tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/screen-time-12193/articlesScreen time – The Conversation2024-03-07T23:42:24Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2218562024-03-07T23:42:24Z2024-03-07T23:42:24ZOur family is always glued to separate devices. How can we connect again?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580349/original/file-20240307-26-3uw5xe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=158%2C186%2C6043%2C3876&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/irresponsible-parents-ignoring-lonely-daughter-bored-1643131846">Space_Cat/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s Saturday afternoon and the kids are all connected to separate devices. So are the parents. Sounds familiar?</p>
<p>Many families want to set ground rules to help them reduce their screen time – and have time to connect with each other, without devices. </p>
<p>But it can be difficult to know where to start and how to make a plan that suits your family. </p>
<h2>First, look at your own screen time</h2>
<p>Before telling children to “hop off the tech”, it’s important parents understand how much they are using screens themselves. </p>
<p>Globally, the average person <a href="https://explodingtopics.com/blog/screen-time-stats">spends</a> an average of six hours and 58 minutes on screens each day. This has increased by 13%, or 49 minutes, since 2013. </p>
<p>Parents who report high screen time use <a href="https://www.rchpoll.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ACHP-Poll7_Detailed-Report-June21.pdf">tend to see this</a> filtering down to the children in their family too. <a href="https://www.rchpoll.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ACHP-Poll7_Detailed-Report-June21.pdf">Two-thirds</a> of primary school-aged children in Australia have their own mobile screen-based device. </p>
<p>Australia’s screen time guidelines <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/too-much-time-screens">recommended</a> children aged five to 17 years have no more than two hours of sedentary screen time (excluding homework) each day. For those aged two to five years, it’s no more than one hour a day. And the guidelines recommend no screen time at all for children under two. </p>
<p>Yet the majority of children, across age groups, exceed these maximums. A <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/04/does-children-toddlers-kids-watching-tv-impact-development-learning">new Australian study released this week</a> found the average three-year-old is exposed to two hours and 52 minutes of screen time a day. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/development-of-vision-in-early-childhood-no-screens-before-age-two-193192">Development of vision in early childhood: No screens before age two</a>
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<h2>Some screen time is OK, too much increases risks</h2>
<p>Technology has profoundly impacted children’s lives, offering both opportunities and challenges. </p>
<p>On one hand, it provides access to <a href="https://www.twinscience.com/en/parent-advice/benefits-of-technology-to-children/">educational resources</a>, can develop creativity, facilitates communication with peers and family members, and allows students to seek out new information.</p>
<p>On the other hand, excessive screen use <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/too-much-time-screens">can result in</a> too much time being sedentary, delays in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2815514?guestAccessKey=af1b82f5-2ff4-4cc9-a88c-2720ef541470&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=030424">developmental milestones</a>, disrupted <a href="https://parentingscience.com/electronic-media-and-sleep-problems-in-children/#:%7E:text=Does%20this%20put%20kids%20at,(Lund%20et%20al%202021">sleep</a> and daytime drowsiness.</p>
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<img alt="Tired boy looks out the window" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580350/original/file-20240307-26-pfqaiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Disrupted sleep can leave children tired the next day.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sad-bored-caucasian-boy-travelling-by-2168424981">Yulia Raneva/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Too much screen time can <a href="https://www.qustodio.com/en/blog/technology-child-social-development/">affect</a> social skills, as it replaces time spent in face-to-face social interactions. This is where children learn verbal and non-verbal communication, develop empathy, learn patience and how to take turns.</p>
<p>Many families also <a href="https://doi.org/10.23965/AJEC.43.2.02">worry about</a> how to maintain a positive relationship with their children when so much of their time is spent glued to screens.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-ways-to-help-your-child-transition-off-screens-and-avoid-the-dreaded-tech-tantrums-220138">3 ways to help your child transition off screens and avoid the dreaded 'tech tantrums'</a>
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<h2>What about when we’re all on devices?</h2>
<p>When families are all using devices simultaneously, it results in less face-to-face interactions, reducing communication and resulting in a shift in family dynamics. </p>
<p>The increased use of wireless technology enables families to easily tune out from each other by putting in earphones, reducing the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.611670">opportunity for conversation</a>. Family members wearing earphones during shared activities or meals creates a physical barrier and encourages people to retreat into their own digital worlds.</p>
<p>Wearing earphones for long periods may also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2010.07.015">reduce</a> connection to, and closeness with, family members. Research from video gaming, for instance, found excessing gaming increases feelings of isolation, loneliness and the displacement of real-world social interactions, alongside weakened relationships with peers and family members.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/mum-dad-im-bored-how-to-teach-children-to-manage-their-own-boredom-these-holidays-217680">'Mum, Dad, I'm bored!' How to teach children to manage their own boredom these holidays</a>
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<h2>How can I set screen time limits?</h2>
<p>Start by sitting down as a family and <a href="https://parents.au.reachout.com/skills-to-build/wellbeing/technology-and-teenagers">discussing what limits</a> you all feel would be appropriate when using TVs, phones and gaming – and when is an appropriate time to use them.</p>
<p>Have <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/too-much-time-screens">set rules</a> around family time – for example, no devices at the dinner table – so you can connect through face-to-face interactions. </p>
