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For today’s children, going online is not a special event. It is part of everyday life. A new report from Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, “Growing Up Online: Parenting Young Children in the Digital Age,” examines how children ages 3 to 10 use digital technology and how parents are trying to manage the risks, benefits, and pressures that come with it. The report is based on a nationally representative survey of 2,008 Australian parents and caregivers conducted in September 2025. It focused on children’s internet use outside school, preschool, and formal childcare settings. The results show that the question facing parents is no longer whether young children will use the internet. The real question is how families can help children use it safely, intentionally, and without allowing online activities to crowd out the rest of childhood. Nearly Every Young Child Has Been Online According to the survey, 97% of children ages 3 to 10 had been online at some point, and 94% had used the internet during the four weeks before the survey. Children commonly accessed the internet through: Tablets Smart televisions Smartphones Gaming consoles Computers Smart home devices More than half of parents, 57%, reported that their child had at least one internet-connected device of their own. Device ownership increased significantly with age. Only 29% of children ages 3 to 4 had their own device, compared with 83% of children ages 9 to 10. This rapid increase in access means that digital parenting must begin well before the teenage years. By the time many families start thinking seriously about online safety, children may already have years of experience using connected devices. Children Go Online for More Than Entertainment Entertainment was the most common reason children used the internet. Ninety-six percent of parents whose children had been online said their child used it for fun. However, children were also going online to: Learn new things Complete homework Find information Communicate with family Maintain friendships Listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks Explore personal interests Seventy-one percent used the internet for learning, while 42% used it to find information and 42% used it for homework. Nearly three-quarters had used an educational game, website, or app. The reasons changed as children grew older. Among children ages 9 to 10, 69% used the internet for homework, 61% used it to find information, and approximately half used it for communication or social connection. This is an important distinction. Not all online activity serves the same purpose. Watching an endless stream of recommended videos is different from video-calling a grandparent, researching a favorite animal, listening to an audiobook, or completing a school assignment. Parents may therefore get more useful results by looking at what children are doing online, not simply counting every minute of screen use as though it were identical. Social Media and AI Are Reaching Children Early One of the report’s more striking findings is how early children are encountering technologies commonly associated with teenagers and adults. Almost one-third of parents, 31%, reported that their child had used a social media platform or app such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, or Snapchat. Most accessed these platforms through someone else’s account or without an account, although 6% reportedly had their own social media profile. Social media use increased with age. Sixteen percent of children ages 3 to 4 had used a mainstream social media platform, compared with 41% of children ages 9 to 10. Newer technology is also becoming part of childhood. Fifteen percent of parents said their child had used an artificial intelligence assistant or companion, while 10% said their child had used a virtual reality headset. Among children ages 9 to 10, 25% had used an AI assistant or companion. These findings suggest that conversations about algorithms, AI-generated information, advertising, privacy, and online influence may need to begin earlier than many adults expect. Parents See Real Benefits Although parents often expressed anxiety about their children going online, they also recognized that digital technology can provide meaningful benefits. When given a list of possible benefits, 96% of parents whose children had been online identified at least one positive outcome. The most commonly reported benefits were: Having fun or relaxing Learning letters, words, numbers, or reading skills Learning about the world Exploring hobbies and interests Developing creativity Building digital skills Staying connected with family and friends Seventy-four percent said the internet helped their child have fun or relax. The same percentage said it helped with learning or understanding the world, and 74% reported benefits involving interests, hobbies, or creativity. The benefits also changed with age. Parents of younger children were more likely to report improvements in foundational literacy and number skills. Parents of older children were more likely to report benefits involving exploration, digital skills, and social connection. The report does not support the idea that digital media is entirely harmful or entirely beneficial. Its findings point toward a more realistic conclusion: the value of online activity depends on the child, the content, the context, and how adults support the experience. The Internet Has Become a Parenting Tool The research also recognizes a reality that is often missing from debates about children and screen time: parents sometimes need digital technology to get through the day. About two-thirds of parents said they had used the internet at least once a week to occupy their child while they took a break or had some downtime. A similar percentage used it while working from home or completing household chores. Parents also used online content to support household routines. Forty-six percent had used music, podcasts, audiobooks, or meditation apps at least once a week to help their child wind down