Today, many children are growing up in the glow of a screen, says the writer.
A FEW days ago, a Florida teenager reached a settlement with YouTube after claiming that the platform had harmed his mental health. The details remain confidential, and no admission of wrongdoing was made. However, beneath the legal arguments lies a far more uncomfortable question, one that should concern every South African parent, educator and policymaker.
Who is really raising our children?
Increasingly, the answer may be algorithms.
There was a time when childhood was shaped by grandparents, neighbours, teachers and communities. Children climbed trees, got bored, made mistakes and learned to navigate disappointment in the messy, beautiful unpredictability of life.
