In February I was fortunate to attend Melissa Bernstein’s talk on “Take Back Childhood.” She and her husband Doug are the creators of Melissa & Doug toys. The talk covered many points on being a parent to today’s children. But one topic stuck with me. She shared how the World Health Organization (WHO) saw that in the year 2030, depression would be the No. 1 source of disability in the US and how screen time relates to this menace. There are actually psychologists today specializing on the problems caused by too much screen time on kids and young adults.
Since then, I have been researching and trying to find ways to regulate my kids’ screen time.
I discovered that WHO ranked unipolar depressive disorder as the No. 3 leading cause of the global burden of disease in 2004 but will move into first place by 2030. There was an interesting article from www.forbes.com by Alice G. Walton published on April 16, called “How Too Much Screen Time Affects Kids.” She shared that “strong research has been coming in over the last several years, suggesting that looking at screens for hours a day can have some serious health and mental-health consequences.” There was an infographic developed by Nowsourcing that explains these consequences quite simply.
There are three key points that I gathered from the infographic. First, our brain’s frontal cortex, which controls our impulses, is greatly affected by the release of “feel good” substance, dopamine. Second, physically screen time may cause Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS, a.k.a. Digital Eye Strain) can cause blurred vision, difficulty focusing, headaches, sensitivity to light, as well as Dry Eye Syndrome. This is caused by staring at devices and blinking 60 percent less than normal. If untreated, eye damage and even vision loss can occur. Last, the infographic shares very practical tips on putting your phone away at mealtimes, encouraging books and games, and taking breaks every 20 minutes of screen time, and setting up optimal computer screen viewing workstations for your child.
Walton shared that a recent study “reported that teens who spent more time on screens in the form of social media, Internet, texting and gaming thought about suicide a lot more than kids who didn’t; while teens who spent more time doing sports, homework, socializing with friends in real life, and going to church had a lower risk for both depression and suicide.”
I also read another interesting article at www.todaysparent.com, titled “4 Parent-Tested Systems You Can Use to Limit Screen Time” by Claire Gagne, published on June 4. I liked how real, easy and practical she presented her dilemma and her tips on this issue. One interesting fact she pointed out: “A 2016 Chatelaine survey of 1,000 women between 35 and 45 years of age revealed screen time is the No. 1 cause of mom guilt.”
Gagne shared the thoughts of Sierra Filucci of Common Sense Media to talk to kids even at a young age about “balance not just in the context of screens, but in everything you do in your life.” She also shared her practical tips on screen time:
- Set a schedule: This can be a specific daily duration for screen time. This works best for younger kids, who benefit from routine. The key to success is consistency.
- Select binge days: Consider choosing a day or a few days of the week in which TV or other technology is allowed. This works best for young kids and school-agers who are not yet using technology for homework or communicating with friends. The key to success is to have activities available to distract your kids from the technology, especially if your binge days are on weekends. Make sure you’ve got play dates, sports events, visits to the park or a family game night planned. Brainstorm a list of things to do when they’re bored, so their default isn’t just to turn on a screen.
- Make them justify their use: Whenever your kid asks to jump on to a piece of technology, they need to justify why they’re using them and not just turning to it out of habit. This is good for older kids. The key to success is to be open to talking to your kid about what they like about screens, rather than demonizing them. If they say they want to play an iPad game because they really want to pass a certain level, ask them more about it. They’ll appreciate your interest, and talking about what they’re doing on their devices will make them more likely to come to you later to discuss digital goings-on they may be uncomfortable with.
- Download a tracking app: There are many screen-time tracking and parental-control apps that will monitor which apps are being used in the household, for how long and by whom. An example is Qustodio.
Next week I will share more advice from experts on managing our kids’ screen time. I will also share my personal struggles on this topic while raising my now 12- and nine-year-old kids.