Children, these days!

I just read an NY Post article about teenagers and texting and I thought that it would mention the degradation of the English language due to texting but it did not. It was actually more about how texting can distort what a healthy relationship is and decrease our already shrunk attention span. I am still forming my views on how to control my children's access to technologies (it is our job to set the limits) but I think about how much this will help. Our concern as parents should be wether or not our multi-tasking society can actually solve problems. My friend saw this as a huge deficiency in her junior high math students. As I watch my 4 year old focus on solving a puzzle with laser intensity, I wonder if she will do the same thing when she is stuck on an algebra question? How can I equip her to maintain this skill throughout her life (especially if I have trouble with it sometimes)?