Stier Shorts Out Nanny State Argument to Unplug Kids’ Electronics

Jeff Stier, director of the National Center’s Risk Analysis Division, said a blogger’s call for banning kids under the age of 12 from using electronic devices is “ignoring balance” and will “do more harm by stifling innovation.”

The nanny state request, which calls for government to get into the act of making judgmental choices for families in addition to trying to shame parents, is criticized by Jeff for “completely distort[ing]” legitimate studies in order to justify extreme desired outcomes.

During this edition of “Byline” on Canada’s Sun News on 3/12/14, Jeff also pointed out that similar activists previously sought bans and taxes on video game systems because they were deemed to cause childhood obesity — and then systems such as the Wii revolutionized exercise activities among kids for the better.



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