Your Screen Time is Ruining Your Kids' Playtime.
If you have been paying any attention, you have probably seen some debate or talk about what healthy screen time looks like for young kids. Screen time being time that a person spends looking at a screen--television, computer, phone, etc. If you are like me, it has probably been a scrambled effort have form thoughtful, reasonable, and coherent approach to the issue. Maybe you've had some success. Maybe some failures. I know I have.
Alright kids, that show is done. Time to close the computer.
Predictably, they start to whine. A friend is over the house. She came over because she wanted to help watch our kids. So she intercepts the upset children before they reach mom and dad. Sitting on the couch, they ask
Can you read us a book?
To which our friend responds
Oh, no. That would put me right to sleep. I'll just use my tablet to put a storybook on for you.
What I thought was going to be an audio book--i.e. all sound, no screen--was in fact an animated telling of a story with little cartoons. So, my kids have now gone from one couch watching a show, to another couch pretty much doing the same thing. I should have clarified that I meant we were done with screen time.
But that wasn't enough. I got my kids to engage with the physical reality again and play with the toys in their bin. They were getting along as kids do. Some whining, some fighting, and a lot of imagination. Until I walked in the room. Well, it wasn't really me being there that changed the environment, it was my phone. I was probably just scrolling or reading some article, but the glow of that device drew my kids in like moths to a zapper. They wanted more!
This made me realize that my "regulation" missed an important behavior altogether. While it is important to be intentional about your kid's behavior, how intentional are you about your own behavior? Specifically, how much screen time do YOU spend around your kids. At some point you should probably limit your own screen time for your healthy, but for now, let's focus on your kids.
When you allow an active screen into the space designed for play, you limit their imaginative expression. That can be your phone, the news channel playing in the background, or even certain toys these days. Technology and screens are not evil. They even have a proper place in your child's development and education at this point in history. But just like almost everything else, to keep it healthy, you will need to intentionally guide and moderate their behavior.
What is your approach to screen in the home. Drop your thoughts into the comments.
And until next time, be blessed.
Sam
Image Source: Screens, Play, TV
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Technology can used in all sort of the ways, but yes, if you put a rule to your kids you should not flash around with the phone it will definitely distract them. If you invite help or educator of any kind, they should not be allowed to play while they work, if they are paid.
Totally. I do really love technology and what it has to offer. I am even trying to get my kids exposed to technology early. It is obviously going to be a big part of their lives. I just want it to be an intentional and balanced part.
Great discussion point, I haven't run into this issue yet because Mila is only 14 months, but I'm already worried because shes obsessed with our phones. Part of it has to be watching us on phones and computers and watching tv, I think another part is that they are actually addictive and I feel people can easily become addicted to the screen itself.
I will do my best to set a good role model and use screens infrequently around my daughter, opting to play with her instead and make sure she knows the value in reality instead of virtual. In this day and age it seems we can't get away from screens, so they should be limited
Resteemed
Thanks for your support and great comment my man! Yeah, it is fascinating and a bit disturbing that there are entire careers around making screen interaction more addictive. From sounds and colors, to getting notifications for things that you really don't need a notification for.
It is scary sometimes seeing how drawn in they are. Earlier today, my four older kids grabbed my wife's phone and just huddled around staring at it. We had it playing some music on the blue tooth speaker, so they knew there was some activity on it. But we were just playing Pandora! So they were literally just staring at a banner ad for a solid minute. So interesting.
It is hard to do, and I think you're on the right path to teaching her not only the difference between virtual and reality, but the value in that difference.
Ya, absolutely weird, but I know how addictive it can be, I was addicted to video games for years and during that time also watched tons of movies and used the internet, the screens suck our attention in and I've actually read that the wavelength they use was designed to be addictive. Kinda scary, but I think ok as long as its balanced with outdoor time and real world interaction
It is sad that business models exist around forming addictions. I do love the power that technology can bring to the average person. But you're right, it needs to be balanced.
There is some weird stuff that is done in greed, it's my belief that these frequencies and vibrations that currently addict us and harm us can acctually be used for good if they are changed to frequencies in harmony with the human organism. Time will tell
Big time. That's the kind of future I want to live in.
https://www.youtube.com/paulbegley34