There's a ridiculous thread on here, probably gone now about Angels.
I avoided commenting on the point of the thread itself (because I didn't want to get banned), but did point out that in my opinion, giving the under 5s devices to use was - in my view - a safeguarding issue.
Mostly my comment didn't register (it was all about the angels), but a few posters did say how ridiculous I was, and 'ooo... should I be expecting a call from SS'.
No, of course social services won't come a-knocking if you give your kid your phone to distract them.
And I do understand why a parent would do this. I'm a mother myself, and I do remember the absolute vein-opening tedium of the youngest years, when there's very little coming back (their smile lights your world, of course), but you're so, so, so tired and it's just SO repetitive and sometimes they seem so insolent. I do remember how hard it is. So I understand that the phones (which were very basic in my day) give release from your tedium (thank you MN) and distract your child.
But my prediction for the future is that using phones in the care of the very young (instead of interacting with them) is the new drunk driving (I remember when you went to the pub and just "drove carefully" or smoked in the "smoking section" [imagine a square, half the square is smoking, half non-smoking. No screens or anything, just half and half]. Or where a peodo dj had unsupervised access to the most vulnerable and got air time lauding him.)
So, you'll all hate me, but my prediction is that the world will turn, as the world does turn and in the not-too-distant future, giving a child in a pushchair a phone to distract them is going to be the new 'bad'. And I predict the primary carers (who will mostly be mums) all over will rush to say "I never did this"
I'm expecting a LOT of hate for this, but I don't think I'm wrong. I think there will be evidence - very soon - of attachment issues and attainment issues and developmental issues.
There are a LOT of thread on here NOW about kids who won't leave their screens. And most of those children are too young to have been born when constant screens were a thing. But they are a 'thing' now.
I think there's going to be studies which show that instead of face-to-face interaction (which is how baby learns) the primary carer is looking at their screen. I've just realized typing this why MNHQ is going to pull this thread! and the damage this is doing to our children.
Please go ahead and take me to pieces. I promise, my week couldn't get a lot worse!
This isn't a TAAT, MNHQ, although you may see it that way. It's a serious comment about parenting.