Editorial: Screen time is all the time, switch off and smell the roses

We all know by now that excessive screen-time - be it on TV, laptops, tablets or phones - is bad for children.

There's increasing encouragement for parents to limit screen time.

But how about parents' screen time?

I've seen parents sit at the park, watching their Facebook page more intently than their children.

I admit to being glued to my phone myself, so I understand the temptation. It fends off boredom, delivers the latest news, it's entertainment on demand ... the world at my fingertips.

Having our noses in something is a human condition after all - in the past it would be village gossip, newspapers, books.

But even the most hardened gossip has to go home some time. And books and newspapers come to an end after the final page, and you have to find something else to do.

But the internet never ends. Ever.

It was bound to happen, predicted to happen, and it has. Each generation is becoming more and more plugged into technology.

We can't stop it now, or turn the clock back. It's everywhere and we rely on it - it's in our jobs, hobbies, homes, vehicles. Technology is a delight and a concern.

You can't easily get away from it and for the most part - no, you shouldn't have to. Technology makes a lot of very good things happen. But there needs to be a balance, to stay healthy.

It seems screen time is now a fact of life. But maybe we need to glance up now and then, or simply switch off and smell the roses.