WS,
a little bit related to your last entry: Yesterday I was thinking of how many toddlers I see in strollers who are given smartphones or tablets to keep them amused. The toddlers aren't looking around, they are watching a screen and scrolling. Maybe today's parents don't see the difference, but I believe these little ones are definitely missing something - they're not seeing or interacting with anything in their real environment like people, animals, landscape, sky, weather.
Maybe this is the brave new world they will inherit so it won't matter, but I think it diminishes them and us as humans. Will be very interesting to see how this generation grows up.