What I think about screen time as a tech founder and a parent

As a tech founder, I’ve invested years into building tools that will keep teams engaged and on track. I am well aware of how one can get hooked on them. After all, there’s a whole science beyond how notifications work, their effects on our dopamine levels, and an obsessive compulsion to endlessly scroll without reason. 

Things have changed now that I am a father. Suddenly, screens mean so much more than just a product I deal in, or a tool for managing my business from the home. 

She’s too young to care about it now. For her, “screen time” is no more than staring at a ceiling fan. But once she enters practical life, she’ll probably demand a tablet of her own.
Then, I’ll have to answer a question I’ve been dodging for years: how much is too much?

It’s easy to have a stance on how much screen time suits kids. Many Mums and Dads limit it to “two hours a day, max.” They may also think of restricting access to  educational apps or imposing a “no screen rule before bedtime.” 

All this sounds reasonable until you’re three days into the school holidays, the weather takes a sudden turn, and you have just 20 minutes to answer an urgent client email. One can’t help but bend the rules then. 

I have to confess that I find screens to be a necessary evil, if I may say so. Technology, after all, is neutral – it’s how we make use of it that matters.

Frankly, I owe much to screens in advancing my career and company. It connected me with people I never would have otherwise. It helped me learn skills in mere hours that could have taken years to master. I have built a digital world entirely around pixels, so it’s not the tool that worries me, but rather the habits around it. 

My approach, at least for now, is this: I don’t want my daughter to see screens as forbidden fruit. Instead, I want her to see them as just one part of a big world that has so much to offer, including playgrounds, paints, and real conversations. I want her to know how to use tech to her advantage, but also when to shut it down and get back into the human world. 

As a founder, user engagement is what I aim for. But, as a parent, I find presence is what makes life meaningful and worth living. Balancing the two is like walking a tightrope. You can’t wish away these devices from your kid’s life entirely. That doesn’t teach self-control, and would only complicate the moment when she’s forced to use it. 

When it comes to that moment, I’ll try to teach her what I’ve learnt myself: how crucial it is to take breaks at intervals, stay curious, and not let the feed dictate the pace or course of your life. I’ll consider that a win for parents against an overpowering technology.

About Varun Bhanot

Varun Bhanot is Co-founder and CEO of MAGIC AI, the cutting-edge AI mirror that makes high-quality fitness coaching more accessible. Under his leadership, MAGIC AI has raised $5 million in venture funding and earned multiple industry accolades — including being named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2024. As a new father as well as founder, Varun shares candid insights on balancing parenting and entrepreneurship in his bi-monthly guest column, Startup Daddy.

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