One of the biggest quandaries facing modern parents is when to introduce technology to your children.
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As society has evolved to continually upgrade and embrace new forms of technology, the pitfalls of technology addiction are becoming a stark reality for many young people.
This week, the Tasmanian Government followed the lead of New South Wales and Victoria in announcing a mobile phone ban from the first to the last bell for children in primary school and high school.
Students in college will be able to participate in an 'opt-out' system but for all other students and pupils - phones are out, gone, kaput (at least during school hours).
As a first-time parent, and being the type of person that always needs to know 'the plan' for any future big decision-making, the idea of how to manage my child's technology, screen and mobile phone use is a difficult one to navigate.
On one hand, the studies are showing that screen time affects the brains of children and that any screens, including phones, should not be given to children until at least two years old, and even then, only used sparingly.
But then there is the other side of the equation - that technology has transformed our lives so much that despite always being told we'd 'never have a calculator in our pockets' so that was why we needed to learn maths, every single adult now has a device nearly literally joined at the hip.
Technology is the way we communicate and smartphones can also be the way we learn about the world around us - although it will never replace truly experiencing the world.
Technology, whether it's in the form of a smartphone, tablet or laptop does have a place in the modern classroom but its use needs to be monitored.
A ban on personal smartphones during class time will lead to less distraction for students and will allow the teachers and senior staff to more closely monitor what content is being accessed and how the technology is being used.
This way, it will help teach students how to manage their technology use and will also leave them with no choice than to also learn to communicate effectively, which is a vital skill in today's society, not to mention future employability skills.
While my child is not at the age where smartphone use is an issue, at least this ban will take away some of the pressure on how to navigate school technology use.
- Caitlin Jarvis is The Examiner's acting deputy editor and senior journalist.