but this is the first school year I have had to help manage and lead these topics with even our kindergarten students.

For now, we have reminded students and parents that these sorts of devices must be kept out-of-sight and silent during the regular school day.   This follows our student handbook, and...it protects their thumbs!  :)