or sleep. At the same time, 64% had regularly used the internet to have fun or connect with their child, including playing games or looking at content together. Parents should not be made to feel guilty for occasionally using a screen so they can cook dinner, finish a work call, care for another child, or simply take a breath. The report specifically calls for practical, accessible, and nonjudgmental guidance that recognizes the competing demands families face. Parents Are Worried, and Often Overwhelmed When parents were asked how they felt about their children being online, 67% initially described negative feelings, particularly worry and anxiety. Nearly two-thirds identified at least one challenge associated with their child’s internet use. The most common concern was that online activities interfered with other parts of life. Parents reported that internet use had: Interfered with other activities, 48% Created family conflict, 22% Exposed children to age-inappropriate content, 22% Contributed to emotional difficulties, 15% More than half were at least somewhat concerned about the amount of time their child had recently spent online. These concerns became more common as children grew older and gained greater access to personal devices, social media, gaming, messaging, and independent browsing. Most Parents Are Already Taking Safety Steps Parents are not ignoring the risks. Among families whose children could access an internet-connected device at home: 95% had at least one rule governing device use. 77% used at least one parental control. 74% monitored activities such as app downloads or search history. 87% had proactively discussed online safety with their child. However, 73% still found helping their child stay safe online at least somewhat challenging. Parents were also less likely to discuss certain complicated subjects. Only 33% had talked about what to do after seeing sexual images online, and 31% had discussed how algorithms influence what people see. Parental controls and restrictions remain useful, but they cannot replace communication. Children eventually use devices outside direct adult supervision. They need to understand why safety rules exist and know that they can ask for help without automatically losing access or getting into trouble. Five Practical Lessons for Families 1. Start online safety conversations early Online safety should not begin with one serious conversation when a child receives a phone. It can begin with simple lessons for preschoolers: “Tell me if something makes you scared.” “Do not share your name or address.” “Ask before clicking a new video or game.” As children mature, these conversations can expand to privacy, advertising, misinformation, algorithms, online friendships, AI, and harmful content. 2. Watch, play, and explore together Co-viewing and co-playing allow parents to understand what their children enjoy while creating natural opportunities to discuss safety. The report recommends regular joint engagement because it can improve the quality of children’s digital experiences and make them more comfortable speaking up when something goes wrong. 3. Create predictable routines Rules work better when they are consistent and understandable. Families might establish device-free meals, charging stations outside bedrooms, limits on autoplay, or specific times when entertainment screens are available. A written family technology agreement can help children participate in setting expectations rather than simply receiving orders. The eSafety Commissioner provides both family technology agreements and conversation resources for parents. 4. Protect important offline activities Instead of focusing exclusively on a precise daily screen-time number, parents can watch for displacement. Is online activity interfering with: Sleep? Reading? Outdoor activity? Family conversation? School responsibilities? Creative play? In-person friendships? The study found that interference with other activities was parents’ most commonly reported challenge. The goal is not necessarily to remove every screen. It is to make sure screens do not consume the parts of childhood that cannot be replaced. 5. Adjust the approach as children grow Younger children generally benefit from close supervision, simple rules, shared use, and predictable routines. Older children need increasing involvement in decisions about balance, privacy, healthy digital habits, and help-seeking. They may also need more direct conversations about social media, messaging, online strangers, algorithms, AI, and emotionally manipulative content. Parents Cannot Carry the Entire Burden The report makes another critical point: keeping children safe online cannot be the responsibility of parents alone. Technology companies must build safer products, improve moderation, simplify parental controls, and make the strongest privacy and safety protections the default for children. Parents should not need advanced technical knowledge to prevent a young child from encountering inappropriate content. Families can set rules and teach good habits, but platforms still control the algorithms, product designs, privacy settings, and recommendation systems children encounter. Finding a Healthier Digital Balance Children’s online and offline lives are no longer completely separate. Digital technology can support education, creativity, communication, relaxation, and family connection. It can also contribute to conflict, distraction, inappropriate exposure, and the loss of time for other important activities. The answer is not panic, shame, or the expectation of perfect parenting. It is ongoing involvement. Parents can create safer digital habits by remaining curious about what their children do online, setting developmentally appropriate boundaries, sharing digital experiences, protecting screen-free routines, and making sure children know they can ask for help. The internet will continue to change. The most important protection parents can give children is not a single setting or restriction. It is a strong, open relationship that allows online safety conversations to grow along with them.

