Electronics. Oy.

The generation being brought up right now will never know a world in which the iPhone didn’t exist.

Where the word “app” meant a small bite before the main meal.

Where playing a game required a tv-wired console with controllers.

Where billions of videos were not a tap away.

And where all of this was not available every second. Every. Where.

This is the first time in human history where parents must parent screen-time, all the time. Every. Where.

Growing up my default was playing outside. Any chance I had I would head outside, shoot hoops, ride my bike or just stand on the front lawn and juggle my soccer ball.

Today, the default for most children is a screen.

I am a Technologist. Someone who is awed by our current assortment of devices and software. Someone who can’t wait to see whats next.

I love technology, but I sure am struggling to parent it.

It’s not that I believe using these devices is going to “rot her brain”. There is no question that becoming comfortable with computers, being able to leverage them as tools, is a must for my daughter to prosper in the future.

The issue is that they are all-captivating. All engrossing.

When she’s watching the iPad, the world around her, which is far more entertaining and exponentially more beautiful, simple fades away. I guess I am scared she may not come my  same conclusion.

Generation Screen is upon us. And we current parents are gamely attempting to discover the appropriate balance in this new age of ubiquitous 1s and 0s.