Former Canadian Olympian Silken Laumann has been campaigning to pry youngsters away from their screens.

It seems our children are spending an average of six hours a day in front of screens – seven on weekends. At first glance the figure seems excessive. But take an hour playing electronic games in the morning before school, add a couple of hours of television, another hour or two on the computer to check Facebook and research a study project, and slip in text messages to and from friends as often as possible -  six hours seems fairly accurate, perhaps a bit on the low side.

Our children seem to have taken that old television commercial from Grandma's day to heart – live better electrically. But is it really better? Laumann and many others would like to change the catchy slogan to, "Live better electronics-free." They have their work cut out for them.
Many of the younger set could not imagine life without their screens.

Laumann's concern is a valid one, that children who spend so much time in front of a screen are losing out on opportunities to be physically active. But there are clearly more immediate dangers inherent in our children's electronic lifestyle.

Children are quick to "friend" people more experienced adults would hesitate to regard as anything more than casual acquaintances. They feel a level of safety in their online relationships that is largely an illusion. Police officers who deal with computer crime know how a light-hearted chat room conversation about a concert, school event or trip to the beach can provide a predator with enough information to go from online creep to hiding-in-the-hedge stalker.

In addition, confusing online friendships with the real thing fosters a certain superficiality in how our children relate to others. It is so very easy to "friend" and "unfriend" people online.
There is none of the messiness inherent in face-to-face relationships.

Excessive screen time hampers more than developing a strong, healthy body. It also stunts our children's emotional and social growth. And it exposes them to physical and psychological danger. Hint to parents - electronic devices come with "off" switches. And no matter what Junior says, limiting and monitoring his use of electronics does not constitute child abuse, although failure to do so would probably meet the definition of a passive form of abuse.