My 9-year-old just asked why she can't have a phone like her friends, and I realized I have no solid answer beyond "because I said so." I've read conflicting studies—some say screens delay language development, others claim educational apps boost problem-solving skills. The real issue is that parenting advice swings like a pendulum, and I suspect most of it is just middle-class anxiety dressed as science. Should we shelter our kids from screens entirely until they're teenagers, or is that overprotective in a world where digital literacy is as basic as reading?