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<img alt="Mother talks to her family at the dinner table" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580353/original/file-20240307-30-8v66rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">One rule might be no devices at the dinner table.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/multigeneration-mixed-race-family-eating-meal-1564283620">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Consider locking your phone or devices away at certain periods throughout the week, such as after 9pm (or within an hour of bedtime for younger children) and seek out opportunities to balance your days with physical activities, such kicking a footy at the park or going on a family bush walk. </p>
<p>Parents can model healthy behaviour by regulating and setting limits on their own screen time. This might mean limiting your social media scrolling to 15 or 30 minutes a day and keeping your phone in the next room when you’re not using it. </p>
<p>When establishing appropriate boundaries and ensuring children’s safety, it is crucial for parents and guardians to engage in open communication about technology use. This <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003169390/children-technology-healthy-development-catherine-knibbs">includes</a> teaching critical thinking skills to navigate online content safely and employing parental control tools and privacy settings.</p>
<p>Parents can foster a supportive and trusting relationship with children from an early age so children feel comfortable discussing their online experiences and sharing their fears or concerns.</p>
<p><em>For resources to help you develop your own family’s screen time plan, visit the <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/play-learning/media-technology/screen-time">Raising Children Network</a>.</em></p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221856/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elise Waghorn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many families want to set ground rules to reduce their screen time – and have time to connect with each other, without devices. Here’s where to start.Elise Waghorn, Lecturer, School of Education, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2234602024-02-20T19:56:41Z2024-02-20T19:56:41ZScreen time doesn’t have to be sedentary: 3 ways it can get kids moving<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576629/original/file-20240220-24-su035y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=108%2C83%2C4809%2C3209&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/girl-in-sleeveless-dress-oOMIgQ0Nr5U">Kelly Sikkema/ Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>There have been concerns about screens making kids more sedentary and less active since TV was introduced more than half a century ago.</p>
<p>“Screen use” and “not enough exercise” are (separately) among the <a href="https://rchpoll.org.au/polls/top-10-child-health-problems-what-australian-parents-think/">top health concerns</a> Australian parents have about their children. </p>
<p>But screens are not necessarily the enemy of exercise. Our research looks at how screens can help children be physically active. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-for-kids-is-an-outdated-concept-so-lets-ditch-it-and-focus-on-quality-instead-186462">'Screen time' for kids is an outdated concept, so let's ditch it and focus on quality instead</a>
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<h2>How much exercise do kids need?</h2>
<p>Australian <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians#summary-by-age">guidelines</a> around how much physical activity children need to do each day varies, depending on their age. And it’s even important for babies to spend time being active each day. </p>
<p>It’s recommended children up to 12 months old have at least 30 minutes of tummy time and as much interactive floor play as possible each day. Toddlers and preschoolers should be active for at least three hours per day, including energetic play. </p>
<p>For children five and above, it’s recommended at least 60 minutes each day of moderate to vigorous physical activity that makes the heart beat faster, including vigorous activities and activities that strengthen muscle and bone.</p>
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<img alt="A boy plays kicks a soccer ball between cones." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576440/original/file-20240219-29-42nfsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576440/original/file-20240219-29-42nfsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576440/original/file-20240219-29-42nfsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576440/original/file-20240219-29-42nfsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576440/original/file-20240219-29-42nfsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576440/original/file-20240219-29-42nfsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576440/original/file-20240219-29-42nfsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Older children should be physically active for at least an hour per day.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/boys-attending-soccer-training-on-school-1937240467">Matimix/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>Concerns around screens making children sedentary are at least in part based on <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/chso.12512?casa_token=egFX3JIA-GYAAAAA%3AFEQmZ00ziLA_pEqvnPU2ctesT9Jigod08UbhSsAEu6y0rxkYzi4f75Rrnx9A4k9wyhvrZN_czHos07E">outdated ideas</a> that position technology as either “good” or “bad”. Researchers today are <a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-for-kids-is-an-outdated-concept-so-lets-ditch-it-and-focus-on-quality-instead-186462">more focused</a> on how screens are used and in what context.</p>
<p>We are working on a <a href="https://dataportal.arc.gov.au/NCGP/Web/Grant/Grant/LP190100387">larger project</a> to develop online resources for parents about using digital technologies with their children.</p>
<p>In this part of the study, we have been exploring ideas on how to use technology to encourage young children to be active. </p>
<p>We gave a group of 13 families with children under five ideas on how to use technology to help their children be more active. Every week for 12 weeks, they received information and ideas from the federal government’s parenting website <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/">Raising Children Network</a>, <a href="https://www.playgroupwa.com.au/">Playgroup WA</a> and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/abckids">ABC Kids</a>. </p>
<p>From this work, three messages to parents stood out: </p>
<h2>1. Children can be active while using screens</h2>
<p>We tend to think that when children are using screens, they are passive and sitting still. </p>
<p>But our study showed children can certainly be active while watching. So it is useful to provide space for them to do this and encourage them to move in response to what they are watching. This may run counter to traditional instructions to children watching TV to “sit still and be quiet”.</p>
<p>Content that involves music and dance (like the Wiggles) will naturally get children moving. But parents also found it helpful to encourage children to mimic their favourite character’s “action moves” when watching programs such as Spiderman or PJ Masks. </p>
