As technology becomes more of a staple in everyday family life, parents are making choices about how much screen time to allow their children—and asking questions about how computers, phones, and TVs might help or hinder a child’s development. Here are some pros and cons of screen time for kids:
PROS
- Provides desensitization needed to face horrors of real life
- Sedentary, obese children significantly easier to babysit
- Prevents children from taking up hobbies you’d have to feign interest in
- Comfort in knowing Mariska Hargitay watching over your children
- Finite battery life an important lesson on mortality
- Digital era a perfect scapegoat for child’s all-around terrible upbringing
CONS
- Looming threat that toddler might reveal spoilers
- Enables children to Google negative findings of studies on excessive screen time
- Yam puree all over space bar
- Just when they’re used to the current OS, Apple releases an upgrade and you’ve got another tantrum on your hands
- Puts your high scores in danger
- Takes intended sting out of pointed physical and emotional neglect