I Shall Die On This Hill of Blaming Smartphones For Everything

When smartphones came into our lives many years ago, I embraced it with skepticism. Anything that makes you lose time without gaining anything else is not healthy. I've always hold on to this philosophy. 

I felt like I was alone when I raised my kids first without TVs, then I had 2 kids so it became too chaotic without one. So yes, eventually we relaxed the rules. TVs, screens are one way communication with no feedback. Smartphones is 10x lethal for having social media fast scrolling.

Botch your focus and attention, shorter memory, shrink brain gray matter, gives you anxiety and depression, earlier onset of Dementia, lower IQ. Look it up, it's all out in research papers now.

In the core of my soul I knew it wasn't good for us, and I've never shown my kids gadgets before they hit 7. They still don't have smartphones and not allowed to consume short form videos or getting free reign of any gadgets. 

TV series, movies, console games are relatively safe, within reason. It's still mostly a group activity, and requires interaction. It doesn't slice your attention span into seconds.

I definitely do not preach except telling people what I do for my kids. But I feel like no one else is spreading the dangers of screentime.

If I wanted to make a long article about dangers of screentime it would take days to compile data and write. 

But you can see the signs already appearing in the masses. Gen z reported to have less common sense, higher possibility of getting fired, mentally fragile, wanting instantaneous result.. all symptoms of a bigger problem. They grew up "digital natives". 

Gen Alpha and Beta, is bearing the brunt. Things are going to get worse. People with severe mental health problems, low cognitive abilities, an exposure to vile things online and a mind influenced by their own echo chamber will be among our kids.

I'm straight out fearmongering here, vomiting worst case apocalyptic scenarios but it's already happening. The symptoms are out in the open but people can't connect it to being chronically online. 

I feel so yuck but this is the world that my kids generation are growing into. I caution everyone to beware. Zero screentime is better than having excessive screentime. There are researches coming out everyday about the dangers. It's like taking drugs. One time doesn't damage you. But its a slippery road downhill.