A long time ago, I learned of a book called The Plug-In Drug, and it was about how horrible TV was.
I loved it!
I swore my kids would never play video games or watch TV.
This was in 2002, pre-unschooling, when I had two young kids and a lot of unexamined opinions.
When my kids were younger and I was trying to find our niche in the world of homeschooling, I was briefly interested in Waldorf style education (and by “interested in”, I mean obsessed. There’s almost never a middle ground).

I loved Waldorf's ethereal, nature-y aesthetic, and their emphasis on analog, outdoor play seemed like a viable way to keep my kids safe in (what seemed to me) a scary, dangerous, fast-moving world.
The older they got the more I realized that Waldorf philosophy was actually pretty rigid…!
Incidentally - people love to talk about Montessori along with Waldorf, as if they’re similar. In fact they’re strikingly different except for how controlling they both are.
Both offer manipulation with a sugary Umbridge-smile.
The gorgeous artwork that Waldorf classrooms produce comes as a result of strict rules, like strongly prioritizing form over lines, and NO black crayons!
(racist? actually yes, if you dig into the reasons why.)
Many Waldorf schools don't allow clothing with characters from TV or movies on them, and expect the parents to enforce no TV or computer use at all.
Also, as you explore Waldorf philosophy more deeply, you'll find distinct spiritual overtones that may not sit well with either Pagans or Christians.
Your mileage may vary, of course - but for us, it wasn’t a fit.
If you feel the need to go down the weird and wild rabbit-hole of Steiner and Waldorf, this site is excellent.
In the end, I kept the parts we loved (like playsilks and nature time) and unceremoniously tossed the rest.
As unschooling parents, we work hard to cultivate a large amount of trust in our kids, and open communication between us.
I also believe that preparing my kids for the world means they need to know things about technology just as much as they need to know about nature.
My house was the first in our neighborhood to have a Tandy IBM back in 1987.
I grew up on tech.
I LOVE tech, and I’ve been leveraging it for income since eBay was the new, cool thing back when Y2K was a valid scare.
Personally, I would never want to exclude my kids from something that's likely to continue to play such an integral part of the future.
My 21 year old creates and self-publishes music online, my 18 year old has an online clothing boutique and sells digital art commissions on Instagram, and my 13 year old now has a YouTube channel and makes digital animations.
However, my kids have also grown up shoveling compost, building fires and fences, planting seeds and harvesting food for dinner, foraging for edible plants on nature trails, and so on.
My 18 year old's first job was at a Texas native plant nursery, and my boys spend hours outside almost every day.
Without explaining conscious tech and media use to kids, then it has even more potential to become an easy 'in' for predators and creeps.
Safety is largely an illusion - but mitigation of risk is a benefit of solid education, communication, and guidance.
Personally, I think it's better for my kids to learn how to use media with discernment, so they are better equipped to recognize and shut down any connections that seem "off".
I also think it's important to understand that kids who fall prey to online creepers are, very often, vulnerable because of loneliness, isolation, and a lack of trusted people (both friends and adults) to talk to.
Studies show that suicide rates for young teens who live in rural areas are nearly double those who live in the city, due to social isolation and hopelessness.
This is a scary metric alone - and tech can certainly assuage feelings of isolation, even if it’s just a few friends they get to text with.
Just like we help our kids learn things like fire safety, how to use power tools, and which caterpillars look cute but are unsafe to touch (asps!) - we also guide them toward savvy use of tech, how to spot (and not click on) ads, what a download means; and how to check, understand, and use privacy settings.
I think it's better to provide guidance in safe navigation of the world, than to shelter them and cause them to be dangerously unprepared when they find themselves in front of a screen, without guidance.
I know this is a touchy topic, and we have had our share of terrifying situations around kids and the online world.
However, on balance, I think that supporting our kids’ conscious use of tech is a huge component of helping kids to trust that you are on their side - especially as they reach preteen years.
What have your experiences with kids and tech been like?
Have your opinions changed over the years?
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