Excellent story at the end.
Sometimes we fail to realize the extraordinary and undeserved favor God has towards us.
Upper management in these situations can't be passive, surrendering without a fight. I would suggest making an issue of missing a child's conversation, even if one loses in the end actual interest will have been planted.
Of course the power play will work, as well. I can only guess what my uncle would have threatened if I had been able and insisted on thumbing a hand-held game machine while plugging my ears with ear-buds. My bet is on the power play, as in "turn that (bleep) off or walk."
Undoubtedly there have to be a lot of parents/upper management significants who use these like they use a television, hypnotic trance machines to shut children off.