A Georgia pediatrician went viral this week after warning parents that excessive screen time is leaving their children without basic common sense. In a TikTok video that has racked up more than 1.2 million views and over 200,000 likes, the doctor said that many children today are spending so much time looking at phones and tablets that they are no longer paying attention to the world around them. Her critique on the matter seems to have resonated with many netizens, including parents, who also agreed with her in the comments.
In the clip, Dr. Fiona Blair said that common sense is often developed through observation and experience. She explained that children learn new skills every day by watching what happens around them and interacting with the world rather than staring at electronic devices.
She warned that when kids spend so much time looking down at their screens, they fail to pick up those lessons naturally or notice important details in their environment. “Y’all are destroying your kids. Really, you are,” Blair said. “Y’all kids don’t know anything. They are so lacking in common sense. And that is because common sense [is extracted] from your environment for the most part.”
Blair advised that parents replace some screen time with activities such as books, puzzles, games, and outdoor play. She said that spending more time outside could help children develop problem-solving skills, learn conflict resolution, stay active, and improve their overall health.
“Half of the problems we have right now with our children would be solved if you just sent them outside,” Blair said. “They would burn off energy, they wouldn’t be obese… Would get some sunshine, which means they get some vitamin D and their immune system wouldn’t be shot. They would learn what to do with their bodies.”
Netizens React to the Georgia Pediatrician’s Video
In the comments, many people agreed with Blair’s assessment and blamed technology for changes they have noticed in younger generations. “Social Media has destroyed everything,” one commenter said. Another shared, “I spelled MATH out loud to my niece and asked her what did I spell .. sis said ‘matcha’ I said girl move.”
Others pointed to the decline of traditional childhood games, with one netizen writing, “They don’t play games that require critical thinking with other children. Aka board games, Simon says, duck duck goose, hide and seek, dodge ball, roller blading.” Someone else added, “They don’t even do coloring books.”
Some viewers felt that parents should be held more accountable, as they are probably setting the example. “The problem is most of their parents are looking down at their phones so they are learning it from them,” one person wrote. Another commented, “Parents need to stop shoving a [sic] iPad in their face and actually spend time with them and read with them.”
The video has also started a debate among parents, with some advocating for limiting or avoiding devices in childhood, while others argue that moderation is the better approach.
