Nowadays we see less kids playing outside and more kids indoors on many types of electronic devices, but the more I think about it, is it really the kids who are to blame or is it the parents?

I’m going to take a gamble and say it’s the parents. Parents are in full and total control when it comes to what their children are doing and how they are spending their free time. Many parents are finding it way easier to hand their kids devices such as iPads and smartphones as a means of distraction, so they can get done whatever they need to get done. There are even apps now that can apparently teach your kids manners, such as “A Quest For Good Manners,” which retails on iTunes for $1.99.

Is this what our world is really coming to? We are able to put a price of $1.99 on a child’s manners? I find it extremely important for parents to realize that it is their job to teach their children manners the right way, and no app can ever teach your child that. Parents should actually be spending time with their kids instead of trying to find ways to distract them.

We’ve all been to a restaurant where we are sitting next to a table with an angry child and five seconds into this child’s tantrum, the parents will more than likely hand them either a smartphone or an iPad. I mean how about actually learning to control your child the old fashioned way instead of trying to have a temporary fix.

But let’s not forget about all the children below 10 years of age who already own an iPhone. Kids nowadays don’t know how to tell time on an analog clock, but can download an app faster than someone who is three times their age.

What gets to me even more than the kids who own these devices are parents who get upset then these kids lose or damage these items. Obviously these kids are going to lose or damage these things. They shouldn’t even have them in the first place, this is their time to be playing Monopoly and coloring in coloring books.

But then there are so many parents who are complaining about things like childhood obesity. Kids no longer care if it’s a nice day outside and being active doesn’t sound like fun to them anymore. They are way too worried about what new game they can download on their iPad. Yes, I am completely aware that we live in a world where technology is growing at a very fast rate, but that does not mean that these devices should overcrowd other forms of activities. Remember this is not simply a matter of a child playing with a device, but more so a matter of their health and well-being, along with shaping the person they will be in the future.