<p>Our study looked at children five and under but older children could use digital games (such as Nintendo Switch’s Sports) that promote physical activity. Or they could use augmented reality apps that get them moving, such as Pokémon Go.</p>
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<img alt="A child holds a mobile phone with Pokemon Go on the screen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576436/original/file-20240219-18-nbwq6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576436/original/file-20240219-18-nbwq6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576436/original/file-20240219-18-nbwq6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576436/original/file-20240219-18-nbwq6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576436/original/file-20240219-18-nbwq6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576436/original/file-20240219-18-nbwq6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576436/original/file-20240219-18-nbwq6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Digital games can help motivate children to be active.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/vancouver-canada-july-22-2016-young-456766453">Ivan Sabo/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>2. Technology can inspire off-screen physical activity</h2>
<p>Parents told us they were able to use screens to inspire physical activity after viewing has stopped.</p>
<p>For example after watching <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/abckids/early-education/reflective-journal/get-moving-with-humptys-big-adventure/13792388">Humpty’s Big Adventure</a> parents could encourage children to build an obstacle course. Or watch the Bluey episode Keepy Uppy and then play the game. </p>
<p>This can help <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/nutrition-fitness/physical-activity/physical-activity-getting-involved">introduce variety</a> into children’s physical play, which is important for developing new skills. As we have noted in a <a href="https://theconversation.com/3-ways-to-help-your-child-transition-off-screens-and-avoid-the-dreaded-tech-tantrums-220138">previous article</a>, using an idea from a program can also help children transition away from screens without tantrums.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-ways-to-help-your-child-transition-off-screens-and-avoid-the-dreaded-tech-tantrums-220138">3 ways to help your child transition off screens and avoid the dreaded 'tech tantrums'</a>
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<h2>3. Taking videos can keep kids excited about moving</h2>
<p>Many adults have watches or apps that record their steps and exercise and this helps them stay motivated to move. Technology can similarly be used to promote children’s activity.</p>
<p>Children in our study loved watching videos of themselves being active. Playing these back immediately or later (and sharing with family), reinforced their enthusiasm about how fun it is to be active. It also encouraged children to keep trying with skills. </p>
<p>You could try filming your child racing on their bike, demonstrating their skills on the monkey bars, climbing a tall part of the playground or working on ball skills.</p>
<p>For older children, you can also record dance, choreography or specific sporting skills such as stroke correction in tennis or swimming. </p>
<p>Parents also reported their children enjoyed using a stopwatch app to improve their time when completing a lap on their bike or tackling monkey bars. Other apps, like maps, can help plan a vigorous family walk.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223460/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Juliana Zabatiero receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Highfield consults for ABC Kids, with a focus on supporting healthy technology use in play and learning. With colleagues, she receives or has received funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Leon Straker receives funding from the Australian Research Council and National Health and Medical Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susan Edwards receives funding from Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>We tend to think when children are using screens, they are passive and sitting still. But they can move in response to what they watch. Or get inspiration for what to play next.Juliana Zabatiero, Research Fellow, Curtin UniversityKate Highfield, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Education Academic Lead, University of CanberraLeon Straker, Professor of Physiotherapy, Curtin UniversitySusan Edwards, Professor of Education, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2179862024-01-18T17:30:42Z2024-01-18T17:30:42ZExcessive social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated adolescent mental health challenges<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569404/original/file-20240115-19-cpvqvk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2695%2C1517&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Research shows a strong link between screen time and mental health concerns, including anxiety and depression.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>How does time spent online, and especially social media, affect the brains and behaviours of children and youth?</p>
<p>Social media platforms are seemingly designed to capture the attention of users and produce habitual checking of apps and notifications. In recent years, our lives have become increasingly dominated by social media, either as a source of information, entertainment, or just a way to connect with others. </p>
<p>In Canada alone, <a href="https://madeinca.ca/social-media-statistics-canada/#:%7E:text=Social%20Media%20Statistics%20for%20Canadians,with%20over%2026%20million%20users.">more than 30 million social media accounts</a> are currently registered, with <a href="https://doi.org/10.25318/36280001202100300004-eng">teenagers one of the highest user groups</a>. </p>
<p>During the COVID-19 pandemic, young people were drastically affected by the sudden shift to a digital world and the explosion of a reliance on screens. School closures, coupled with social isolation, led to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100217">dramatic increases in daily screen time use</a> and exacerbated <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01240-0">mental health challenges</a> for many young people. </p>
<p>Research shows strong links between screen time and mental health concerns, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1590851">anxiety and depression</a>, although few longitudinal studies have been conducted in the pandemic or post-pandemic eras to determine causal relationships. The stress of lockdowns and the absence of typical support networks left adolescents more vulnerable than ever to the negative effects of social media. </p>
