I’ve written about screen time as an adult – now it’s time to face the bigger challenge: kids’ screen time.
It’s getting out of hand, y’all.
A six year old does not need a smart phone.
A ten year old does not need a facebook or instagram profile.
Kids can be taught to eat at restaurants, go to a grocery store, and be in the general public without being handed an iPad.
I’d even go so far as to argue that’s the only way they will learn how to behave appropriately in those situations.
I know it’s a hard pill to swallow. I know no one wants to give up the convenience of screen time, myself included. But consider what is given up when we hand over the phone or tablet. Even worse, what’s the opportunity cost of getting kids their own devices? Research shows that screens affect children’s attention spans, social skills, visual development, and quality of sleep. Those areas are impacted by screens alone, not even considering what happens when inappropriate content is introduced. There are endless books, articles, and podcasts on these topics – I recommend Stolen Focus by Johann Hari, The Anxious Generation by Jonathon Haidt, and The Opt-Out Family by Erin Loechner if you need more empirical statistics to strengthen your resolve.
I’m not claiming cutting down screen time will be easy. We’ve screen detoxed before, and the first two weeks cold-turkey are rough. My kids don’t see any screens other than occasional television watching, so I’m sure it could be worse. I think it’s worth it, though. Every time we’ve pushed through to no-screens my kids have adjusted into happier, calmer kids with bigger imaginations. Their abilities to play independently increase and I usually find my self getting more of a break than with screens anyways. Once past detox, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There are days when the kids have a blast, and days when they are bored out of their minds. I usually channel my fourth grade teacher and remind them that only boring people can get bored – at which point they groan like I did upon hearing it, too. There’s days when my entire house gets trashed by their play, it’s a small price to pay for staying off screens.
Want to try cutting down their screen time, but not sure where to start? Print a list of non-screen things to do in a moment of weakness. Try making a goal that involves real living — whether that’s a screen-free family day once a week, 1000 hours outside* or intentionally off a screen a year, or making a pact to wait on giving kids their own devices**. Depending on their ages, explain that screens are great for their brains and suggest a different activity when they ask.
There is so much life to be lived off of screens for you and your children. Go live it together.
* https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/
** https://www.waituntil8th.org/
Disclaimer/Reality Check: My kids have watched many, many hours of screens. I’m sure they will see many, many more in their lifetimes. Once, while moving, they watched Toy Story 1, 2, 3, AND 4 in one day. No joke. The goal is improvement, not perfection. This column will be about motherhood, parenting, and homemaking for the most part. Sometimes it’ll be a cheat sheet of picnic foods to keep on hand, other times it might be a printable cootie catcher on where to get take-out. Most importantly, I don’t ever want this column to make another mama think she’s not doing enough. If you’re reading this, I want you to know that you are, you’re doing great, keep it up. Sing it with me: no-one is doing it allllll!
