Electronic devices at Kid Zone

Each Friday at Kid Zone we have "Fun Friday". On Friday we find some activity to do with the kids that is different than any other day and is fun to do. In the past we have done movie day, root beer float day, picnic day etc... But with each activity on Friday we also have "electronic day". The kids are allowed to bring whatever electronic device that they have and play with it. The first Friday that I worked I was surprised on how many kids have electronic devices and not even "child" devices such as a flip phone but these kids have iPhone and tablets and laptops. The kids have more electronic devices than I have and more expensive ones than I even have. This generation of kids and the generation in general is electronic obsessed. We all have to have our "smart" phone and have the latest one.

The part that concerns me is these kids start playing their devices and their eyes just glaze over and they will play these games for hours and when you tell them to put it away it becomes a fight. The kids are missing out on playing outside with the balls and equipment because they sit in the shade and just play on their devices and do not look up.

This is my opinion and I would never push my opinion on any other parent or person but I think that letting these kids have electronic devices at school and all the time access is not the healthiest for their development. I love distracting some kids with a movie or a game for a half hour while I do chores or as a reward but I do not think they should have access to it 24/7. These kids are also going on inappropriate sites for their ages and it is not healthy for their development. I think with the right amount of supervision and limited use electronics can be good. But it is crazy to see a kindergartner able to pull up a YouTube video and start sending it to friends using social sites that they have accounts on. Just blows my mind on how young they are and what they are capable of doing.