THE INSTANT BABYSITTER
Why the dependence on electronics? Instant gratification, instant babysitter, instant peace and quiet, instant ability for the adult in question to dash off an email or put dinner on. Last year, New York Times tech blogger David Pogue wrote that he had become concerned about his six-year-old’s possible addiction to the iPad. Pogue wrote that his son asked for the device “constantly” and became “bizarrely upset” when the iPad was taken away from him. But still, he was allowed to use it. “Let’s face it,” wrote Pogue,“when he’s on the iPad, he’s happy. He’s quiet. He’s engaged.” He took it further: “The iPad is a magic electronic babysitter that creates instant peace in the household.”
