Millennials, adults born between 1981 and 1996, are raising Generation Alpha, or children born between 2010 and 2024, to be reliant on constant iPad simulation. These children are addicted to screens. As soon as their parents take away their iPad or phone from them, they start screaming profusely or crying. What happened to kids being kids?
According to Insider Intelligence, over 73% of U.S. children under 12 use the internet and nearly 17% are smartphone users. At public restaurants, families do not converse with each other. Instead of paying attention to their kids, parents give their children a screen to make them quiet. This is no way to build a relationship with their kids. Sadly, families cannot bond during “family” dinners because there is an iPad, acting like a barrier between parents and their children.
However, this does not mean that iPads are entirely bad, as they can be used for educational games, shows and learning apps. Still, when used as a substitute for a guardian or babysitter, it becomes a problem, Ryan Lowe, a child psychotherapist and spokesperson for the Association of Child Psychotherapists said in an interview with Vice.
“They’re not learning the basic skills of patience and containing themselves long enough to manage something difficult or frustrating,” Lowe said.
If kids’ only way to manage is by the overstimulation of a screen, their imagination will be limited, they will never learn how to properly behave and handle difficult emotions or situations. Children need to be bored. They need to engage with others and the world around them to learn basic skills and form original thoughts.
The topic of iPad kids has been around for a while but a few months ago, 21-year-old Gabe Escobar posted a TikTok about how Gen Alpha is “bizarre and terribly behaved” and that Gen Z should promise not to raise another generation of iPad kids. This video blew up with over 20 million views and has received many responses from irritated Millenials and Gen Z agreeing. Gen Z has responded with their experiences as to how Gen Alpha is misbehaved, illiterate and super-glued to their screens.
Millennials have made comments and videos responding to Gen Z, saying that how they raise their children should be none of Gen Z’s concern. According to Millenials, Gen Z has no idea what they are talking about because they do not have kids of their own and would not understand parenting. Every generation up until this point has been raised without an iPad. Gen Z has witnessed Gen Alpha’s misbehavior in their younger siblings, cousins or even random kids making a fuss in public over a screen. This has made them realize how important it is that kids be raised like kids. They should be playing outside, drawing and reading. If they get bored, they should be able to find fun in anything, like cardboard boxes or watching raindrops race, using their imaginations.
Parents no longer know how to parent. Parenting is not giving your kids a screen since birth, this is lazy. Parenting is taking care of, bonding with and helping your children grow. As the next generation of parents, it is important that Gen Z promises to limit their kid’s screen time and raise kids who know how to be kids.