Most conversations about children and technology focus on how much time kids spend looking at screens. But new research raises another important question: How does a parent’s phone use affect a child who is trying to connect with them? A 2026 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that teenagers who perceived their caregivers as frequently distracted by phones and other devices were also more likely to report insecure attachment to those caregivers. The association appeared in relationships with both mother-like and father-like caregivers. The study does not prove that checking a phone causes attachment problems. However, it adds to growing evidence that what researchers call parental technoference may affect how children experience attention, availability and emotional connection at home. What Is Parental Technoference? “Technoference” describes situations in which technology interrupts or interferes with an in-person relationship. A related term, “phubbing,” combines “phone” and “snubbing” and refers to ignoring someone in favor of a phone. A parent can be physically in the same room as their child while appearing mentally somewhere else. Researchers sometimes describe this experience as “absent presence.” This might happen when a parent: Checks notifications while a child is talking Scrolls during dinner or family time Answers messages throughout a child’s performance or activity Continues looking at a device when a child asks for attention Regularly interrupts conversations to respond to the phone These moments may seem small to an adult, especially when the phone is being used for work, scheduling or family responsibilities. But repeated interruptions may feel different from a child’s perspective. What Did the Study Examine? The researchers surveyed 600 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 from the general U.S. population. Participants answered questions about their primary caregiver’s device habits and their own relationship with that caregiver. The teenagers rated statements such as: Their caregiver’s device use negatively affects their relationship Their caregiver ignores them while using a device Their caregiver does not spend enough time with them because of device use They feel unimportant when their caregiver will not put down a device They have conflicts with their caregiver about device use The researchers used these responses to evaluate a new measurement tool called the Device Attachment Interference Scale, or DAIS. They then compared the results with measures of anxious and avoidant attachment. What Did the Researchers Find? Higher levels of perceived caregiver device interference were significantly associated with higher levels of both anxious and avoidant attachment. The pattern was found among teenagers who identified a mother-like figure as their primary caregiver and among those who identified a father-like figure. The researchers controlled for the adolescents’ age and gender in their analysis. In practical terms, adolescents who felt that devices repeatedly competed for their caregiver’s attention were more likely to describe relationship patterns involving emotional insecurity. Anxious attachment may involve: Worrying about whether a caregiver is emotionally available Seeking frequent reassurance Feeling uncertain about the strength of the relationship Becoming especially sensitive to signs of rejection or inattention Avoidant attachment may involve: Becoming emotionally distant Avoiding dependence on a caregiver Hesitating to ask for comfort or support Learning to expect that bids for attention will not be answered The study’s central issue was not simply how many hours parents used their phones. It was whether teenagers felt that a device made their caregiver less attentive, less responsive or less available when connection was needed. Nearly Half of Teens Notice Distracted Parenting The new findings reflect an experience many families already recognize. A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that 46% of teenagers said a parent was at least sometimes distracted by a phone while the teen was trying to talk to them. Parents viewed their own habits more favorably, with 31% saying this happened regularly. An earlier Pew survey found that 68% of parents said they were at least sometimes distracted by their smartphone while spending time with their children. Parents are not necessarily choosing their phones over their children intentionally. Smartphones now function as workstations, calendars, cameras, maps, news sources, banking tools and communication devices. The problem may be less about owning or using a phone and more about allowing it to interrupt the moments when children are seeking attention and connection. What the Research Does Not Prove This study should not be interpreted as proof that parental phone use directly causes insecure attachment. The researchers clearly identified several limitations: The study was cross-sectional, meaning information was collected at one point in time. The results show an association, not cause and effect. Both device interference and attachment were reported by the adolescents themselves. Teenagers who already feel insecure may be more sensitive to parental distraction. Other family or relationship factors may influence both attachment and perceptions of phone use. The new Device Attachment Interference Scale requires additional validation. The researchers also noted that some questions about emotional reactions to device use may partially overlap with questions measuring anxious attachment. Longer-term studies involving parents, adolescents and direct observations of family interactions will be needed. The responsible conclusion is not that every phone interruption damages a child. It is that frequent perceived inattention was meaningfully connected with how teenagers described the security of their caregiver relationship. Five Ways Parents Can Reduce Phone Distraction Parents do not need to abandon technology. A more realistic goal is to protect certain interactions from unnecessary interruption. 