Alejandro Schujman says adults have mistaken respectful parenting for stepping aside as smartphone use, isolation and online risks reshape family life.
Alejandro Schujman says families are facing a quieter crisis than many realise: children are spending more time alone, while adults are stepping back from the protective role they once held. Speaking in a recent interview with La Nación, the adolescent psychologist argued that the spread of smartphones has not only changed habits at home but also weakened the everyday bonds that help children develop resilience, restraint and trust. He described the result as a collective tragedy, rooted in both isolation and adult disorientation.
His warning lands against a stark backdrop. UNICEF in Argentina has said that 95% of children aged nine to 17 have a mobile phone with internet access, and that they begin using it at an average age of 9.6 years. The same organisation has also highlighted the rise of online betting among teenagers, saying one in four people aged 12 to 17 has gambled online at least once. A separate guide released by UNICEF Argentina and Bienestar Digital this year urged parents and caregivers to speak early and openly about online gambling, which it says can damage mental health, financial stability and overall wellbeing.
Schujman believes many adults misunderstood the idea of respectful parenting and equated it with stepping aside. In his view, respect should mean raising children without violence, not leaving them to navigate risky situations without clear boundaries. He argued that parents often protect younger children from obvious dangers, such as electric sockets, but become inconsistent once the risks are digital, social or emotional. For him, limits are a form of care, not punishment, and they should be enforced calmly and consistently rather than through shouting or threats.
The scale of the challenge is reflected in newer research as well. A study reported by Infobae in September, based on work by Buenos Aires education officials and the Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires, found that secondary school students in the city spend an average of six hours and 10 minutes a day on their smartphones. It also said 40% showed signs linked to anxiety, depression, problematic phone use or daytime sleepiness. Schujman links that level of exposure to a wider loss of attention, patience and tolerance for frustration, warning that children who live inside a stream of constant stimulation may struggle to wait, concentrate or speak about what they feel.
That is why he returns so often to the same prescription: parents must be physically present, emotionally available and willing to admit when they have got things wrong. He says children do not need adults to behave like friends; they need adults who can listen, set limits and model the behaviour they expect to see. In his work with families and in his stage show, “Adolescencia, un desafío posible”, he has found that teenagers often open up when someone really listens. His message, boiled down to one line, is simple: screens may be unavoidable, but the relationship between adults and children still has to come first.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