<p>Now, in the years following the pandemic lockdowns, it’s imperative that we study and address the impact excessive screen time can have on brain development.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569606/original/file-20240116-25-l42kqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a teen girl wearing a face mask makes a peace sign to her phone" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569606/original/file-20240116-25-l42kqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569606/original/file-20240116-25-l42kqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569606/original/file-20240116-25-l42kqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569606/original/file-20240116-25-l42kqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569606/original/file-20240116-25-l42kqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569606/original/file-20240116-25-l42kqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569606/original/file-20240116-25-l42kqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">During the pandemic, social media provided distraction and a way to maintain contact with friends.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Reward and punishment</h2>
<p>A key facet of social media is that it engages brain systems involved in reward and punishment, which could place children and adolescents at risk for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4924">adverse brain development</a>. During childhood and adolescence, our brains are still going through <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhz279">dramatic periods of development</a>, making them more susceptible to the impact of excessive screen time.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-much-time-do-kids-spend-on-devices-playing-games-watching-videos-texting-and-using-the-phone-210118">How much time do kids spend on devices – playing games, watching videos, texting and using the phone?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Children and youth have very active reward systems in the brain. Natural rewards can cause a brief release of “feel good” chemicals in the brain like <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.101997">dopamine</a>. Social media can offer constant levels of rewards that are higher than normal and affect brain chemistry, leading to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40473-023-00261-8">children seeking out more rewards</a>, even to addictive levels. </p>
<p>The part of our brain that monitors risky but rewarding activity — <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04554-y">the prefrontal cortex — does not fully mature until we reach our 30s</a>. The fact that this brain area has not fully developed in children and teens might affect their ability to control scrolling behaviours and monitor emotional triggers.</p>
<p>Coupled with changes in brain chemistry, this could lead to excessive screen time use. The timeline of the prefrontal cortex’s development could also explain why adults are less likely to face the same consequences of the negative effects of social media. </p>
<p>Additionally, some studies have reported <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03126-x">changes in cortical and subcortical brain activation and structure in children and teenagers</a> that were associated with high screen time use. These studies have reported changes in the brain’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4924">reward and punishment centres</a>. </p>
<p>Another example of this comes from a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101088">longitudinal study that followed children for three years</a>, showing delayed development of regions involved in social connectedness and understanding the thoughts and feelings of others.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jR59s2mv24Q?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">CBC News looks at the impact of social media on teens.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Different impacts</h2>
<p>However, not all research points to screen time as being associated with changes in brain development. A large-scale imaging study that was designed to examine childhood experiences throughout the United States — including smoking, video games and sleep — in nearly 12,000 children showed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2023.09.009">no association between screen time and brain development</a>. </p>
<p>There may be several explanations for the dissonance between the large-scale child development study and smaller studies that were designed to look at screen time. For example, potentially heavy users of screen time chose to participate in smaller, more focused studies. In turn, children who are most at risk for the adverse effects of screen time may represent a smaller fraction of the data in a large cohort. </p>
<p>Given the widespread use of social media, it’s no surprise that not all children and youth are impacted in the same way. Adolescents and young adults who have pre-existing mental health concerns, particularly anxiety, may be most at risk to the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.08.040">harmful effects of social media use on the brain and behaviour</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2013.06.038">Those who experience anxiety may use social media more frequently</a> to seek validation and reassurance, or as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2013.06.038">maladaptive coping mechanism to avoid in-person interactions and real-world stressors</a>. </p>
<p>More longitudinal research is needed to better understand mental-health risk factors for adverse outcomes associated with excessive social media use as well as the long-term effects on brain development.</p>
<h2>Adapting to a digital world</h2>
<p>As we move forward and adapt to an increasingly digital world, clear guidelines are needed concerning the amounts, types and content of screen time that are most harmful to children’s development, as well as the associated risk and resilience factors, which are informed by science. </p>
<p>For this reason, it is more important than ever that researchers design studies that allow us to understand what is happening to children’s and adolescents’ brains and their behaviours, and how that is affecting long-term outcomes. </p>
<p>In the meantime, educators and parents should engage in open dialogue to help children and teenagers understand the consequences that excessive screen time might have on brain development and mental health. Teenagers should also be given strategies and learn about setting boundaries to help them manage screen time responsibly. </p>
<p>It is crucial that we encourage healthy relationships with technology to minimize the potential for long-term societal issues and concerns in the future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217986/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma Duerden receives funding from the Canada Research Chairs, Brain Canada, and the Children's Health Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michaela Kent does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>During the pandemic, many people relied on social media for distraction and social connection. However, excessive social media use can negatively affect mental health, especially for young people.Emma G Duerden, Canada Research Chair, Neuroscience & Learning Disorders, Assistant Professor, Western UniversityMichaela Kent, PhD Candidate, Neuroscience, Western UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2201382024-01-09T19:17:41Z2024-01-09T19:17:41Z3 ways to help your child transition off screens and avoid the dreaded ‘tech tantrums’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567033/original/file-20231221-26-8f27sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=52%2C15%2C4941%2C3312&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/asian-kids-playing-with-tablet-5692262/">Alex Green/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many Australian parents <a href="https://www.rchpoll.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NCHP20-Poll-report-A4_FA.pdf">worry</a> about how much time their children spend watching screens. </p>
