Letter to the editor: Parents, put your phones down

You know where your phone is; do you know where your child is?

When I hear of violence in America, my thoughts first go to, where were the parents?

Growing up, our parents knew where we were even when we thought we were clever enough to fool them. We had guns in the house; at even 40-some years old, I had no idea where their secret hiding place was. We never had thoughts of entering a dark world with violence and crime; we filled our curiosity with mystery novels that we knew were fiction, not fact. We played cops and robbers, war, and truth or dare, but we knew the difference between play and the real world.

I get upset when we blame this all on the pandemic lockdown. Social media was still strong and alive, Zoom calls were flourishing, and it gave us plenty of creative time to explore the potential of who we really are.

America, put your phones down. Pay attention to your kids. Protect them and monitor their screen time, and get out and do something constructive instead of destructive.

Cheryl Koloshinsky

Latrobe