No mincing of words here, but rather an honest description of their accidental existential situation, what parents don’t want to face straight up. Indeed, Rowan dares to confront rather than evade the reality of family life today, refusing to hem and haw about the “good” and the “inevitable” of screens in the daily life of the family. Most compelling and disturbing is her description on parents’ quasi autonomic actions in direct opposition to their stated intentions, so that while they claim dedication to breaking their cycle of addiction they celebrate the purchase of the family’s fourth “big screen” TV.

http://movingtolearn.ca/2014/arousal-addictions-the-final-frontier-for-families

From Chris Rowan:

“Working with families who overuse or are addicted to technology, has been an eye opener into a world of child deprivation, isolation, and neglect. Moms obsessed with Facebook and Pinterest and Dads immersed in video games and porn are leaving children on their own to fend for themselves. Seemingly safe and happy hiding behind screens, today’s tech families are actually sliding down a slippery slope toward addictions without a care in the world.”

[ . . . ]

“Thinking they are preparing their young child for the future by handing them a device, today’s parents appear oblivious to the damage their deprivation and neglect wreaks on their children. Gone are family outings, regular meal times, naps, and anything that even resembles meaningful conversation.”

[ . . . ]

“Humanity’s desensitization to sexual and physical violence intensifies, cyberbullying, fights, swearing, rapes, and violent crimes committed by children escalate. Prolific and unrestricted technology use by today’s family has resulted in whole family arousal addictions, indicating we may have reached the final frontier in family dysfunction.”

Cris Rowan is an occupational therapist and child development expert living in Sechelt, British Columbia. She is the founder of of Zone’In Inc.