<p>While <a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-for-kids-is-an-outdated-concept-so-lets-ditch-it-and-focus-on-quality-instead-186462">some time on devices is fine</a> for entertainment and education, we also know <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-022-12944-0">it is important</a> children do things away from TVs and devices. </p>
<p>This means for many families, there is a daily battle around getting kids off their screens and avoiding “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8078852/">tech tantrums</a>”. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://youngchildrendigitalsociety.com.au/">new research</a> looks at how parents and carers can help children with what researchers call “technology transitions”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-for-kids-is-an-outdated-concept-so-lets-ditch-it-and-focus-on-quality-instead-186462">'Screen time' for kids is an outdated concept, so let's ditch it and focus on quality instead</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why are transitions so tough?</h2>
<p>Technology transitions are a lot like other transitions children experience throughout their day. </p>
<p>These include stopping play to get dressed, moving from having breakfast to getting in the car, or finishing time on the swing to leave the park. These can be tricky because they involve <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/behaviour/understanding-behaviour/self-regulation">self-regulation skills</a> that children learn and develop as they grow. </p>
<p>Transitioning from screen to non-screen activities is something many children would do more than once a day. </p>
<p>Often technology transitions can appear harder for children and their carers than other transitions because devices can be highly engaging, with developers and media designers actively working <a href="https://theconversation.com/3-ways-app-developers-keep-kids-glued-to-the-screen-and-what-to-do-about-it-191672">to keep children connected</a> (think of how streaming services automatically start playing the next show and display all the similar options for viewing). </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young girl covers her face with her hands." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567034/original/file-20231221-24-egr4pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567034/original/file-20231221-24-egr4pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567034/original/file-20231221-24-egr4pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567034/original/file-20231221-24-egr4pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567034/original/file-20231221-24-egr4pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567034/original/file-20231221-24-egr4pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567034/original/file-20231221-24-egr4pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Children can be very upset when they have to stop watching TV or using a device.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/girl-covering-her-face-with-both-hands-VZILDYoqn_U">Caleb Woods/ Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Our study</h2>
<p>We are working on a <a href="https://dataportal.arc.gov.au/NCGP/Web/Grant/Grant/LP190100387">larger project</a> to develop an online tool with advice for parents about using digital technologies with their children. </p>
<p>In this part of the study, we have been exploring how to support children with technology transitions. Together with Playgroup WA, we worked with a group of 14 parents to explore different ways to move children off technology. </p>
<p>Over 12 weeks, we provided parents with ideas and advice to support transitions and then asked them what worked best. These resources included content from the federal government’s parenting website <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au">Raising Children Network</a> and ABC Kids.</p>
<p>Families reported their top three strategies for supporting technology transitions. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-bluey-less-paw-patrol-why-australian-parents-want-locally-made-tv-for-their-kids-215603">More Bluey, less PAW Patrol: why Australian parents want locally made TV for their kids</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>1. Prepare your kids</h2>
<p>We would be upset if we were watching a movie and someone suddenly stopped it midway through without warning. </p>
<p>Just like adults, children can feel very annoyed and frustrated when their device is suddenly taken away, especially when they are enjoying a game or watching content they like. </p>
<p>So you need to prepare children and let them know when their time with a screen will end. </p>
<p>Some successful strategies parents and carers in this research used were “you can watch two episodes of this show” or “when this game is finished we will stop”. These help children to know how much time they will have with a device and that they will be able to finish an activity they are enjoying. </p>
<p>Telling them what activity would follow was also helpful. For example “when you have finished that game it will be time to eat” or “after you have watched that show we will go to the park”. What they are moving to may not always be fun, helping children understand what to expect helps make for a smoother transition. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tv-can-be-educational-but-social-media-likely-harms-mental-health-what-70-years-of-research-tells-us-about-children-and-screens-216638">TV can be educational but social media likely harms mental health: what 70 years of research tells us about children and screens</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>2. Do something ‘for real-life’ inspired by the screen</h2>
<p>You can use children’s interests in what they are watching to help them move from technologies into non-digital activities. </p>
<p>For example if your child has been watching Bluey you could invite them to complete a Bluey puzzle, or role-play some Bluey games such as keepy uppy or obstacle course. Families in this study reported moving from watching Fireman Sam to visiting a fire station or building a fire station with their child using blocks and other play materials in the home. </p>
