Children Under 12 Should Avoid Gadgets

George Reynolds — September 9, 2024

Why Kids Under 12 Should Keep Gadgets at Arm's Length

Right, parents. We all know the drill—your kid throws a wobbly in the supermarket, and before you can say “calm down,” they’ve got your phone and are knee-deep in Candy Crush. But here’s the thing: kids under 12 should be giving gadgets the cold shoulder. Why, you ask? Let me tell you in a way even your nan would understand.


First off, have you ever seen a zombie? No, not the slow ones from that telly show. I mean the wide-eyed stare of a kid glued to a screen, totally disconnected from the world around them. Give ‘em five minutes with a tablet, and they’ll forget you even exist. You could dangle a plate of chips in front of them, and they’d still be lost in Roblox. It’s mad! Kids need real-life mates, not virtual ones. They should be climbing trees, not leaderboards.


And then there’s the whole brain thing. Their noggins are still developing, like an unbaked Yorkshire pud. Chuck too much screen time into the mix, and they end up frazzled. Studies say too much gadget time messes with their sleep, attention, and creativity. Next thing you know, they’re bouncing off the walls at bedtime like they've necked five Red Bulls. Not ideal, right?


Let’s not forget social skills. Kids are meant to be out there mucking about with other kids, learning how to share, fight, make up, and steal each other’s sweets. You know, the important stuff. Stuck behind a screen, they miss out on all that.



So, parents, it’s time to give your kid’s gadgets a timeout. Let them enjoy the world, muck about, and scrape a knee or two. They'll be much happier—and you’ll get your phone back. Win-win!

By Artemio A. Dumlao • October 19, 2026
Billions of pesos in public infrastructure contracts os central in the plunder probe against Cagayan Rep. Joseph Lasam Lara and his family, with investigators examining alleged financial ties to construction firms doing business with the government.
By Artemio A. Dumlao • October 16, 2026
The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal from service Urdaneta City, Pangasinan Mayor Julio Fernandez Parayno III, Vice Mayor Jimmy Dereje Parayno, and six city councilors over consolidated administrative complaints involving their alleged defiance of a presidential suspension order.
By Artemio A. Dumlao • October 16, 2026
A proposed law creating the Cordillera Autonomous Region drew calls for rejection this Tuesday, with ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio and Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) chair Windel Bolinget warning it could undermine Indigenous self-determination and local control over natural resources.