[Boomer]

The Plug-In Drug: Television, Children, and the Family by Marie Winn was published in 1977. The book was a social criticism of the influence of television on kids…………

Well, Marie Winn, you had no idea in 1977 how far those screens could go.

Screens can easily become the infinitely patient babysitter. I have heard parents pathetically brag about how their 3-year-olds know their way around an iPad screen or phone.

Surly pre-teens and teenagers can be shut up or shut down by just letting them have all the screen time they want.

I have wondered what studies will show about language development in little kids under so much influence from screens in place of time spent interacting with parents, human-to-human style — and what about social skills development?

I don’t know why so many parents are ignoring the glaring fact that to let a child grow up plugged-in is to invite the whole world, and all that entails, into the child’s life.

But, I guess if the kid is plugged in that gives the parents more plug-in time, too……….

I am happy to know parents who take the hardest job in the world seriously and have enough sense to limit screen time and to supervise what they do allow — as kids get older and the presence of screens becomes unavoidable and necessary in some situations. And, of course, education can be enhanced with legitimate online info. I am not totally opposed to screens — but it is all too obvious now that those screens own us as a culture. I wish there were more parents who were not so willing to abdicate their responsibility to a screen — while they just look the other way. (shudder)

Boomerosaurus