<p>Parents also successfully used music and songs children liked to help with technology transitions. This could be playing music from a show, or turning on music kids liked to act as a fun activity to engage them in something else.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An adult and child play with wooden blocks." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567035/original/file-20231221-16-obf0w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567035/original/file-20231221-16-obf0w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567035/original/file-20231221-16-obf0w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567035/original/file-20231221-16-obf0w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567035/original/file-20231221-16-obf0w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567035/original/file-20231221-16-obf0w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567035/original/file-20231221-16-obf0w5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">You can try building something kids have been watching on the TV.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/boy-building-with-toy-blocks-7269707/">Karolina Grabowska/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Give kids choice</h2>
<p>Offering children choice in these situations can also be very powerful. </p>
<p>Many aspects of children’s lives are managed for them, when to go to school or pre-school, what they have to wear and using a seat belt in the car. Many of these things are not negotiable and often for good reasons. </p>
<p>This is why it is helpful to give children some choice in their lives when you can.</p>
<p>Parents reported success when providing kids with simple choices when preparing to move off technology. For example “would you like to watch two or four episodes of this show?” or “would you like to start the timer for your game or do you want me to let you know when your time is up?” </p>
<p>These strategies help children feel like they have some choice about how long they will use technologies.</p>
<p>As parents and carers navigate screens and technology with their kids, they should know they are not alone if they find transitions difficult. And there are strategies that can help.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>The <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/preschoolers/behaviour/behaviour-management-tips-tools/activity-changes-behaviour-management">Raising Children Network</a> has more ideas for supporting transitions.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220138/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Juliana Zabatiero receives funding from the Australian Research Council. This article was developed in collaboration with Australian Catholic University, University of Canberra, Curtin University, Playgroup WA, ABC Kids and the federal government's Raising Children Network with funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Highfield consults for ABC Kids, with a focus on supporting healthy technology use in play and learning. With colleagues, she receives or has received funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Leon Straker receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susan Edwards receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>For many families, there is a daily battle around getting kids off their screens and back into real life.Juliana Zabatiero, Research Fellow, Curtin UniversityKate Highfield, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Education Academic Lead, University of CanberraLeon Straker, Professor of Physiotherapy, Curtin UniversitySusan Edwards, Professor of Education, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2189882024-01-04T16:35:25Z2024-01-04T16:35:25ZActive or overscheduled kids? How parents can consider benefits and risks of extracurricular activities<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/active-or-overscheduled-kids-how-parents-can-consider-benefits-and-risks-of-extracurricular-activities" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>From hockey and dance to chess club, families can be pulled in many extracurricular directions. </p>
<p>It’s easy for parents to be overwhelmed by the choices of activities for their child — or also, how accessible these are, for reasons <a href="https://peopleforeducation.ca/report/inequities-persist-extracurriculars-clubs-activities-and-fundraising-in-ontarios-publicly-funded-schools/#chapter10">like financial barriers</a> or transportation challenges.</p>
<p>In the midst of this, parents receive advice to ensure their <a href="https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/exercise.html">kids move their bodies</a> and <a href="https://childmind.org/article/can-brain-training-really-kids/">challenge their brains</a>, <a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/six_ways_to_help_kids_grow_their_creativity">be creative</a>, but also to carve out space for <a href="https://extension.sdstate.edu/why-spending-quality-time-your-children-important">family and downtime</a>. </p>
<p>A survey conducted by Ipsos for Global News found that on average, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/4400116/extracurricular-activities-cost-canada-swimming-hockey/">parents paid $1,160 for their children’s extracurricular activities in the 2017-18 school year</a>.</p>
<p>Fortunately, there are resources or neighbourhood hubs that help identify available activities for kids — <a href="https://www.ourkids.net/programs">for instance, this resource allows</a> you to search by Canadian location, activity type and price (including some free activities). </p>
<p>To help families navigate extracurricular activities, we offer parents suggestions to help make informed decisions about finding a balance that aims to align with their family values and meet the individual needs of their children.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A pre-teen child playing a stringed instrument." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567584/original/file-20240102-29-8dbg9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567584/original/file-20240102-29-8dbg9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567584/original/file-20240102-29-8dbg9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567584/original/file-20240102-29-8dbg9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567584/original/file-20240102-29-8dbg9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567584/original/file-20240102-29-8dbg9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567584/original/file-20240102-29-8dbg9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Extracurricular opportunities also allow children to explore new skills and to discover new strengths.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Allison Shelley/EDUimages)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Benefits of kids having a busy schedule</h2>
<p>The good side of extracurriculars is that research shows kids involved in activities are more likely to have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-019-01110-2">better friendships and fewer mental health problems</a>. </p>
<p>Participating in multiple activities can also provide structure and a routine for children, which helps them <a href="https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/about-us/article/importance-schedules-routines">feel in control of their environment</a> and predict what is coming next. </p>
