As a new parent, I am endlessly being exposed to new tools toys and equipment meant to simplify the life of me and my daughter. It is almost universally the worst. What compounds my distrust of these things is the fact that for each one of them, there’s a mirrored tip trick or toy from before my time as a parent that while once wildly popular, has since been revealed to be damaging, dangerous, or both. 

Beyond the unintended consequences of such things, their intended consequences are also not great. 

What appears to be the sole intention of nearly all children’s products, from toys to TV shows, is that you can pay less attention to your child. While I understand that time is at a premium for most parents, myself included, the sheer volume of distracting or diverting devices is disturbing.

Our goal should not be distracting ourselves, from our children, or from the world. But to be totally present is painful, I distract myself plenty, but I know it’s bad. 

I’m going to smash my phone with a rock, and maybe this computer too.