"A friend of mine had just traveled across the country to see his family when he texted me, deeply concerned. The chaos of holiday travel is always a drag, but usually, it was offset by getting a break and watching his kids spend quality time with their grandparents. But this year was different, he said: "They were just absorbed in their phones a lot of the time, and distant." He wasn't talking about the kids, but the grandparents."
"I've heard similar anecdotes in recent years-adult children worried about their parents slipping into screen addiction as they age. Stories like this pervade the internet. (One representative thread from the Millennials Subreddit: "Are all of our parents addicted to their phones?") These accounts are striking in part because they mirror the concerns parents have been expressing for years about their children-that young minds are being influenced and warped by devices designed to seize and capitalize on their attention."
Many adult children report parents absorbed in phones during family gatherings, appearing distant and inattentive. Reports include grandparents mindlessly scrolling, playing games while grandchildren seek attention, and households with multiple devices blaring simultaneously. Observers liken the phenomenon to screen-time concerns historically focused on children, noting a 'phone-based retirement' where aging adults exhibit reduced attention spans and compulsive use. Anecdotal evidence from online forums and personal messages suggests the issue is widespread, provoking worry about social disconnection, diminished intergenerational interaction, and the persuasive power of tech designs aimed at capturing attention.
Read at The Atlantic
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