I recently read an informative op-ed piece by Stella O’Malley, a therapist who works with families. O’Malley titled her piece, “The Children I Meet Are Often Shattered By Their Social Media Use.” The headline caught my eye as I am constantly involved in debates on the long and short term dangers related to life on our emerging smartphone populated landscape. She writes, “I can’t help but notice how much our devices have become a poisoned chalice in our lives. On the one hand, they are great fun and often fascinating, but on the other hand, they can be a continuous distraction from our real lives and can often make us feel tense, nervous, and disconnected.” She then goes on to explain how companies that profit from technology target children and parents with the educational benefits of devices and apps. But, as she says, it doesn’t take long for these things to be swapped for mindless rubbish. Parents, be aware. Jumping into the digital landscape without caution is very risky.