We Took Away Their Screen Time…But Turned Them Into Content Creators

We Took Away Their Screen Time…But Turned Them Into Content Creators

I completely understand why young parents don’t want their babies having screen time. When Elliot was little, my daughter-in-law didn’t want us letting her watch television, play games on our phones, or sit around staring at a screen—and I was 100% on board.

Honestly, I thought it was one of the coolest things ever.

For the longest time, Elliot couldn’t have cared less about the television. She didn’t want our phones, she wasn’t interested in games, and she wasn’t begging to watch videos.

Then Paw Patrol came along.

Now she’s two years old, and those puppies have officially entered the building. She loves them. But honestly, that’s not even the funny part.

Here we are trying so hard not to give these children screen time, while they watch every adult around them live with a phone permanently attached to one hand.

We’re taking pictures. We’re making videos. We’re posting Stories. We’re filming TikToks. We’re asking them to smile, wave, dance, repeat something funny, or “Say it one more time so Lovie can get it on video!”

And I am absolutely guilty.

When I tell you I have one million videos of this child, I am not exaggerating by much. Every five minutes, I’m saying, “Elliot, let Lovie take your picture. Elliot, look over here. Elliott, say cheese. Elliot, do that again!”

We may have kept the phone out of her hands, but we have also spent two years teaching her that every mildly entertaining moment in life deserves its own video.

So, of course, she wants the phone now!

She doesn’t necessarily want it because she’s dying to play a game or sit quietly watching cartoons. She wants to take pictures and make videos because that’s what she sees us doing all day long.

We didn’t give these babies screen time—we accidentally enrolled them in influencer training.

By the time they’re five, they’re going to be telling us, “Wait, Lovie. The lighting is terrible over there. Let’s do it again by the window.”

And they’ll probably be better at it than we are.

I can see it now: toddlers requesting ring lights, negotiating brand deals, and complaining that we posted the wrong take. Paw Patrol today, paid partnerships tomorrow.

So, are we protecting this generation from too much screen time, or are we quietly raising the most camera-ready generation the world has ever seen?

I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure these kids are doomed.

Or they’re all going to be incredibly successful influencers by kindergarten.

Either way, make sure you get their good side.