"I Hate My Mom's Smartphone" is the title of one student's essay that makes us think about the intrusiveness of technology
NOTE: In a previous version, it was stated that the student was a girl, but the teacher's post refers only to a student in general.
A Louisiana elementary school teacher named Jen Adams Beason, one day gave her second-grade students a simple homework assignment consisting of writing a short essay. In the essay, the students had to name an invention that they were not particularly fond of and explain the reasons for their strong dislike.
The teacher could not have known that of all the essays her students could have written, that she would read one with such a bittersweet effect. In fact, the thoughts and feelings expressed by one student in their essay touched on such an important topic that the teacher decided to share it online as food for thought for adults.
"I hate my mother's smartphone"
One pupil, in particular, directed their hatred towards their parents' smartphone. "I don't like smartphones because my parents use it all the time", they wrote clearly in their essay, in which the student defined using smartphones as "a really bad habit".
The essay continued in the same vein, and ended with a rather depressing conclusion: "I hate my mother's smartphone and I wish she never had one", all accompanied by a drawing that depicted a smartphone with an X on it and a sad emoticon face.
According to the teacher's testimony, this student's case was not isolated. In fact, in addition to her, another four students (out of a total of 21) indicated their parents' smartphones to be the most hated device, making references - albeit less aggressive - to the fact that their parents used it too much.
Since the problem of smartphone addiction has arisen, we have always focused on the harm it could do to teenagers and children and consequently, underestimating adults. In fact, now the latter are also gradually falling into the trap of social media and constant notifications, and this decreases the quality of interaction they have with their own children.
This incident shared online by an elementary school teacher serves as both a warning and an encouragement. We should put our smartphones "offline" more often or in silent mode and pay more attention to our children --- listen to them and try to be truly present. Even if we pretend not to notice it, our children are desperately asking for our attention!
