The Home Front

Real Families. Real Struggles.

By Dr. Max Rossi 

Please welcome our newest columnist, Dr. Max Rossi. Dr. Rossi grew up in Garnerville and graduated from North Rockland High School in 1977, attended Rockland Community College in Suffern, and graduated with a B.A. from The King’s College in Briarcliff manor. Dr. Rossi worked his way through school at McDonald’s restaurants in West Haverstraw and Spring Valley, but most of all he remembers a special affinity for the fresh baked breads of the Dominican bakery in Haverstraw. To Dr. Rossi, all of his most formative took place in his “beloved Rockland County!”

Sierra Lidén

Managing Editor

Raising Children in the Digital Age

There was a time when parents worried about where their children were. 

Today many parents know exactly where their children are physically — but have no idea where they  are emotionally. A child can sit in the same room with the family while living completely inside a  phone, a game, or a screen. And truthfully, many adults are doing the same thing. 

Technology has brought convenience into our homes, but it has also brought competition. Every  device is competing for our children’s attention, emotions, identity, and values. The issue is not simply screen time. The deeper issue is connection. 

Children today are growing up in a world of endless scrolling, constant comparison, short attention spans, and digital pressure. They are more connected online than any generation before them, yet  many are lonelier than ever. And while parents work hard to provide financially, many families are  slowly becoming emotionally disconnected without even realizing it. 

It happens quietly. One more hour online, one less conversation at dinner, one more notification, one less meaningful moment. The danger is not only what children are watching. The danger is what  families are losing: conversation, presence, trust, and attention. Children still need what they have always needed: someone who listens, someone who notices them, somebody who guides them, and someone who is emotionally available. No app can replace that. 

Conversely, many parents feel overwhelmed by technology because the digital world moves faster than family life. But children do not need perfect parents. They need present parents. Sometimes the most important changes are the simplest: put phones away during meals, create screen-free family time, talk during car rides, ask real questions, and listen without immediately correcting. It is important to teach children how to handle boredom without escaping into a device. 

Healthy homes are not built through constant entertainment. They are built through consistent  connection. Parents must also remember that children learn balance by watching adults. If parents are  always distracted, children will believe distraction is normal. If adults never unplug, children will  struggle to do the same. 

What children remember years from now will not be how fast the Wi-Fi was. They will remember  who made them feel seen, who listened to them, who showed up, and who made home feel safe. The digital age may continue changing, but one truth never will: a child who feels deeply connected at home is far less likely to search desperately for identity everywhere else. 

Because at the end of the day, the greatest protection in a child’s life is not parental control on a  device. It is emotional connection with the people who love them most. 

Dr. Max Rossi is the Pastor of the Christian Church of Rockland in Garnerville