[otakucode]

Does the author have children... or pets? Because it doesn't sound like he acknowledges his children as people at all. Perhaps the reason the children resort to screens is because it's the only way he's made possible for them to have any degree of autonomy or independence? He makes it clear that he walks around the neighborhood WITH them, he goes to visit their friends from school WITH them, etc. The reason many kids don't like to go outside isn't because outside isn't interesting - it's because the parents expect to go WITH them.

Back. Off. The kids are 8, 11, and 13. The 8 year old might still need some hand-holding, but the 11 and 13 year old should be developing independence and autonomy and figuring out who they are going to be. They're PEOPLE.

[Aloha]

I'm a child of the 90's, I'll preface this with that.

The problem isn't the freedom from the screen - its the societal expectation that parents need to go outside with their children, and that children cannot be left alone for a fear of the unknown.

At 8, I spent hours away from adults, I listened to the radio, to music, read books, spent time with my cohorts - at age 10-11-12 - I was riding my bike miles from home alone - and this was in the age before kids had cellphones too, I always carried change for a payphone, and had phone numbers for my mom at work, and my grandparents (who lived about 6 miles away) memorized.

I see nothing wrong with reducing to eliminating screen time - digital devices are pervasive and have a stunting effect on socialization and people skills (in my opinion) - the issue is, is the presumption that children shouldn't otherwise be left alone unsupervised.

[cr0sh]

> The 8 year old might still need some hand-holding, but the 11 and 13 year old

I grew up in the 1980s - so I know this might not translate, but...

...when I was 8, my parents allowed me to do all kinds of things "by myself"; ride my bike around the block, go down to the corner Circle K for a candybar, play with friends next door, etc.

...when I was 11, I'd ride my bike much further away, and my friends and I would shoot bb guns at birds (horror!), explore farmer's fields, and more.

...when I was 13, I'd ride my bike with friends, and we'd complete multi-mile circuits around our small city, heading out to "far off places" and exploring (and falling, and getting back up).

I dunno...to me, it sounds like parents don't let their kids do these things anymore? Granted, I lived in a small city at the time (bigger today, and where I grew up is much less rural than it was back then), so maybe in a more urban context it might or might not be as safe (if nothing else than dangers from more automobile traffic).

I can't really say one way or the other which is better, but those experiences shaped me in a certain way; it's disheartening to think that kids in general don't get to experience that any longer (or as much)?