Screentime — a phrase that has become laden with all sorts of panic

Screentime — a phrase that has become laden with all sorts of panic, writes Colm O’Regan.

It joins Video Nasties, Computer Games, PhoneBox Vandals, Glue, Tippex and many others on the list of things down through the years that Parents Are Terrified About And If They Don’t Do Something People Will Think They’re A Bad Parent.

“I’m trying to reduce their screentime.” The fear is that the child will be some sort of a seven-year-old Gollum whose eyes blaze and bulge when you try to take their device from them. Then they wheedle and entreat before finally attacking you in your sleep with a weaponised teddy in order to force you to hand over the key to the Phone Safe.