Technology and children — the debate

The debate about children and technology often generates more heat than light. The questions worth sitting with are specific: what is being displaced by screen time, at what developmental stage, and for which children? The answer is likely not the same for a twelve-year-old reading and a twelve-year-old scrolling for three hours.

Laozi

Online

The coach is replying…

40 scenarios

How children challenge adult double standards about technology How divorced parents can align on children's technology use How survival parenting conflicts with screen time ideals How to explain why your phone interrupts family conversations How to feel about your child's impressive digital creativity How to help your child through experiences you never had How to resist screen time when everyone else has given in How to set boundaries when kids always find workarounds How to undo screen time habits you accidentally created How too much expert advice makes parenting decisions harder What it means to raise a child who expects all screens to be touchscreens What phone confiscation as punishment actually teaches children What your child's drawings reveal about family screen time When AI becomes your child's primary source of knowledge When co-parents disagree on helping children recover from online harm When couples disagree on children's screen time limits When extended families clash over different technology parenting styles When family technology boundaries create lasting conflict When grandparents disregard parents' technology rules When parent groups become divided over technology choices When partners disagree about teenage social media concerns When safety technology becomes surveillance anxiety When school communities split over student technology policies When tech-working parents struggle with technology boundaries for children When worrying about screen time becomes its own obsession When you cannot be present even during sacred parenting moments When you cannot tell if your child's digital socializing is real When your child gets news from social media instead of reliable sources When your child is physically present but emotionally absent When your child prefers digital relationships to face-to-face ones When your child understands technology better than you do When your child's tech skills outpace your security measures When your children call out your screen time hypocrisy When your children have forgotten how to be bored without screens Why children prefer watching others play to playing themselves Why educational screen time still changes your relationship Why it feels impossible to be present at the playground Why screen time decisions feel impossible to get right Why screen time seems to make hours disappear Why your child's screen trance feels unsettling