Breaking Free: Parenting in the Age of Screens and Big Tech

Year after year, it becomes increasingly clear why cellphones are often referred to as such—they act as cells that imprison our children. We are witnessing an entire generation suffer as they become increasingly absorbed in screens. The majority seem more interested in their devices than in engaging with the world around them.

Big Tech companies have a profound influence on our youth, almost as if they are stealing their lives away. Apps like TikTok have a particularly devastating effect, with children spending four to five hours a day engrossed in content, often eager to return to the screen.

Parents find themselves in constant conflict with their kids over screen time, grappling with how to manage this pervasive technology. The power of Big Tech resembles that of a drug cartel, relentlessly pushing their products onto impressionable young minds. Unfortunately, many parents are inadvertently providing this "drug" by yielding to their children’s demands for more screen time.

Without established habits or adequate knowledge of how to navigate this technological landscape, parents often resort to screens as a substitute for meaningful parenting interactions. Today’s parenting conditions are exhausting; many parents are overwhelmed by their work commitments, striving to provide what they believe are essential resources for their children. However, this is leading to a cycle that may ultimately be detrimental, robbing children of vital experiences and connections that foster their development and well-being.

Children come through you, but they are not yours to possess. They should not be treated as future investments or property. Your primary responsibility is to help them feel free, not trapped. If you wish for your child to surpass you, focus on your own growth before guiding your kids. They need positive influences in their lives—not a domineering authority figure or a constant presence of screens. They require a parent who is truly free. Imprisoned parents cannot nurture a generation that will thrive in liberation.

May my book “Threads for Life” guide you to walk the journey!