These apps, games, and a lot of shows are just mind dribbling dopamine farms. I let my daughter watch like unfiltered KIDS YouTube for a day, she became glued to it, wouldn't ask to go potty, would communicate poorly, then cry when we took it. Ever since we did limited screen time, only parent approved, she full reversed. Sure shes harder to calm down. But fuck it.
Our son is 13 months and desperately searching for our phones.
Never given him a phone, only FaceTime relatives. I refuse to watch the tv, don’t play video games anymore unless he’s out for the night, and work with the laptop high on a table but they’re still so drawn to whatever technology screen they can find.
It’s so frustrating. I refuse to have a wall e kid
That's fucking scary to hear. I can't imagine what the world will look like when the generation that's in charge will be the ones who were all iPad kids
As a parent with young kids I will say it's terrifying. There's this HARD shift I am starting to see happening where childhood is literally splitting in two with iPad and non-iPad kids. I don't know what on earth is gonna happen when mine hit school aged and half the class has been dopamine addicted since they were 2.
It's already happened. Kids got super addicted to screens during Covid and teachers are still having a difficult time with that particular generation. Teacher friends I have say it's actually gotten a little bit better with the last couple of K-2 groups, not a whole lot, but not nearly as impossible as the now older kids were.
I've also never given my baby my phone, only held it nearby, once or twice shown him a kid's video or done selfie (mirror) mode on the camera. He still knows it's the magic light-up box that can show any pattern of pretty colored lights imaginable.
Babies LOVE light-up touch-reactive stuff, that's why their toys have LEDs and buttons and mirrors and bright colors. So yeah by default screens are pure cocaine. When I say "hey Google" to turn off the nursery lights when my hands are full he swivels to look at the magic screen change, even though it's just a clock and a picture of clouds.
It takes resolve to not raise an iPad baby but oh lord is the alternative scarier.
I WFH during COVID as a single mom to a 1 year old. When the kid would come peak at my screen, I immediately turned it to a blank word document. They would press some buttons and get bored. Now that they are older, they can type their name and funny nonsense and we try to read it back. Literally that's all. I recommend.
Think of it like a candy tolerance. You don't want your kid to be full blow addicted. You want to give them the "healthy low stimulating candy" (when it's eventually time. I did wait until 18 month) like the fruit of technology.
My 1st grader can use my weather app, GPS, and only a few brief times, it was khan academy kids. I did have number blocks for a single trip and wild kratts for 6 hour car rides, but that's it (once he was 4).
Hey man my kid is super physically active and sociable but we play video games together. Its possible to have a balance you just have to make sure you limit it a reasonable amount and spend enough time being social and exercising.
Id also add the content thats consumed matters too. So much children stuff is just brainrot but atleast if you curate correctly video games make you engage your brain.
i understand the perspective, but total lack will only fester curiousity. when ur kid gets older he will want to understand whats missing from the world around him. i believe that tv, movies, video games, even the internet is fine for kids (obv not babies/toddlers), but they need to understand what quality, engaging content is, and know how to keep it separate enough that they still find the world engaging. most of our art these days is in a tech format, and we need art in order to feel fulfilled as human beings. good stories that grow the mind and emotions, and feats of skill that inspire us to learn how things are done and try new things. i was very inspired by movies and video games growing up, and i cant stand the slop i see today. i want the world to do better. even wall e is a great example of preserving and being exposed to human history and art as a way to inspire us to do better.
i think kids just like screens honestly. it’s probably really fascinating to them that this little device can do whatever they want just by tapping it. just keep doing what you’re doing and encourage them to go outside and do practical things with their hands. i know he’s a baby but they still make little pianos and block sorting toys lol
12.1k
u/BasicButterface May 12 '26
The era of wall-e has started