I have a feeling this may come down to boredom and creativity. When children are bored (e.g. there is a lack of stimulation), they tend to use their imagination

I have a feeling this may come down to boredom and creativity. When children are bored (e.g. there is a lack of stimulation), they tend to use their imaginations to entertain themselves. Electronic devices carry wonderfully rich worlds and media. It's conceivable that such readily available stimulation may replace the need for a child to use their creativity and imagination. At least - at some young age. Electronic devices can also open entire worlds. I just saw a TED talk where a 6th grader has been developing iOS apps. Without exposure to iPhones & iPads, that young boy wouldn't have made such creations. So my uninformed, intuitive guess is that there's an age - or more accurately, a maturity level - at which a child can be exposed to apps, electronic devices, Internet media, etc, without any worry of stunting that sense of youthful creativity. At the right maturity level, such exposure may even unlock further heights of creativity. BTW, I don't mean neglect, I mean boredom. I don't think you can achieve the same effect by totally ignoring your kids. :P