The Death of Daydreaming

Parent of 5 and 3 year-olds here - absolutely. We don't own a tablet and the most my kids really know how to do is turn the TV to a show or two they like (relax, everyone, I'll be teaching them how to use tech when their lives actually warrant the need). They're wonders at restaurants, can sit there for an hour plus without any screens and they're great - hell, I went to a pretty nice spot for my birthday recently that took 2.5 hours and they crushed it, we all had an absolute blast.

Our phones stay in my wife's home office during the day, since we want to model not staring at them.

They come to my work sometimes, and I've had a few people express how they're impressed when they watch them entertain themselves, and my response is always, "They have to learn how to be bored".

Parent of a 5 year old here, and it sounds like we run a similar household. I am very proud of my daughter for being able to go an hour or 2 anywhere with little external stimulation. She engages in the adult conversation, and often makes interesting observations which we enjoy chatting about. She never asks for a screen when we are out anywhere.

I am often surprised when we are out at restuarants and cafes, and other kids that age are staring into tablets with their headphones on. How are these kids going to develop adult social skills when they are oblivious to them going on around them?

Also car journeys. We enjoy things like playing I-spy, and singing along to songs together. I would hate it so much if my kid was glued to a tablet watching stuff.

Boredom is very very important for a childs development. I feel that the reduction in kids boredom time is a big reason we are experiencing epidemics of mental health revolving around concepts such as FOMO and personal image.

Wonderful! At the risk of sounding like I'm tooting my own horn, that 2.5-hour meal I referenced was bookended by a 2-hour drive each way. Just a bit of music in the car, but plenty of great conversation with our family and my parents - observing the world around them, asking questions, singing along, being silly together. It was a tremendously cup-filling afternoon/evening with nary a screen in sight.

I love your point about social interactions, too - we'll tiptoe around certain subjects occasionally, but for the most part I love when they (especially my oldest, but only because my youngest is still coming out of the toddler phase) listen in and ask questions and try to understand what we're chatting about. It always reminds me of being a kid and thinking it was super cool to be able to hang with the grown-ups and learn about whatever they're chatting about.