For those with little ones.

[GilpinGuy]

Remember that they think some little things are important when you don't. Drop the phone/tablet and REALLY spend some time with kiddos. Yeah, feeling a bit sentimental today...

[clodhopper]

From what I have seen, it isn't the parents on the electronics, it is the kids. Especially the real little ones the parents keep encouraging to play on the ipad so the parents don't have to deal with them.

[Doc45]

Everything in moderation. The electronics have their place but nothing substitutes for our interaction. I'd give up the rest of my life if I could have one day with my boys when they were little. I do get a bit of that feeling with my 2.5 yr old grandson-very thankful they live close.

My son and his family went to Disney World two weeks ago. On the flight down the games they were able to download to their tablet really helped the little guy get through the flight without any fuss. On the flight home he was pretty worn out from 5 days there lol.

[Grant H.]

From what I have seen, it isn't the parents on the electronics, it is the kids. Especially the real little ones the parents keep encouraging to play on the ipad so the parents don't have to deal with them.

This.

Teaching the kids how to use electronics is important in this day in age, but the focus I see some parents putting on "entertaining" the kids so they don't have to take care of their children is disturbing. There are so few kids that I know of that actually go outside to play now.

[Blowby]

From what I have seen, it isn't the parents on the electronics, it is the kids. Especially the real little ones the parents keep encouraging to play on the ipad so the parents don't have to deal with them.

I think the millennial parents are a little upset when they can not stay focused within their electronic world.

[rondog]

Gotta watch 'em like a hawk. My wife came home recently from an AA meeting, a young lady she knows was there, an absolute wreck. She had two little boys, and lost her 3-year-old Sunday. I guess they were camping or something, near water. Took her eyes off him for a second, next thing she knew a fisherman was bringing him out of the river. Got him to a hospital, but he didn't make it.

[Rooskibar03]

As a father of a little girl who spends to much personal time working on my phone that one hits a little close to home.

[clodhopper]

There are so few kids that I know of that actually go outside to play now.

Was talking with coworkers about this just the other day. Back when I was a teen, during the summer you saw young guys fixing cars, bikes, gocarts, whatever, all down the street. The roots of young people seeking careers in engineering. Anymore, you nearly never see them outside. One of they guys did point out that back then the cars needed regular adjustment to run, so yeah that was part of it, but overall, young people just don't do anything other than hide inside anymore. I have seen it with the young people coming out of college who have nothing but book skills, don't know one end of a wrench from another or how to work in the sun all day with becoming a crispy critter. Simple stuff. Disappointing.

[funkymonkey1111]

i don't have kids so my info is entirely anecdotal:

1. one friend of mine has two kids, 15 and 16--always on the phone--one is on psychotropic meds for anxiety, PTSD, and major depressive disorder. Both on phones all the time. friend advises "at least 30%" of kids her friends are with have gender identity, alternative lifestyle (homosexual) or mental illness;

2. my sister is a professor at the university of Maine, and also works as a freshman advisor. said between 30-40% incoming freshmen are coming with psychiatric notes, conditions, needs for accommodation, etc. for depression, anxiety, etc.

3. another friend (and seemingly rightfully so) ascribes his kids' constant stress being related to phones/screen time. constant updates, stress for instant need for validation, feedback, etc. Essentially, there's no downtime. studies have shown low battery on a phone without a charging source is a huge stressor to people

It seems, to me, that kids today (and adults) can't unplug. can't get any mental downtime. like clodhopper said, used to be kids would be outside playing. i'm 45--not trying to sound like a codger saying "in my day...."---but in my teen summer years you got on a bike, skateboard, whatever. when you were younger you were outside until the street lights came on.

the phones seem to have cranked the gossip level up to 11--and everyone is commenting, or worrying about the commenting, wherever it is.

[rondog]

And people wonder why the ranks of hipsters/metrosexuals/GLBT/SJW/liberal Hillary & Bernie worshipers/etc are growing by leaps and bounds.