Why would it be interesting to you? Because Gregory's mom talks in it about previously obvious things that we forget about lately, making phones the center of everything that happens to us.
Dear Gregory,
Merry Christmas! Now you've become a proud iPhone owner. Go crazy! You are a nice and responsible 13-year-old boy and you deserve this gift. But accepting this gift entails accepting rules and regulations. Please read the following contract carefully. I hope you understand that it is my duty to raise you as an educated and healthy young man who will become useful in society and will coexist with technology, and not depend on it. Failure to comply with the items in the following list will result in the termination of ownership of the iPhone.
I love you terribly and look forward to exchanging several million text messages with you in the following days.
1. This is my phone. I bought it. I paid for it. I'm lending it to you.
2. I will always know the password.
3. If he's calling, pick up the phone. It's a phone. Say hello, don't forget about manners. Never dare to ignore a call if it says "Mom" or "Dad" on the screen. Never.
4. Give the phone to one of your parents clearly at 19:30 on a school day and at 21:00 on a weekend. It will be turned off overnight and turned on at 7:30 a.m.
5. The phone is not picked up at school. Communicate with people personally. It's a useful life skill. *Shortened days, trips and extracurricular activities will require separate consideration.
6. If it falls into the toilet, crashes to the ground or disappears into nowhere, you will be responsible for buying spare parts and paying for repairs. Mow someone else's lawn, get a babysitter, save some money from birthdays. It's going to happen one day, and you have to be ready for it.
7. Do not use technology to lie, deceive or mislead another person. Don't participate in conversations that offend others.
8. Don't send messages, emails, or say something through this device that you can't say to your face.
9. Don't send messages, emails, or say anything to anyone that you wouldn't say to them in front of their parents in the room. Apply censorship to yourself.
10. No porn. Search the Internet for information that you could openly share with me. If you have a question about something, ask another person about it - better either me or Dad.
11. Turn it off, put it into silent mode, remove it from view in public places. Especially in restaurants, at the cinema or when you communicate with another person. You're not rude; don't let the iPhone change that.
12. Do not send or receive images of intimate body parts or anyone else's intimate body parts. Don't laugh about it. One day you will want to do it, despite your high intelligence. It's risky and can ruin your life. It's always a bad idea. Cyberspace is huge and much stronger than you. It will be very difficult for you to make something like this disappear - including a bad reputation.
13. Don't take billions of photos and videos. There is no need to document absolutely everything. Enjoy life and impressions. They will be stored in your memory forever.
14. Sometimes leave your phone at home and feel confident. He is not a living being and not a part of you. Learn to live without him. Be stronger than the fear of missing something.
15. Download new or classical music, or something different from what millions of your peers listen to. Your generation has hitherto unimaginable access to music. Use it to the fullest. Expand your horizons.
16. Play "words" or puzzles from time to time.
17. Look at the world with wide eyes. Look out the window. Listen to the birds singing. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Think about something without using Google.
18. One day you'll make a mistake. I'll take your phone. We'll sit down and talk about it. We'll start all over again. You and I are constantly learning. I'm on your team. You and I are participating in this together.
I hope that you will agree to these conditions. Most of the lessons described here relate not only to the iPhone, but also to life in general. You grow up in a fast and constantly changing world. It's both delicious and tempting. Trust your strong mind and huge heart instead of any car. I love you. I hope you enjoy your amazing new iPhone. Merry Christmas!
Mom.
Use such contracts with your children and help them understand what seems obvious to you, but it is so difficult for them to understand today, having grown up in the digital mobile world.
via, translated iPhones.ru
