Urgent Message for Parents: Technology isn’t The Problem
Nir Eyal is one of the most insightful authors on the topic of preventing technology and screen time from distracting us from our family, work, and goals. His book Indistractable is both groundbreaking and urgent in this era of omnipresent technology.
Although the perils of screen time get an enormous amount of attention, practical solutions don’t get nearly enough coverage. Fortunately, today I came across one of Eyal’s recent articles that does just this.
He again provides an urgent message covering the top 3 things kids need—but most parents fail to provide in the context of addressing screen time. This article is a must read for all parents.
Just like most other parents, I tend to blame technology and technology executives for the screen time problems of society. Especially when it comes to the screen time habits of our children. However, after reading Eyal’s perspective I can’t help to agree when he says technology isn’t the problem.
Eyal writes:
A quick search on YouTube reveals thousands of videos of parents storming into their kids’ rooms, unplugging the computers or gaming consoles, and smashing the devices into bits.
But here’s what most parents don’t understand: Technology isn’t the problem, and enforcing strict rules around tech usage isn’t the solution. Rather, it’s the root causes to children’s distractions that need to be addressed.
If screen time is a problem in your home, I highly recommend you read this article. Simply stated, Eyal provides a straightforward diagnosis for the root causes and practical ideas to take meaningful action.