Technoference: How screens are shaping our youth

Young parents seem to be constantly under attack by the media for their parenting failures, and it’s easy to see why.

There are significant concerns about the development of preschool children. The recent Kindred Squared School Readiness survey had some disturbing findings, including the number of children arriving in reception who are not toilet-trained, starkly contrasting to other parts of the world. Children come with poor motor skills, with some unable to use the stairs and many struggling with emotional dysregulation. There are various causes attributed to this, from Covid baby syndrome to parents working full-time or the pressures of social deprivation; however, one factor appears over and over again – the use of technology. School nurses report that these issues began emerging before Covid alongside the increased use of mobile phones.

We expect children to arrive at reception unable to read, but they now arrive unable to use books; rather than turning pages, they swipe at them or pinch them like a tablet or a phone. This suggests that not only are children spending large amounts of time on screens, but they have missed out on the experience of sitting with an adult looking at a book. We can bewail this as depriving them of an essential educational building block, but it has more profound consequences. Sharing stories is a way that we pass on wisdom to our children. Storytime with a small child is precious, and many fantastic picture books exist. Increasingly, there are brilliant Bible resources for children to hear about Jesus. Nothing can beat a parent/grandparent/ carer/or friend sitting with a little person and together reading and sharing the wonderful truths of the gospel. There are some inventive apps, too, but there is something about a book that slows the experience down. It can be the beginning of learning a lifetime of meditating on Scripture.