Talking about this on American Family Radio (AFR)'s "Dr Nurse Mama" program, Jessica Peck addressed the rising tide of digital distraction, noting how smartphones and constant notifications pull parents away from what matters most.
Peck pointed out that today's infants — dubbed "Gen Beta"— are projected to spend an astonishing 21 years of their lives staring at screens.
A landmark 2025 report titled "21 Years on Screens" from Eyesafe details this staggering reality, noting that individuals born today are on track to log over 181,000 hours — or more than 40% of their waking life — on devices. As for the effect on health, experts are linking high exposure to everything from digital eye strain to neurological impacts in children.
"We can spend a whole day responding to what feels like it's pretty urgent and never reach what we believe is important. Meanwhile, the people that we love deeply are getting the most distracted version of ourselves," Peck emphasized, highlighting the human cost of this digital immersion.
The screentime report listed several way for individuals can reclaim their time, such as enforcing strict limits with children, designating tech-free zones and utilizing technology in an active way. As for health, it suggests using devices with integrated, low-blue-light solutions and taking a break for 20 seconds every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away.
With Thanksgiving and Christmas approaching, Peck is urging families to break free from the "outrage economy" and endless scrolling. Instead of letting schedules fill up with default obligations and commercial noise, she challenged listeners to ask a crucial question.
"What do you want to make room for this Christmas? What room do you want to protect in your holiday and your Thanksgiving and your Christmas season? Because the holidays are going to fill up whether you plan that intentionally or not," Peck stated.
She concluded that while life is brief, intentional family discipleship and unhurried connection can leave a lasting, eternal impact.
