I turned to tech in my late teenage years when technology was available because my parents exercised control over everything else, but it's considered fine to complain about friends and classmates being rowdy and to avoid hanging out with them, creating introverted social-fobic wrecks.

Kids today who spend at least 20x the time with iDevices still end up socially successful. You base the argument on the actual use of devices being comparable to sugar consumption. Are you saying there is evidence supporting that? I thought the lack of that very evidence was the basis of the discussion.

Is there any proof that most parents dont control their kids usage of technology?

I was at the supermarket yesterday. There was a little boy (about 4) walking behind his dad. The boy was doing something on his dad's smartphone, holding it inches from his face. The boys father was walking at a normal rate and hadn't noticed his son had slowed to a crawl, completely immersed in the screen.

The father had completely disappeared from view before he realized his son was still on the other side of the store. Upon returning he complained to him, "I've been doing all sorts of silly tricks for you, and you aren't even there!" but didn't seem to make the connection with the phone, or take it away.

My best guess is that giving devices to toddlers is so popular for the same reason putting them in front of a TV is popular. It's the same sedative, in a more convenient form factor.

All I know is that me and any other parent I know are very aware of the problem and most I know set rules like max 1 hour a day.