Exactly

The damaging impact of technology overuse on the social and emotional wellbeing of children is frightening, whether any organisation would exercise caution or integrity over cashing in on what are essentially addictions is another matter.

Parenting is more key now that it ever was. I take my 4 year old son to the park every weekend and throw a ball about....but even with me trying to limit his "screen time" it is nigh on impossible to hold back the technological wave.....he can unlock my phone, has netflix and youtube on the TV sorted....it's terrifying to think that 50 years ago, the only worry my mum had was me falling out of a tree....whilst my biggest concern is getting my son to play outside at all.

It’s something I see everyday and try and influence through my work. I’ve a 6 month old and have told family and friends not to buy a plastic mobile phone as it’ll go in the bin. I hate seeing families out in restaurants with the kids on tablets, it’s awful.

Why is it awful?

As for “don’t buy a plastic mobile” lol. You and your 6 months of parenting expertise are really showing us something. You do realise that phones, of any sort, are integral to a child’s imagination. As the saying goes “if a child offers you a phone, you answer it”. Any more pearls of wisdom from your 6 months of being a parent?

TBF, it's not awful, but it is a worry.

Parenting by "screen time" (I am guilty as well) is acceptable in moderation, but interacting with kids is a key part of development.......seth will discover that the principle is easier than the practice and in out ever increasing "busy lifestyles" quiet kids are generally the ones glued to a tablet/phone.

More the wisdom of 15 years working with children.

Last year, my daughter had a presentation at her school for being in the top 1% in the country for SAT results. My daughter would also sit with her head buried in my phone watching YouTube videos of the dobre brothers, or some high pitched kid playing fortnite everytime we went out. Its. O different to when we were kids and were told to be quiet and colour in

It’s awful because children’s social and emotional competencies are rapidly degrading largely due to overuse of technology which has a detrimental effect on their mental and physical wellbeing. Do some research or like I do spend your every working day around children, their parents and teachers and you’ll see the nagaitive behavioural changes it’s having. If you’re needing to ask why it’s bad children sitting at a dining table on a tablet then we’re clearly on a very different page.

Assessing child development and wellbeing goes far deeper than their academic attainment.

Buddy. I don't disagree, but when you've finished a hard 50 hour week and you're catching up with mates down the pub, giving the little fella the mobile is easier than being pestered.....not saying it's right, but 50 years ago I was sat in the car in the pub car park with a bag of crisps and a bottle of coke.......at least my lad is watching david attenborough,,,,,,,

That said, you've pricked my conscience, so this weekend he's not getting screen time util the training wheels are off his bike!

So after 15 years working with children you have come to that conclusion that children shouldn’t be allowed to watch smartphones in public or that toddlers pretend mobile phones which are proven to encourage confidence and communication should be thrown in the bin?

So easy to dismiss the point being made in the way that you have without a wider context. Then that’s probably my fault for engaging in such a topic over social media with a stranger. Children sitting on smartphones and tablets instead of interacting and even learning to be bored occasionally does have a great impact on wellbeing, there’s enough research out there this isn’t just an opinion that I alone hold. As for my 6 month old, there are so many ‘organic’ experiences that she engages in that are delveloping her social skills and sensory needs before she even needs a piece of brightly coloured plastic (not to say we don’t have toys) I just don’t want to normalise playing on phones as a healthy pastime, again the evidence base is not hard to find.

Remember them days well, but back then I could only dream of sitting in a car!