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Anya Kamenetz is an NPR education correspondent, a host of Life Kit and author of The Art Of Screen Time. This story draws from the book and recent reporting for Life Kit’s guide, Parenting: Screen Time And Your Family.

Elise Potts picked up her 17-month-old daughter, Eliza, from daycare recently. When they got home they were greeted by a strange scene.

“My husband … he’s waving his arms around like a crazy man.” Potts says. “He has these things in his hands, he has a black box on his face … and [Eliza] looks and she points, all confused, and she says, ‘Daddy?’ ”

Daddy, it turned out, had a new Oculus virtual reality headset.

Potts, who lives in Seattle, can’t help but wonder what her daughter is making of all the digital technology that surrounds her. Eliza’s reaction, she says, is “really cute, but it’s also terrifying, because I think of it from her perspective. What does that mean to her?”

Parents, Sometimes You’re The Problem When It Comes To Tech Use

Illustration: Katherine Streeter for NPR