We all readily recognize the tremendous upside that these devices offer, however I have concerns on many fronts: its solitary nature impedes the development of social skills, its often sedentary nature invites weight gain, and the "always plugged" and "shackled to a device" aspects can vastly reduce downtime, those moments where you're just reflective, lost in thought. And it's the opportunity costs, what else could the user have been doing, or not doing. I really fear for the development of so many young users. They don't know what they're missing and they don't know the potential harm that they may be experiencing. Perhaps my fears are overstated, I hope so. I do believe that parents best take this seriously, educate themselves, and set limits for their children. This is new territory and each month and year brings forth new technological developments. Ten years ago we didn't know what Facebook and Twitter were. What's around the corner? I fear the old folks (define old as you wish) are ill-equipped to keep up. This isn't our father's black and white upgrade to color. Perhaps I watched too much of the British series, Black Mirror. Or perhaps I've seen too many screen-entranced, zombie-like teenagers at the mall.

Peter T.