Portraits Show the Vacant Stares of Children Engrossed in TV

Children in America watch over 24 hours of television per week. If they’re not watching TV, they likely have their eyes glued to another screen, the gadget of the moment. Photographer Donna Stevens’ series Idiot Box seeks to draw attention to the constant presence of technology and its most impressionable audience, our children.

Photographed in a darkly lit room with only the glow of the television screen, each portrait shows a child with vacant eyes and unexpressive facial gestures. Transfixed by the screen, they are all seemingly unaware of the camera’s presence. As we look on, we can’t help but wonder what this technology is doing to their young minds.

According to Stevens, Idiot Box explores the darker side of our love for technology and begs the questions: Should we exhibit more caution about the role of technology in our children’s lives? Is our techno-paranoia warranted? No matter what gadgetry we may possess and blame for our undoing, do our problems still just remain human?

All images © Donna Stevens

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