I realise, of course, that it is no longer possible to raise a family on a single income. Even if it were, there would still be familes where both parents work. That's one part of the problem -kids are no longer under constant adult supervision from birth to 18, and the age at which they are being left to their own devices gets lower all the time. This is a matter for governments - an extension of school hours and the provision of socila and sporting activities by schools should be a priority.

But in the end, the responsibility lies with parents. When ours were young, we had one TV and one computer in the house, both in the main living room. We stayed on Dial-Up long after broadband was available as a way to limit the kids' use of the internet. There was one gaming console, also in the living room. We knew what the kids were watching, where they went on the internet and what they were playing. They could go to their rooms to play with toys, read books or listen to music. Homework was to be done in the living room so that we knew it got done. A mobile phone (this was pre-smart phone) was the 'big present' for both of their 16th birthdays. Pay as you go devices to be maintained from their own pocket momey or earnings.

All of this can and should be done by parents today, so why isn't it happening?