We all know too much screen time, or the wrong kind can be harmful, especially to children. In fact unsupervised use of the Internet can lead to tragedy!
What I must ask though, is if the mass adoption of screens has mostly wiped out illiteracy except among the extremely poor, who still struggle to feed their families.
As long as I can remember there have been some parents who choose to chase their kids out of the house or sit them in front of the TV to keep them quiet. For better or worse, a lot of those kids now end up with a computer or phone screen instead. Remember when the ignored kid used to be the neighbor's problem? Or more specifically, the neighbor's windows problem?
If it were not for the many and sometimes deadly dangers posed by being online unsupervised, I would say things have improved. Who knows, maybe one day the "babysitting" software will get better, or there will be a more interactive offline experience which will appeal to children. But until then, I have to think things are worse for those ignored kids.
It's a truth, that the Internet has both advantages, and disadvantages. All of us have to make a proper use of the internet-connected devices.
In this fearful time of COVID-19, the global connection through the Internet becomes a necessity for all the people in a world of today. We are able to learn more about other places. We can even improve ourselves, during a period of self-isolation and social-distancing.
This idea is inspiring.