Parent Like A Tech Exec
Co-written by Brooke Shannon and psychologist Richard Freed, this Wait Until 8th blog essay argues that the parenting habits of well-known technology executives are worth copying. The authors compile public examples of tech-industry parents who reportedly delayed their own children's smartphone and social-media access, kept devices away from family meals, or set firm household screen rules, and note that some industry figures have themselves warned about how attention-holding some of their own products are designed to be. From these examples, Shannon and Freed draw three recommendations for ordinary families: delay the smartphone through their own pledge, set clear at-home screen boundaries, and advocate for less classroom device use. TechKids Foundation cites this piece as Shannon's own argument for why parents might look to industry insiders' household choices, not just outside research, when deciding on smartphone timing.
The piece compiles examples of Silicon Valley leaders limiting their own children's device access, including Bill and Melinda Gates reportedly waiting until age 14 and Steve Jobs keeping devices away from family dinners.
Brooke Shannon and Richard Freed, "Parent Like A Tech Exec," Wait Until 8th, April 4, 2019. https://www.waituntil8th.org/blog/2019/4/3/parent-like-a-tech-exec