1. Respond to bids for attention When a child says, “Look at this,” asks a question or begins telling a story, pause before checking the phone. Not every conversation can happen immediately. When attention must be delayed, acknowledge the child directly: “I need two minutes to finish this message, and then I want to hear the whole story.” A clear response is different from appearing not to notice. 2. Establish phone-free family moments Designate a few predictable times when phones are put away or silenced. These might include: Family meals Bedtime routines Reading time School pickup Short car trips The first few minutes after arriving home Important conversations The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends creating screen-free zones and times, including family meals and bedtime, to support face-to-face connection, learning and sleep. 3. Turn off unnecessary notifications Every sound, banner and vibration creates a small invitation to leave the current conversation. Use “Do Not Disturb,”

A Book Every Parent Is Talking About Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, has become one of the most talked-about parenting and mental health books in recent years. The reason is simple: it names something many parents, grandparents, teachers, and caregivers have been feeling for a while. Childhood has changed. Kids are spending less time playing outside, less time exploring the real world, less time in face-to-face conversation, and more time inside a digital world designed to hold their attention. Haidt argues that the rise of smartphones and social media has not just changed how kids communicate. It has changed how they grow up. You can buy The Anxious Generation here or view the book’s official website at AnxiousGeneration.com. What Is The Anxious Generation About? At the center of The Anxious Generation is Haidt’s argument that childhood shifted from a “play-based childhood” to a “phone-based childhood.” In a play-based childhood, kids learn through real-world experience. They climb, run, argue, make up, take small risks, get bored, solve problems, and build confidence away from constant adult supervision. In a phone-based childhood, much of that development moves onto screens. Kids spend more time scrolling, messaging, comparing, consuming, and reacting. Instead of free play, they get feeds. Instead of boredom, they get algorithms. Instead of independence, they get constant connection but not always the kind of connection that helps them feel grounded. Haidt’s point is not that technology is evil. His argument is more specific: smartphones and social media arrived so quickly that families, schools, and communities never had time to build healthy guardrails around them. Why Parents Are Paying Attention Parents do not need a research paper to know something feels off. Many can see it at home. Kids are more distracted. Bedtime is harder. Reading stamina is shorter. Anxiety feels more common. Family conversations compete with notifications. Even young children who do not have their own phones are growing up in homes where phones are always nearby. The public-health world has also been raising concerns. The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health states that we do not yet have enough evidence to say social media is sufficiently safe for children and adolescents. The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey has also tracked serious concerns around teen sadness, hopelessness, and mental health. The American Psychological Association has taken a balanced view: social media can offer benefits for some teens, but it can also expose adolescents to harmful content, social comparison, sleep disruption, cyberbullying, and addictive design. That is what makes The Anxious Generation so useful. It takes a feeling many adults have and gives it structure, language, and a set of practical next steps. Haidt’s Four Big Recommendations One of the clearest parts of the book is Haidt’s call for new cultural norms. These are not just private rules for individual households. They are community-level changes that work best when parents, schools, and families act together. According to the official Anxious Generation movement site, Haidt recommends: 1. No Smartphones Before High School This does not necessarily mean no phone at all. It means delaying full internet-connected smartphones. A basic phone can still let kids contact parents without giving them constant access to apps, social media, and the open internet. For parents, this recommendation can be a relief. Many families feel pressured to give kids smartphones earlier than they want because “everyone else has one.” Haidt’s point is that parents need a shared standard so no one family has to fight that battle alone. 2. No Social Media Before 16 Social media is not just a communication tool. It is also a system of public comparison, popularity metrics, algorithmic content, and constant feedback. For adults, that can be stressful enough. For kids and young teens, whose brains and identities are still developing, it can be overwhelming. Delaying social media gives children more time to develop confidence, friendships, emotional regulation, and a sense of self before entering an environment built around comparison and performance. 