Introduction
I have found as a new parent, that managing children with screen time is challenging if not daunting. I am going to outline how our family is being impacted by screen time. Next, I will present what we are doing about it.
Our Devices
Currently, we are a household with an elementary school child with two full-time working parents. The child does not have autism.
We have Mobile Phones, iPads, Smart TVs, and a Google Smart Speaker.
- iPads are used for road trips and morning and evening routines. We hook up an iPad stand that connects up the car seat so that our child does not look down at the screen.
- The Google SmartSpeaker is used for news and streaming music. Nothing beats the Wiggles on a Saturday night!
- Our SmartTV is used for Netflix and never for Live TVs.
My concerns
- Video content – With the vast amount of content, I am wary of how that information is shaping young minds. Explicit content is filtered censorship by YouTube’s Community guidelines.
- Addiction to screens – Our child is hooked and is difficult to communicate with during this time. This also affects the parents, notably during dinner times when communication is essential.
- Information overload – because the information is delivered constantly through different mediums, we are often distracted. Then obtaining concentration and focus is challenging. This affects the child when learning to read and the parents when they are working.
Dealing with it
The article based on the book The Connected Parent: An Expert Guide to Parenting in a Digital World offers some insight into dealing with my concerns.
So we implemented the following approaches in our family
- Device-free time – we now have a daily practice when we do not use any devices for an hour or two. This is during dinner time.
- Open communication channel – we now talk about what we watched and learnt from watching YouTube. We use this opportunity to check up on what our son sees.
Family time watching content – we now watch content together. - Sharing technology – my wife and I now vet technology and content. This includes watching videos and doing home projects with our child.
- Time-based sessions – we now have a duration, though not fixed, that our child can consume content, given that homework and chores are completed before and after.
- Independence – the child can watch YouTube without supervision, after a discussion of what is appropriate and not.
Avoiding a fear-based approach
Concerns around screen time are a common problem. We have attempted to remove all access to YouTube and our devices, which has led to numerous tantrums and binge-watching.
Instead, we now adopt a look-and-see approach. My wife and I engage in the technology to ensure what our child is using is appropriate. We conduct fortnightly family meetings to see how we track.
Technology is going to evolve and have a greater impact on our lives.
A conversation with a relative struck a chord with me – we shouldn’t be depriving the use of technology on our children. I am trying to find out if this approach works.