While going through some old boxes I found this book from 1991. The "Over 500,000 copies sold" sticker reminded me that parents worrying about kids spending too much time on screens is nothing new!
Back then, there were no on-demand shows or personalization algorithms, and TV screens were stuck in just one room! But the struggle was real. The thousands of articles and books published since on how to set healthy boundaries for children's screentime is astounding, and such a strong signal about the addictive nature of most activities served up on our screens.
I'm not really a fan of talking about 'screen time' because digital spaces are just another environment, and it all depends on exactly what we do there. The nuance is essential. But the point is, this book was popular 33 years ago, we were already aware of the issue, and yet things have only gotten harder.
