A second-grade teacher, Jen Beason, posed an innocent question to her students: What invention do you wish had never been created? But the answers she received weren’t what she expected—and one of them hit her right in the heart.
Out of her class, four students wished the same thing: that their parents’ phones had never been invented. Their reasons? It wasn’t about the phones themselves but what they represented—a wedge between them and their parents.
Beason shared a photo of one student’s response on Facebook, and it didn’t mince words: “I don’t like the phone because my [parents] are on their phone every day … I hate my mom’s phone and I wish she never had one.”
The post quickly sparked conversations. Parents, teachers, and others chimed in with their own stories. One teacher, Abbey Fauntleroy, shared a similar experience: “We had a class discussion about Facebook, and every single one of the students said their parents spend more time on FB than talking to their child. It was very eye-opening for me.”
These children’s heartfelt words are a sobering reminder of the unintended consequences of modern technology. While phones and social media keep us connected to the world, they’re also creating a distance between us and the people right in front of us.
So, what can we do? It starts with small steps. Try setting aside time every day—phone-free time—to connect with your kids. Put your phone in another room or turn it off entirely. Even just an hour of uninterrupted attention can make a world of difference to your children.
The message is clear: our kids don’t need more apps or gadgets—they need us. Let’s listen to their words, learn from them, and make the choice to be present.
What’s your take on this? Share your thoughts in the comments and tag a parent who needs to hear this message today.