<p>Having a lot of scheduled activities can also help your child learn valued time-management skills, like how to complete their homework because they have soccer practice later that evening.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/here-are-the-best-parents-to-have-around-according-to-youth-sport-coaches-118382">Here are the best parents to have around, according to youth sport coaches</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Friendships, belonging</h2>
<p>Extracurricular activities are also a great opportunity for children to develop and nurture their own interests while forming meaningful friendships. Participating in extracurricular activities can help kids find a sense of belonging. Some activities may be specifically relevant to your <a href="https://globalnews.ca/video/9944397/overscheduled-recognizing-signs-of-burnout-in-children-and-youth">child’s culture, community</a> or your own family concerns.</p>
<p>Extracurricular opportunities also allow children to explore new skills and to discover new strengths. Potentially, they learn routes to feeling accomplished that don’t depend on academic performance. When they participate and succeed at an activity they enjoy, <a href="https://www.crimsoneducation.org/ca/blog/benefits-of-extracurricular-activities/#benefits">this can help boost their self-confidence</a>.</p>
<p>Finally, participating in extracurricular activities can keep kids <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2017/05/10/the-myth-of-the-overscheduled-child/">away from screens</a>. A lot of research has shown the dangers of <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2790338">too much screen time</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-predicts-delays-in-child-development-says-new-research-110016">Screen time predicts delays in child development, says new research</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young child holding a soccer ball." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567618/original/file-20240102-19-10qxl7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567618/original/file-20240102-19-10qxl7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567618/original/file-20240102-19-10qxl7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567618/original/file-20240102-19-10qxl7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567618/original/file-20240102-19-10qxl7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567618/original/file-20240102-19-10qxl7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567618/original/file-20240102-19-10qxl7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Succeeding at an activity they enjoy can help boost a child’s self-confidence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Importance of free play, downtime</h2>
<p>The bad side of overscheduling kids is that it can have <a href="https://www.care.com/c/pros-cons-scheduling-kids/">adverse effects</a> for some children and families. When kids are overscheduled, they often don’t have time for other critically important parts of life. </p>
<p>Overscheduling kids may get in the way of unstructured playtime, which research has shown is extremely valuable for children’s development. Unstructured free play has been shown to <a href="https://lynnwonders.medium.com/the-power-of-play-unstructured-play-for-child-development-and-beyond-6f46164cc1b7">bolster children’s creativity, increase their problem solving skills and allow children to demonstrate their own individuality</a></p>
<p>Additionally it is <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780312263393/theoverscheduledchild">important for children to have downtime</a> as it gives children a chance to pause, reflect and relax. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two children seen playing in snow." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567613/original/file-20240102-25-nmbu11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567613/original/file-20240102-25-nmbu11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567613/original/file-20240102-25-nmbu11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567613/original/file-20240102-25-nmbu11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567613/original/file-20240102-25-nmbu11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567613/original/file-20240102-25-nmbu11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567613/original/file-20240102-25-nmbu11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Free play and downtime are important for children.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Yan Krukau)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Overscheduling kids may also quickly <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40364197">overwhelm children</a> as they are balancing multiple activities on top of their schoolwork — and may leave <a href="https://globalnews.ca/video/9944397/overscheduled-recognizing-signs-of-burnout-in-children-and-youth">kids prone to stress</a>, physical complaints and self-reported anxiety and depression.</p>
<h2>Importance of family time</h2>
<p>When kids are overbooked there may be less quality family time. Something as simple as eating a family meal together may become increasingly difficult for families with scheduling conflicts. Connecting as a family is important. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2010.04.017">Research</a> has shown that when a family eats meals together, the children do better academically, and are less likely to suffer from mental health problems.</p>
<p>How can parents and caregivers find a balance between structured and unstructured time? </p>
<h2>Tips for parents and caregivers</h2>
<p><strong>Listen to your child:</strong> Encourage their interests and preferences. Monitor your child’s level of engagement. For example, are they excited to share what they learned or motivated to practise on their own? Are they withdrawn, moody or resistant to communicating about their activities? Consider whether your child enjoys the activity they are doing or how it suits their abilities.</p>
<p>Take some time to discuss which activities are most important and why. Variables might include: Which activities align with your family’s values? Which activities align most with your child’s interests or help nurture belonging or competence? Which activities suit your schedule? Use these discussions to establish priorities.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-kids-activities-reopen-parents-share-insights-about-keeping-families-active-during-covid-19-shutdowns-177518">As kids' activities reopen, parents share insights about keeping families active during COVID-19 shutdowns</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p><strong>Quality over quantity:</strong> Focus on the quality of experiences. Think about whether your child is getting something out of the experience like learning a valuable skill, building important relationships or habits or even simply enjoying themselves. Think about whether the activity is valuable enough that it’s worth the time it might take away from other important things like family time.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A family seen seated at a table eating a meal." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567591/original/file-20240102-15-4ogs9k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567591/original/file-20240102-15-4ogs9k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567591/original/file-20240102-15-4ogs9k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567591/original/file-20240102-15-4ogs9k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567591/original/file-20240102-15-4ogs9k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567591/original/file-20240102-15-4ogs9k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567591/original/file-20240102-15-4ogs9k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dedicating time for family interactions is important.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Cottonbro Studio)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Family time:</strong> Dedicate time for family interactions. You can do something as simple as prioritizing eating meals together — it doesn’t have to be only dinner, maybe family breakfast or family lunch depending on that day’s schedule.</p>
