The Carverian Sublime

My kids love their iPods. Most kids love their iPods, I imagine, and most parents probably struggle to separate the wretched devices from their little beasts. Remember that scene from the Fellowship of the Ring where Bilbo sees the ring hanging from Frodo's necklace? The one where - just for an instant - he transforms into a Gollumesque, pointy-toothed, sunken-eyed he-devil? Well take that and subtract 'just for an instant', and you'll have an idea of the state of my children when Talking Tom or Minecraft Mobile Edition is unceremoniously interrupted by how-dare-you Dad or what-do-you-want-now Mom. We had TV. They have the internet. And it is crack. OK... disclaimer. I am as guilty as the next person for paying attention to my phone when I should be paying attention to my kids. It's not all the time, but it happens, and they notice. Like when Théo says he wants to show me something really awesome (he's seven - most of the time whatever he's peddling is...