“Parents considering giving a young child a device must proactively teach about proper behavior, derech eretz, and self-control necessary for technology use”
When I reflect on technology’s ever-growing presence in our homes, I wonder if we are the frog in the simmering pot of water — slowly being boiled before realizing it’s time to jump out. There is no question that music is a powerful, even ruchniyusdig, influence on children, and allowing them to access it through a kosher handheld device seems harmless, even beneficial. But at what point are we gaining more than we’re losing?
As our children are introduced to handheld devices at increasingly younger ages, we must recognize the broader implications. Beyond any specific concern about content, these devices fundamentally alter the way children interact with the world. They can easily become a source of distraction that pulls them away from meaningful human connection, from family, and, ultimately, from their avodas Hashem.
A forum like this should push against the tide, to encourage parents to pause and consider the long-term impact of these seemingly innocent devices. All parents, of course, must decide what is best for their child. But we cannot lose sight of the larger picture — the profound shift that these technologies are bringing to family life and chinuch.
How often do we see a family sitting together, with children each engrossed in their own screens, oblivious to those around them? Or children visiting their grandparents, absorbed in their devices, unaware of where they are?
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