Screen Dependencies (Vlog Post)

So, I'll be honest - I missed the bulk of the smartphone and tablet wave that swept through society 3 or 4 years ago. Before my mission, everyone had flip or slide phones; after it, everyone had smartphones and was crazy about games like Angry Birds. Now, I don't feel like "smart" devices are bad; however, they are very powerful devices. They have a lot of potential to suck us in and consume our time and attention if we aren't careful. But, in my opinion, even worse than the adults consumed by their screens are the children who are being raised by their parents' "smart" devices. I'm not just advocating less screen time for kids - though I do think that is a good idea. But it just saddens me to see parents who must resort to their tablet or phone to keep children quiet and behaved. What are we teaching children who must play Angry Birds in order to behave during church meetings? If we show our kids that they cannot be happy without a screen in front of them, we are setting them up to fail in life.