The essay was written on a website of course. Kind of like using paper pamphlets to protest overharvesting of timber.

But one could reply that they are protesting the misuse of a technology not the technology. And of course they are.

The internet has brought a lot of good things with it as well, including access to knowledge. Also the potential for a re-decentralized economy with people able to work from their homes again.

Yeah, I'm angry that people can so diligently neglect their children - however they neglect them.

I'm also getting pretty tired of the way we dehumanize each other ("in virtual reality"). These people were "bad parents", they are like parents "time immemorial", "somewhere Darwin is smiling", "Mentally imbalanced people are going to do mentally imbalanced things".... ad infinitum.

Saletan's point is we need to have our priorities in order. If, as I believe true, we are noticing enticing trends away from our true responsibilities, let's wake up and smell the Real World coffee.

I get that that answering your cell phone while driving is dangerous.. but squandering your workday on YouTube or texting a colleague at dinner is "neglecting the people around you, sometimes at the risk of killing them"? And perhaps the danger of these is really just too much goofing off or overworking.. which was no different back when it was taking long coffee breaks at work or bringing work home.