Technology

I grew up without a phone

Same. All my friends had one, but my parents refused. In fact, the moment I left home, I got a phone.

And I'll probably let my kids have a phone at some point. But every morning on my way to work, I see kids glued to their phones on the way to elementary school. We live in a very safe, middle class neighborhood where the crime rate is among the lowest in the area. I let my kids ride to the grocery store, which is a half mile or so beyond the school. The sketchiest area is near the school, with some lower middle class housing where parents don't have the time or money to keep up on the yard. When I moved in, my neighbors warned me to keep my doors locked because there was a burglary a few years prior. One burglary, and was a neighborhood kid.

I've lived in a third world country where people got stabbed in front of the police station. I've talked to and made friends with people in sketchy areas. I think I know a thing or two about the struggles there, and I don't think smart phones and smart watches are what they need.

I'm not sure it’s good for kids or parents to be that connected.

Agreed. And that's my main issue, parents seem to be using "safety" as an excuseto spy on their kids. Kids need to be able to make mistakes, and that needs to happen while the stakes are low.