as kids grow up into teens and young adults and in this day and age, tech is gonna become a bigger part of day to day life

Well, kids don't need tablets or phones, outdoors is fine. And so is the same for teens. And tech may become a part of their life, only if it's necessary. Like doing school assignments, or in some countries, where need you need to take phone to school only so that you can call your parents or anyone if something happens (and for that, keypad phones are enough). And I'm not saying they shouldn't get their own phones ever, but the phones should be given to them only when they start college, cuz that's when they need it the most.

And we can change whether the tech is gonna become a part of a kid/teens everyday life or not, by understanding that they are not getting anything out of just playing inside the house. It's just making them introverted, and creates further problems in the future. Having actual friends that they can contact in difficult times, is more necessary than petting some digital cats.

And I think of children more as a clay (Metaphorically, of course). A clay isn't in better shape at first, but as a parent, it's the parent's job to mold the clay in a better shape, and only the parent can do that.