I’m sure you’ve likely heard the statistics on our youth getting way too much screen time when it comes to devices such as smartphones, tablets, etc. (an average of seven hours a day, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics). With all physical and mental health considerations aside, I think we can likely agree that less screen time also means less opportunity for unwanted exposure and improper behavior online. However, let’s not skim over the bigger concern here. According to recent studies of decades worth of data collected, trends seem to suggest strongly that greater use of screen time (e.g. social media, web browsing, messaging) on devices have adverse affects on our youth’s overall development. Now, combine that with the effect of less non-screen related activities (e.g. in-person social interaction, physical exercise, etc.) and you’re left with unfulfilled humans with greater risk of depression and suicide (The Atlantic, Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?).
My own observations have revealed that younger kids are fascinated with the allure of a fiery lit screen packed with animation and graphics in video games, hours of seemly unlimited videos in YouTube, the plethora of music in streaming services or just the pure interactive nature of virtual or augmented reality apps. Teenagers, on the other hand, follow similar trends while progressing into the social aspects (and pitfalls) of establishing (and maintaining) the ideal digital profile. Between the rush of new technology coming out daily, an always-on digital connectedness and the pressure to perform to various different audiences on the social media stage at a young, immature age, this can be quite an overwhelming world to live in.
Ok, so what do we do about our youth being glued to the brightly lit, colorful pixels dancing across their electronic screens? After all, we don’t want to nurture a future generation of people who are unfulfilled, unprepared for real life and obliviously missing the ultimate beauty in social interaction and community. We’re finding our youth (and ourselves in some cases) longing for something greater while it’s right there in front of us; just look around at the awe-inspiring natural beauty of the physical world around us. What does that mean for parents today and how can we approach this ever-growing trend? Let’s walk through a few practical steps.
Set device-time schedules
Creating (and sticking to) a schedule for allocated device time may prevent our youth from missing the real world for the virtual. This also gives parents the ability to better monitor and participate in our children’s digital journey during designated device times. In our home, we have different schedules for school year seasons (fall/spring) vs. summer and holiday as well as weekday schedules vs. weekends. It’s worth noting that we intentionally schedule device times around things like dinner, chores, homework, family time, etc. and its generally limited to 2-hour or less windows. Dinner, in particular, is a daily family event where devices are generally not invited. We also intentionally include more than just smartphones and tablets in device schedules,’ we extend to devices such as TV and streaming apps, gaming consoles, laptops and desktop computers. This helps us to teach healthy boundaries and a balance across all screen-related activities, thus leaving a choice as to how they spend that time. Not to mention, I find that my kids tend to just replace smartphones and tablets for TV or video game consoles if we don’t set expectations accordingly. You’ll also want to pay special attention to nighttime use so that a brightly lit screen is not the last thing they interact with. In our family we ask that devices are put to sleep on a centralized charging station (far away from bedrooms) at least 15 to 30 minutes before we go to sleep; not to mention, we’ll discuss the related curiosity, maturity and temptation more below.
Create a centralized device charging station
Establish a centralized place for charging all internet-accessible devices (mainly the more portable phones, tablets, handheld gaming consoles, etc.). Let’s face it, the temptation for our children to partake in less desirable activities online are far greater late at night when everyone else in the home is sleeping. There are also some very surprising statistics related to sleep deprivation in children, especially during the school year, due to staying up late watching YouTube videos, interacting with friends via messaging and social media, or just browsing the seemingly vast sea of web content available. See Children’s Internet Study, from The Center for Cyber Safety, for more information.
Place your screens strategically
All laptops, TV’s, gaming consoles, etc. are centralized in an open room in our home so that we can allow our family to enjoy the benefits of tech without increasing the temptation of going off the beaten path or falling victim to the most common pitfalls. It’s quite easy for younger children, especially, to move quickly from show to show when using streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube, as an example. Highly visible screens help parents and other family members to monitor what’s being consumed and continue to guide on appropriateness. Many times this simply comes in the form of a discussion as to whether this cartoon or that movie is bringing a positive, educational or life-giving message or filing their heads with content that just isn’t necessary or appropriate. As our kids get older, they want to explore all there is to discover. The problem that we sometimes run into is that while they’re curiosity is peaked, overall maturity levels are still relatively low. This can lead them into going down a few wrong paths and, personally, I’d rather be available to gently guide them out until they reach a more independent age. Obviously, the same is true for explicit or adult content from web browsing, unwanted behavior or conversations in messaging, social media or online gaming environments (and many other scenarios).
These are just a few tips, but feel free to find your own creativity. Ultimately, less exposure to screens will encourage a journey towards balance; enjoying the benefits of technology, socially interacting in community and partaking in other non-screen-related activities (reading, learning, exercise, relaxation). Heck, with all of the distractions in today’s busy world, just being content and peacefully resting requires practice. I’ll also add that the hardest part for me, as a parent, was trying not to feel guilty about breaking the norm. It’s ok to limit your child’s technology in a digital age as it will ultimately help your child to break free from the heavy burden of an always-connected world. In the long-run, they’ll appreciate the more beautiful things that life has to offer, including the amazing benefits that technology brings when used appropriately. Lastly, our hope is to groom our youth into wiser, socially-interactive, loving, respectful, tech-enabled adults, so let’s not let the virtual world prevent us from parenting as we would in the physical.
MARK SCALIA 