Is This Really the Aim?

I was reading an AP article about the reality that parents likely don't know what their kids are doing on their smartphones, tablets, or other devices and I started to wonder what software is available that would allow a parent to monitor that stuff. In my search the first one that came up was a Norton product called Norton Family Premier. It's supposed to help you monitor and protect your kids from predators. I got stopped from examining it further, however, because of the picture that was on the page.

The picture shows two young kids, each with their own device, completely immersed in whatever it is they're doing on those things. And a couple of thoughts struck me. I wondered if this is in the best interest of children so young, being so attached to such technology. I thought that it was sad that two what appeared to be brothers, maybe even twins, would be so involved with their devices that they didn't seem to notice that the other was there. I wondered who was watching. Who was watching what they were looking at? Who was watching who they were interacting with (since it wasn't each other and it wasn't anyone in the room)? Who was watching them (because it is so common today for cameras to be hijacked)? Who was keeping them safe and verifying the quality and value of what they were doing? Anyone?

In earlier times poor, blighted parents were stuck with the horrible task of watching their own children or, perhaps, getting some other person to do it. Then they invented that wonderful "babysitter", television. Now we could plop those empty heads down in front of the electro-nanny and let them be. The fact that their young brains were being shaped by the media of the screen and their young minds were being taught by those over whom we had no control or input didn't matter. Parents were free. Now we have the ultimate in distraction. We can give these new machines to our little children, confident that they won't go places they shouldn't go, see things they shouldn't see, interact with people who would do them harm, and learn stuff they shouldn't learn because, well, we gave these devices to them. What could go wrong?

Is this really a good plan? Is this really what we're hoping for? Is this really what we think is best for our kids?