Screen Time Solutions

By Fran Mason

As an elementary school teacher for almost three decades, I’ve witnessed a dramatic shift in recent years in the behavior and habits of children. Further, I’ve seen an alarming rise in obesity and violent tendencies during that time. I attribute these changes, in part, to excessive screen time as well as a lack of parental involvement.

Covid hit everyone hard. Unfortunately, the social isolation we experienced during the pandemic only served to exacerbate trends already burgeoning. In the last few years, especially, I’ve observed that students have dramatically reduced attention spans, have an increased “demand” for entertaining content (YouTube is in, books are out), are reluctant to follow rules and directions, and exhibit diminished social skills which leads to the diminished capacity to resolve conflict.

These trends are playing out, due in part to excessive screen time–even in the youngest children. There is still too little in-person interaction (i.e. playing with friends, especially outside, something I rarely observe in my neighborhood), and too little parental guidance and involvement.

TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME

Experts caution that too much screen time may lead to:

• Sleep problems/irregular sleep

• Behavior problems

• Impaired academic performance/lower grades

• Reading fewer books

• Delayed development of learning and social skills, particularly for younger children

• Less time spent with family and friends

• Not enough outdoor time or physical activity

• Weight problems/obesity, poor self-image, poor body image

• Mood problems/mental health issues

• Fear of missing out (FOMO)

• Overexposure to violence

• Less time learning other ways to relax and have fun

MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS

Youngsters who spend a disproportionate amount of time interacting with screens often suffer from depression and anxiety. Further, failing to interact with friends and family in real life can lead to overall poor mental health. In May of 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy issued an advisory about the effects of social media on mental health.

“Children are exposed to harmful content on social media, ranging from violent and sexual content, to bullying and harassment. And for too many children, social media use is compromising their sleep and valuable in-person time with family and friends. We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis--one that we must urgently address.”

While schools are increasingly implementing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies to help mitigate these mental health concerns, I fear it’s not enough.

PHYSICAL CONCERNS

In addition to mental health worries, there are also physical concerns associated with too much screen time. The blue light emitted from devices can lead to eye fatigue, headaches, and retinal damage. Additionally, blue light can interrupt the body’s circadian rhythm. Blue light blocking glasses can help reduce some of these factors.

Then, there’s the obesity connection. On this topic, the National Institute of Health states, “Obesity is one of the best-documented outcomes of screen media exposure.” A study by the U.S. Department of Education found that “kids who spent at least an hour each day in front of the television were also 72% more likely to be obese.”

A WORD ABOUT INTRINSIC MOTIVATION

So, what are parents to do? The first and most important task is to limit time on devices starting right now. I know, easier said than done! Changing the tide of too much screen time will take time and effort, as well as a paradigm shift in both kids and parents.

Speaking of paradigm shifts, fostering intrinsic motivation is a powerful approach to lessening the draw of screens. Intrinsic motivation is defined as completing an activity for its own inherent satisfaction and enjoyment, rather than for an external reward (such as a new toy, virtual coins, or a special privilege).

A youngster who completes their nightly homework because they want to do well in school or because they are genuinely curious about the subject matter is exhibiting intrinsic motivation. A child who practices their instrument because they love making music, as opposed to hoping to win a competition or avoid punishment, is also intrinsically motivated.

Adults can help children grow their intrinsic motivation by:

• Allowing children to pursue their own interests with no expectations or strings attached. This can be challenging for some parents who want their kids to be a football player, for example, even though the child’s real interest is in playing chess.

• Creating opportunities and engaging in activities (in real life) that children find interesting and challenging (building a backyard obstacle course, cooking an entire meal together, or visiting the art museum where the focus of the visit is on the child’s favorite artist(s).

• Fostering curiosity about the world generally leads to children pursuing a task for the sole pleasure oflearning or mastering a new idea. To support this, ask open-ended questions that allow children to puzzle out their answer. For example, ask, “Why do you think Monarch butterflies only eat milkweed?” Challenge them to explain their thinking.

• Give positive feedback for their efforts, even “unsuccessful” ones. In response to a question about his missteps, Edison once said, “I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.” Risk taking and perseverance begets success in the long run!

Deci and Ryan, from the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, claim, “Intrinsic motivation is driven by enjoyment, fun, interest, and the inherent satisfaction that comes from participating in the behavior.” Simply stated, when children have activities they are personally invested in, screen time is less of a draw for their attention.

A WORD ABOUT BOREDOM

We, as parents and caregivers, fear boredom in our children because it may lead to negative behaviors (temper tantrum in the grocery store?!). However, American sociologist Sherry Turkle counters, “Boredom is your imagination calling to you.” French psychotherapist Etty Buzyn agrees and advocates for the merits of boredom.

“Actually, boredom is a vital formative experience in a life of a child. The ability to deal with boredom is an unmistakable sign of good mental health. Being still makes children confront their solitude and deploy their emotions inside their personal world. This progressively lets them discover the ability to make their imagination grow and invent stories that will later become part of their games.”

In other words, we don’t need to put a device in front of a child at the first sign of boredom. Let them ponder the situation. Guide them in finding alternative ideas or activities.

SOME IDEAS TO BUST BOREDOM, INCREASE IMAGINATION, AND QUELL THE CALL OF CYPERSPACE

Experts agree that parents should start by replacing at least one hour of TV/phone/computer time with real life activities and interactions. Instead of making limited screen time into a battle or punishment, consider these strategies for redirecting a youngster’s attention:

• Play a sport.

• Explore the natural world through unstructured play, hikes, camping, bike riding, and similar.

• Engage in other extracurricular activities (robotics, chess club, volunteer work, book clubs...) through school, scouts, or church.

• Spend time with friends (in person).

• Read to younger children. Read novels aloud as a family.

• Play board games or complete puzzles.

• Draw, color, paint! Don’t forget other art activities such as building with clay, leather craft, knitting or crocheting, printmaking, sewing, papermaking...the list is virtually endless!

• Offer children open-ended toys. Open-ended toys are those that can be played with independently, without guidance or batteries—toys that can be used in many ways based on the child’s imagination.

Open-ended toys include: blocks of all kinds, Lego bricks, human or animal figures, play food, dress-up clothes/costumes, vehicles, or art supplies. In other words, less Nintendo Switch more cardboard box!

Screens aren’t going anywhere. It’s up to us as parents and teachers to balance the benefits of devices with strategies that mitigate the negatives. Spending time with children in the moment, playing games, taking hikes, and reading books is crucial. When parents encourage exploration and curiosity and support the process of new learning (over the outcome), a happy, curious, well-balanced child is likely the result.

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