Forget rewinding VHS tapes. Today’s dad has to figure out if Roblox counts as “educational,” whether TikTok dances are harmless fun or a black hole, and how to teach his 7-year-old why “liking” doesn’t equal real friendship. Welcome to parenting in the digital jungle — equal parts brilliant and bonkers.

In Malaysia, over 700,000 people are registered with disabilities, and about 4.7% of children aged 2–17 live with functional difficulties such as learning, mobility, or communication challenges. That’s thousands of families in Sabah alone who are navigating these realities every day. And here’s the empowering part: digital tools are not only helping — they’re transforming.

Remember when our parents told us, “Because I said so” — and that was the end of the conversation? Well, welcome to 2025. Our kids have Google, TikTok, and a built-in radar for hypocrisy. In the digital age, parenting isn’t about orders — it’s about modelling.

Technology has opened doors no chalkboard ever could. Educational apps boost literacy, math games make problem-solving fun, and AI tutors personalise lessons in ways a crowded classroom can’t. Studies show that interactive digital learning can improve early literacy scores by up to 20% compared to traditional worksheets alone.

We joke about being “addicted” to our phones — but let’s be real. If you’ve ever felt phantom vibrations in your pocket or scrolled Instagram when you meant to just check the time, you know it’s not just a joke. Now imagine what that does to a developing child’s brain.

Every guideline says the same thing: no screen time under age 2. The World Health Organization recommends it. The Ministry of Health echoes it. Parenting books chant it like gospel. And yet, most parents break that rule. Surveys in Malaysia show that over 60% of toddlers under 2 are already exposed to daily screens, often for 1–2 hours. Globally, by 18 months, 90% of kids have already used a device — usually a smartphone.

In Malaysia, over 1 in 5 kids aged 13–17 say they’ve been bullied online (UNICEF, 2022). That’s not “a few mean comments.” That’s a fifth of our teens navigating cruelty with no pause button.

We can debate screen time till the cows come home (and probably livestream it), but here’s reality: digital is here to stay. Phones, tablets, AI tutors, Roblox, YouTube Kids — this is your child’s playground, classroom, and sometimes babysitter. Pretending tech is the enemy is like banning forks because someone ate too much cake.

Remember growing up in Sabah (or anywhere pre-WiFi)? Back then, boredom was free. You lay on the floor watching ceiling fan shadows, sat in the car staring at clouds, or spent two hours arranging batu seremban pebbles in weird patterns. No one swooped in with an iPad. Out of those blank spaces, imagination quietly bloomed.

Parents used to reach for rattles, peekaboo, or an off-key lullaby. Today? The go-to soothing tool is a glowing screen. YouTube lullabies, TikTok dances, CocoMelon marathons — instant calm, instant quiet. But young brains weren’t built for this kind of fireworks show.

Pregnancy used to mean listening to your doctor, your mother, and maybe a makcik or two with strong opinions about pineapple. Now? Every symptom, craving, and cramp goes straight into the search bar at 2 a.m. “Is it normal if…” has probably crashed Google more times than we know.