The ‘90s Childhood Comeback

This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.

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Parents, what if there was an easy way to make your kids smarter and happier and it would cost you nothing?

Here is the secret: Stop giving your kids handheld devices. Screens are making our kids dumber, less emotionally regulated, and unhappy.

This might sound like just another mommy war issue, but the harm of child screen use isn’t a matter of opinion; it’s supported by a growing body of scientific research.

Dr. Mark Williams, a professor of cognitive neuroscience and co-author of the book “Screen Smart Children,” warned on 60 Minutes Australia that too much screen time is damaging kids’ brains. Williams referenced brain scans from two- to five-year-olds that showed a significant deterioration occurs in a child’s brain after spending up to three hours a day on devices.

“The more time a two- to five-year-old is on a device, the more abnormal those white matter tracts are developing in their brains, which is really concerning for later on in life,” Williams said.

I became a mom in 2013 when the so-called iPad kid was just emerging. While pregnant, I remember seeing more and more young children staring at screens at restaurants, stores, and public events. It struck me that instead of learning to look up and be curious about the world around them, children were looking down at their screens — not even interacting with their own families. I didn’t want that for my baby.

It’s estimated that today 40% of toddlers have their own device by age two, more than half of kindergarteners have their own device, and one in four kids has a smartphone by age eight. Technology is reshaping American childhood and our future.

Photo by Megan Brock

My husband and I grew up in the ’80s and ’90s with plenty of TV, movies, and Super Mario, but without the strain of personal devices. When I was pregnant, we decided we weren’t going to raise iPad kids. We wanted to give them as close to a ’90s analog childhood as possible. For us, this meant no access to cell phones, iPads, immersive video games, or social media. TV and movies were still on the table.

This was a countercultural decision, and some were skeptical it could be accomplished. But we did it. My son is turning 13 this year, and he’s never had his own device. I’m convinced that giving him an analog-ish childhood is one of the best parenting decisions my husband and I have made.

This choice wasn’t hard to implement, but it did take determination, particularly when our kids were five and under. There were many times I was tempted to use devices to soothe a child’s distress or just get a few moments of peace and quiet.

But deep down, I instinctively knew that handing my kids devices for comfort or ease was taking away opportunities for their growth and development. Science backs this up. A 2025 systematic review found that the more a child used screens, the more likely he was to have socio-emotional problems. And the more such problems he had, the more likely he was to soothe himself with screens. It’s a lose-lose cycle for kids.

Emotional regulation is something we all have to learn, and we learn it through experience and socialization. As a society, we’ve forgotten that it’s good for kids to be bored at a restaurant. It’s good for a toddler to smile at strangers in the grocery store. It’s even good for preschoolers to see something they want at Target and throw a tantrum because they can’t have it; they are learning the limits of their will amid the safety of their parents’ love.

Over the years, my husband and I have made some adaptations to our family screen policy. When traveling on a long flight, all screen time bets are off for the sake of our sanity and respect for fellow passengers. We’ve used video calls to maintain relationships with distant family. We also let our son start playing on a Nintendo Switch at nine and a half — earlier than I would have liked — with parameters: limits on the types of games he can access (no role-playing games), set times when he can play, and no internet gaming with strangers.

We’ve also let our kids watch TV and movies with moderation. In alignment with our ’90s childhoods, this happened on a social, stationary TV in the living room rather than an isolating handheld device.

Our kids have made it to double digits without the heavy burden of devices, and I see how it’s benefited them. They play outside every day, are very social, and enjoy reading.

Photo by Megan Brock

Increased screen time often goes hand-in-hand with a loss of imaginative and independent play. Today’s parents have embraced a culture of “safetyism” that Jonathan Haidt, author of “The Anxious Generation,” describes as an extreme elimination of risk in a child’s life that cultivates fragility and ultimately prevents kids from reaching their full potential.

Haidt and Lenore Skenazy, founder of the free range kids movement, are part of Let Grow, an organization focused on helping parents build resilience and confidence in their children by giving them developmentally appropriate independence.

This is a part of the screen time conversation that often gets lost. It’s not just about what kids are doing; it’s about what they’re not doing because they are addicted to screens. They aren’t playing in the woods and riding bikes down the street. They aren’t climbing trees and making new friends. As modern parents, we have to be intentional about making sure our kids are getting outside, playing hard, and scraping their knees from time to time — without us hovering over them.

For young parents who want to give their kids an analog-ish childhood, don’t listen to anyone telling you it’s impossible in 2026. You can do it. And it’s a decision you won’t regret.

Cultivating curiosity and a love of nature in your kids is one of life’s great joys. When our kids were little, my husband and I constantly took them to parks, to playgrounds, and on hikes. We let them play in mud and taught them how to skim rocks on a creek. We stayed up late in the summer, having water fights and catching fireflies. Teaching them to look up and see the beauty in the world costs very little money and left us with priceless memories.

We are only beginning to realize the negative consequences of the digital-based childhood revolution. “The Anxious Generation” provides a deep dive into how preteens and teenagers are being severely harmed by smartphones and social media. Despite extremely worrisome data, approximately 90% of 13-year-olds have a cell phone, according to Pew Research.

Every day, we are making choices with our time and attention. As an adult with a fully developed brain, I often struggle to unplug from my devices. It takes discipline and intentionality to uphold good technology boundaries.

I know my kids will one day have to learn to be disciplined with technology, but I want to give their brains a chance to develop before assaulting them with the constant pull of a screen.

The technology genie is here to stay, and it’s not going back into the bottle. But as parents, we don’t have to put the genie in the hands of our children. We can say no. We can choose a different path for our families.

Let’s direct our children’s minds, curiosity, and attention toward our big, beautiful world that’s full of mystery. Let’s help them look up and out — toward friends, nature, and creativity instead of down at a lifeless screen. Their brains will thank us later.