“‘My lively little kids stopped talking and adopted the bent-neck, plugged-in posture of tap, tap, swipe.’” …
Yes, tech definitely does set back conversation and other amusements. When our kids were young, we would chat at restaurants while waiting for food and during meals. Many young kids and their parents are glued to their respective electronics, including before and during meals at restaurants, cutting interactions to bare minimums, including very young toddlers and children. Tech creep concerns me greatly, especially since tablets and tech are intruding into classrooms at ever younger ages.