3. Phone-Free Schools A phone-free school day gives kids a break from the digital world. It also gives teachers a better chance to teach and students a better chance to focus. This recommendation matters because even when kids are not actively using their phones, the presence of the phone can divide attention. Notifications, group chats, social pressure, and the fear of missing out do not stop just because class starts. A phone-free school is not anti-technology. It is pro-attention. 4. More Independence, Free Play, and Responsibility in the Real World This may be the most hopeful part of Haidt’s message. The solution is not just taking something away. It is giving something back. Kids need more real-world freedom. They need time to play, explore, create, help, build, read, wander, imagine, and solve small problems without a screen mediating every moment. That does not mean ignoring safety. It means understanding that independence is part of healthy development. Children build resilience by doing real things in the real world. Why This Matters for Reading and Family Connection At Read To Me, we believe childhood needs more connection, not more noise. Books are one of the simplest ways to create that connection. Reading with a child slows the room down. It gives a child your voice, your attention, your rhythm, and your presence. It creates a small pocket of calm in a world that constantly asks kids to swipe, scroll, and move on. That is one reason conversations around The Anxious Generation matter so much. The answer to screen overload is not just restriction. It is replacement. Replace scrolling with stories.Replace background noise with conversation.Replace passive entertainment with imagination.Replace digital distraction with real connection. A child does not need every moment optimized. Sometimes they need a lap, a book, a familiar voice, and a few quiet minutes where no one is competing with a screen. What Families Can Do Today You do not have to overhaul your entire home overnight. Small changes matter. Create Phone-Free Rituals Start with one part of the day. Dinner. Bedtime. The ride to school. Sunday morning. A nightly reading routine. The goal is not perfection. The goal is to protect a few moments where your child gets your full attention. Delay the Smartphone Conversation If your child is asking for a phone, talk with other parents. The pressure becomes easier when families agree together. Haidt’s recommendations work best when communities create shared expectations. You can also explore the parent resources at AnxiousGeneration.com/take-action. Make Reading a Screen-Free Anchor A reading routine gives kids something predictable and calming. It builds language, attention, imagination, and emotional connection. For grandparents, parents who travel, deployed service members, separated families, or caregivers who cannot always be there at bedtime, a recorded voice can still make storytime feel personal. That is the heart behind the Read To Me Recordable Book Buddy: helping families turn any children’s picture book into a personalized read along experience, using the voice of someone the child loves. Give Kids More Real-World Responsibility Let kids help cook. Let them carry the library books. Let them build something, decorate something, mail something, walk somewhere age-appropriate, or make a plan. Confidence does not come from being protected from every challenge. It comes from discovering, “I can do this.” Model the Behavior This is the hard one. Kids notice when adults say “too much screen time” while checking their own phones all evening. Family screen habits work better when everyone participates. A phone basket, a bedtime charging station outside the bedroom, or a shared reading hour can help make the change feel like a family decision instead of a punishment. The Bigger Takeaway The Anxious Generation is not just a book about phones. It is a book about childhood. It asks an uncomfortable question: What have kids lost as screens have taken up more of their time, attention, and emotional lives? But it also offers a hopeful answer. Families can reclaim real-world childhood. Schools can protect attention. Parents can coordinate instead of going it alone. Kids can have more freedom, more play, more responsibility, more books, more face-to-face connection, and more time to become themselves without a screen constantly pulling them away. For any parent, grandparent, teacher, or caregiver trying to understand childhood anxiety, screen time, social media, and the need for healthier family routines, The Anxious Generation is worth reading. You can buy The Anxious Generation here or learn more at the official book site, AnxiousGeneration.com. Related Resources Buy The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt Official The Anxious Generation website Parent Action Guide from AnxiousGeneration.com U.S. Surgeon General Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results American Psychological Association Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence Read To Me Recordable Book Buddy

