A Note to Every Parent —
Many of us who now guide little ones,
Got our first phone after school was done.
We waited. We survived.
We played outside, got muddy,
And bedtime stories were books, not backlit screens.
Yes, times have changed.
We’re not in denial.
But that doesn’t mean we toss the map.
Now pause.
Look at your child, and look at yourself.
Yes, even we — the grownups — are glued.
A tap, a scroll, a like, a reel —
We call it “winding down” but it’s more like spiraling in.
The internet consumes us too.
If adults can’t stop,
What do you think it’s doing to the child whose mind is still growing?
You bought the phone. It’s okay — your money.
But do you monitor it?
Do you know what they do with it?
Do you really?
That screen has the power —
To teach… or to trap.
To build a future… or burn one down.
And then there’s the TV.
Cartoons, movies, now full series.
YouTube runs all day, and Ojo’s got prime time.
You see your child glued — and sometimes, you’re grateful.
It’s quiet. They’re “occupied.”
But let’s not confuse silence for safety.
Cartoons, believe it or not,
Trigger dopamine hits — the same chemical that makes people crave.
And when sugar, bright colors, fast edits all collide…
It’s no longer entertainment — it’s mental sedation.
They beg to watch.
They scream when you turn it off.
They fall “sick” without it.
And suddenly, the only cure is another cartoon.
That’s not parenting convenience — that’s early-stage dependency.
And if we’re not careful…
We’re raising a generation that can’t sit still,
Can’t wait, can’t focus, can’t feel
unless a screen tells them to.
Before long, we’ll have meme bosses, meme teachers, meme parents.
Sarcasm over depth. Dopamine over discipline.
So what can we do?
1. Reduce and limit screen time. Set boundaries — for both of you.
2. Filter their content. Download what you’ve watched yourself.
3. Check history. Not just the watchlist, but the behavior behind it.
4. Don’t co-watch adult movies. Those romantic soaps and loud reality shows? Their minds aren’t ready.
5. Replace screen time with soul time. Talk. Walk. Cook together. Let them be bored — that’s where imagination lives.
6. Be the role model. They’ll copy what you do more than what you say.
One last thing:
In a world full of noise,
Be the filter. Be the guide. Be the calm.
The screen should not raise your child.
You should.