- Communicating with parents and friends is no excuse to buy a mobile to their children, at least in Tolosa: In shops and public buildings with the identification sticker "You can use ours", children and youth can use their phone to make a call. The goal is to address the need to have mobile phone or carry it up from local trade, mutual care and community.
The agreement between parents of a school center and parents of schools in the same locality to give their children their first cell phone, with the aim of delaying their age as much as possible, is spreading to more places. In Tolosa, the parents of Laskorain, Herrikide and Samaniego schools began this journey three years ago and now take a step further: The Town Hall of Tolosa and the Tolosa&Co merchants association have joined the “You can use our own” initiative and the sticker can be found in the shop windows of public buildings and shops so that children and young people know that they can use their phone if they have to make a call.
They seek to continue expanding the network and to join the initiative bars, restaurants, libraries, sports and other services, as well as exporting the idea to more localities.
The steps that are being taken in Tolosa respond to a reality: being able to talk to children, being localized and the social pressure generated by each other’s phone (because nobody wants to be “weird” that has no mobile) are the main reasons to buy mobile to their children, according to various surveys.
"If friends don't have mobile, young people don't feel that need. This is similar to the domino tokens: if you have a mobile, you happen in line."
In order to combat social pressure, it has been understood that efforts need to be combined in initiatives that are multiplying. "It's essential to meet because everyone at home is more effective than individual struggle. With the union of all those around him, he helps his parents to reject their children’s petition, and gives their children peace of mind because they don’t have that pressure and anxiety, ‘my friends already have mobile and I don’t’; if friends don’t have mobile, they don’t feel that need either. This is similar to the domino tokens: if you have cell phones, they happen in line,” explains Miren Rose in The Being. Ros is advising her parents on this issue in order to promote reflection and good use of new technologies.
Analyzing personal use before talking to children
"It is important to stop and reflect, step on the brake and do an analysis. To start with, what do we adults use on mobile, am I making conscious use of it? Remove notifications, leave your phone out of the room at night, turn it off when it is not needed… Am I taking small steps in a better use? Once this is done, we can talk to our children and explain to them that the phone is not a toy, that the tool is very powerful and that knowing how to handle it well is important," says Rose.
"Sometimes we forget: parents are responsible for the use of children on mobile"
Because it's clear. "Your brain is not prepared to make good use of this device," and that's why it's important to give your mobile phone as late as possible to young people (and after donating, do follow-up). "Because I wouldn't put a 14-year-old driving a car, I wouldn't give him a phone for the risks he has. Adolescence is a very changing stage, hormonal, social, emotional… and the worst thing we can do is give a teenager a mobile for the risk of dependence he has”.
"Sometimes we forget, and it's important to stress: parents are responsible for the use children make on their phones, and often we are not aware of the use they are making."