Kids have more screens competing for their attention than ever. Tablets, phones, streaming apps, and games are everywhere. But one of the most powerful tools for a child’s development is still simple: hearing someone they love read a story. Reading aloud helps children build language, listening skills, vocabulary, and emotional connection. Reach Out and Read notes that reading aloud supports language development and early literacy, while Reading Rockets highlights how shared reading strengthens family bonds and helps children connect with stories in a meaningful way. That is where the Read To Me Recordable Book Buddy comes in. The Read To Me Recordable Book Buddy is a screen-free recording device that attaches to any children’s picture book and turns it into a personalized read along experience. A parent, grandparent, deployed service member, aunt, uncle, teacher, or loved one can record themselves reading a child’s favorite story. Then the child can press the buttons and hear that familiar voice again and again. Why Hearing a Loved One Read Is Different A screen can play a story. But it cannot replace a familiar voice. Children know the sound of the people who love them. That voice can make bedtime calmer, storytime more personal, and reading feel less like a task and more like a shared moment. Reading Rockets explains that reading aloud helps children hear fluent, expressive reading, builds vocabulary, and shows kids what reading for pleasure sounds like. When that reading comes from someone a child knows, the story becomes more than words on a page. It becomes connection. That is especially important for: Grandparents who live far away Parents who travel for work Military families separated by deployment Divorced or separated parents Aunts, uncles, and family friends Teachers and caregivers Families looking for a screen-free bedtime routine The Book Buddy gives children a way to hear those voices even when the person cannot be in the room. A Screen-Free Alternative That Still Feels Personal The American Academy of Pediatrics has moved away from a simple one-size-fits-all screen time limit and now encourages families to focus on healthy media habits, family relationships, and balance. That matters because parents are not just looking for “less screen time.” They are looking for better alternatives. The Recordable Book Buddy gives families a practical way to make reading more engaging without using an app, tablet, phone, or Wi-Fi. It attaches to a children’s book, includes 21 recordable buttons, and lets loved ones record page-by-page narration. No subscription.No screen.No app.Just the child, the book, and a voice they love. A Better Gift for Grandparents and Long-Distance Families Many families want gifts that feel personal instead of disposable. The Book Buddy works especially well as a grandparent gift for kids because it lets grandparents record themselves reading any favorite picture book. Instead of sending only a toy, a grandparent can send their voice. That makes the Book Buddy a strong gift for: Birthdays Holidays Baby showers First birthdays Preschool graduation Kindergarten readiness Military homecomings and deployments Long-distance family connection For families separated by distance, a recorded story can become part of a child’s everyday routine. How the Recordable Book Buddy Works The Read To Me Recordable Book Buddy is designed to be simple. Choose any children’s picture book. Attach the Book Buddy to the back cover. Place the matching page stickers inside the book. Record each page or spread onto a button. Let the child press the buttons and hear the story read aloud. Because it works with any book, families are not locked into one title or one publisher. They can record a bedtime favorite, a holiday book, a classroom book, a family photo book, or a book from a local independent bookstore. The Book Buddy is available at RecordableBookBuddy.com, over 140 independent bookstores, and major online retailers. Why It Helps Build Reading Habits Children are more likely to enjoy reading when books feel warm, familiar, and personal. A recorded story can help make books part of the daily rhythm. Reading aloud exposes children to richer language and vocabulary than everyday conversation alone. Reading Rockets notes that children can listen at a higher language level than they can read, which helps them access more complex ideas and language patterns. That is one reason a personalized read along experience can be so valuable. It lets children revisit the same book repeatedly while hearing natural expression, pacing, and emotion from someone they know. Repeated listening can help children: Follow along with printed words Build familiarity with story structure Hear new vocabulary in context Develop listening comprehension Feel more confident around books Associate reading with comfort and connection The Bottom Line The best children’s products do more than entertain. They help families connect. The Read To Me Recordable Book Buddy gives kids a screen-free way to hear a loved one read any children’s book, anytime. It supports reading routines, encourages connection, and makes storytime more personal. For families who want a meaningful alternative to another screen-based toy, the Book Buddy offers something simple and lasting: Your voice. Their favorite story.

In a world full of screens and endless distractions, few things are as grounding—or as meaningful—as sitting down with a child and opening a real book. Reading together isn’t just about literacy. It’s about connection, comfort, and creating memories that last far beyond childhood.

Time has a funny way of slipping through our fingers. One day you’re teaching your child how to tie their shoes, and the next they’re grabbing the car keys and heading out the door. While we can’t slow down time, we can make the most of it—by being intentional about creating moments that matter.