Nurturing Digital Well-Being
(Written by Emily Thomas)
In today's digital era, children are growing up surrounded by screens, from smartphones and tablets to computers and televisions. While technology offers immense opportunities for learning and connection, it's crucial for families to establish clear boundaries and rules around screen usage to ensure the well-being and safety of young ones. In this post, we'll explore practical tips and strategies for navigating the digital landscape responsibly.
Establishing Rules for Screen Time
Prolonged screen time, particularly on devices with social media and gaming capabilities, can impact children's mental and emotional health. By establishing boundaries, caregivers help children develop a healthy relationship with technology and minimize potential negative effects on their mental and emotional well-being.
Screen/Life Balance: Determine appropriate limits for screen time based on your child's age, developmental stage, and individual needs. Simply calling all device use "screen time" can miss some important differences. Common Sense Media research studies identify four main categories of screen time:
Passive: mindlessly watching videos or shows, scrolling, on autopilot, Interactive: playing games, problem-solving,
Communication: video-chatting, using social media
Content creation: making digital art or music, coding.
Clearly, there are a lot of differences between these activities. And as valuable as many of them can be, it's still important for kids' overall healthy development to balance their lives with enriching experiences away from screens. You can also use a family tech planner with your child, like this one from Better Screen Time and revise the rules as your child grows and family dynamics change.
Create Screen-Free Zones: When kids are around, set an example by using tech the way you want them to use it. Designate certain areas of your home, such as bedrooms and mealtime areas. Keep phones away from the dinner table, try not to multitask while using devices, and avoid using TV as “background noise”. These screen-free zones encourage face-to-face interactions and family bonding without any distractions.
Monitor Content: Regularly review and approve the content your child consumes online, including websites, apps, and games. Utilize parental control features and filtering tools to block inappropriate content and ensure a safe browsing experience. Familiarize yourself with programming to make sure it is age-appropriate and talk to your child about what they are seeing. Point out good behavior, such as cooperation, friendship, and concern for others. Make connections to meaningful events or places of interest within the show topics.
Encourage Balance: Not everything has to be educational, but when choosing entertainment for young kids, think about how it engages your child. Choosing age-appropriate, high-quality content is a bonus. If you have older kids, check out online reviews together and help them look for shows, games, and apps that allow them to explore their interests, get creative, and connect with others. Treat tech as a tool, not a treat. Kids who use tablets or smartphones just to play games or watch shows see only the entertainment side of technology. Show them how you can use devices for other tasks, such as sending emails, getting directions, and looking up information for school or research.
Establish Screen Time Routines: Create consistent routines and schedules for screen time, utilizing timers, incorporating designated time blocks for educational use, entertainment, and relaxation. Avoid using screens as a reward or punishment, as this can create unhealthy associations with technology. A few wonderful resources are The Game Educator and Common Sense Media’s Family Screen Time Plans. If your family wants to embrace “screen free day” per week, this resource for “Screen Free Saturdays” from Screen Free Week is a wonderful starting point.
Modeling Healthy Screen Habits
As caregivers, it's crucial to lead by example and model healthy screen habits for our children to emulate. Here are some tips for promoting positive digital behavior:
Practice Mindful Screen Use: Be mindful of your own screen habits and strive to limit unnecessary screen time in front of your children. Demonstrate the importance of disconnecting from devices to prioritize real-life interactions and activities. The secret to healthy tech use is to establish limits and stick to them. Try using your phone's screen-time features to track how long you use it. Then set some goals for how you'd like to be using your phone when spending time with family. Be mindful if you find yourself constantly responding to emails and messages during your downtime. Before you check your phone, ask yourself: Why am I checking my phone? If you don't have a good reason, put it down. And if you do pick up your phone in front of the kids, explain what you're doing and why. That way, they know you're using it for a reason.
Engage Together: Whenever you can, watch, play, and listen with your kids. Ask questions that get them thinking, like Who's your favorite character? What do you think will happen next? This is a great way to have discussions about your values. It will also help kids make connections between what they see on screen and their lives. With older kids, you can draw them out by sharing stuff from your social media accounts. Whenever possible, engage in screen activities together with your child, such as playing educational games, watching age-appropriate shows, or exploring educational apps. Use screen time as an opportunity to bond and interact with your child rather than a solitary activity.
Encourage Open Communication: Foster open and honest communication with your child about their online experiences, interests, and concerns. Create a safe space for your child to ask questions, seek guidance, and share any issues or challenges they encounter online.
Teach Digital Literacy: Educate your child about online safety, privacy, and responsible digital citizenship. Teach them to recognize and avoid potential risks such as sharing personal information, engaging with strangers, and cyberbullying.
Technology safety and boundaries are not set in stone and may need to be adjusted over time as your child grows and their digital needs evolve. Regularly review your family's screen time rules and boundaries together, and be open to making changes as needed based on your child's development and changing circumstances. By prioritizing technology safety and boundaries, families can create a safe and nurturing digital environment where children can explore, learn, and connect with confidence and responsibility. Together, let's empower our children to navigate the digital world with wisdom, resilience, and compassion.