<p><strong>Stay flexible:</strong> Adjust schedules as interests evolve. It’s OK for kids to change their interests! If they find the activity they used to love is just not that interesting to them anymore it’s OK to shake things up. Overcommitting your child to an activity that they are no longer interested in increases the <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/when-to-let-kid-quit-sports_l_61f18840e4b04f9a12b7cd84">likelihood of burnout</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Stress & time management:</strong> Teach important life skills. Help your kids understand how to manage their schedules. This could include having a planner or agenda so they can lay out all their activities on top of any school commitments. Teach them how to balance their commitments so they have enough time to dedicate to schoolwork and extracurricular activities. </p>
<p>You can create a <a href="https://www.verywellfamily.com/setting-up-a-family-calender-that-keep-you-organized-5214498">family schedule</a> that’s visible to everyone to help keep track of family plans.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218988/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sheri Madigan receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation, an anonymous donor, and the Canada Research Chairs program.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marissa Nivison does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Researchers with expertise in parent-child relationships and child development offer 5 tips about how parents or caregivers can find a balance between children’s structured and unstructured time.Marissa Nivison, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Psychology, University of CalgarySheri Madigan, Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of CalgaryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2180422023-12-18T19:09:57Z2023-12-18T19:09:57ZIs it OK to let my kids watch the same show over and over again?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565945/original/file-20231215-19-kobok3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C74%2C6230%2C4035&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/siblings-watching-on-a-laptop-4783967/">Ivan Samkov/Pexels </a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><blockquote>
<p>Are you sure you want Frozen again? You’ve already seen it 20 times!</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Do you find your children asking to watch the same TV shows and movies, or play the same video games over and over (and over again)? Perhaps you also find yourself thinking it would be better if they had a more varied screen-time diet. </p>
<p>The good news is, it’s perfectly OK for children to watch and repeat. In fact, it can help them learn. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-for-kids-is-an-outdated-concept-so-lets-ditch-it-and-focus-on-quality-instead-186462">'Screen time' for kids is an outdated concept, so let's ditch it and focus on quality instead</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>Children learn through repetition</h2>
<p>Children have a lot to learn about themselves and the world. A big part of the way they do this is through <a href="https://irisreading.com/9-benefits-of-repetition-for-learning/">repetition</a>. </p>
<p>This applies to learning to walk, talk and read. But it can also be said for TV shows, movies and <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-mono/10.4324/9781003137368-5/video-gaming-isan-important-digitalliteracy-practice-kathy-mills-len-unsworth-laura-scholes">video games</a> with a storyline such as <a href="https://blogs.uww.edu/stardewvalleyblog/2021/02/25/an-in-depth-look-on-stardew-valley-storyline-and-game-paths/">Stardew Valley</a>.</p>
<p>Children may start by learning about the plot. On subsequent viewings they may pick up more details about the characters, the songs, the context or even the subtle twists and turns of the plot.</p>
<p>So this offers children insights into different characters, stories and ideas. These different perspectives offer valuable opportunities for learning about people and the world. </p>
<p>Repeat watching also enables immersion into a make-believe world that provides comfort. Just like adults might enjoy catching up on old episodes of Seinfeld or Friends, or watching Love, Actually each Christmas. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young boy sits on a couch with a TV remote." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565948/original/file-20231215-17-19tbbb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565948/original/file-20231215-17-19tbbb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565948/original/file-20231215-17-19tbbb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565948/original/file-20231215-17-19tbbb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565948/original/file-20231215-17-19tbbb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565948/original/file-20231215-17-19tbbb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565948/original/file-20231215-17-19tbbb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Children learn through repetition, and this applies to TV as well.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/boy-holding-the-remote-6481590/">Kampus Production/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A unique opportunity</h2>
<p>When a child watches something over and over, this also opens up unique learning opportunities because they get to know the story so well.</p>
<p>Once a child is very familiar with a storyline, they can have deep discussion to help them think critically about what they are watching, especially once they’ve reached primary-school age.</p>
<p>Together, you can share ideas and consider alternative viewpoints to those offered in the story. Together, you can also question the assumptions in the characters’ actions and the storyline.</p>
<p>This will help your child’s critical thinking and help them <a href="https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/how-teachers-can-help-young-people-evaluate-online-content-in-a-posttruth-world/28323">evaluate information</a> in the rest of their lives. It can also help them <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2012.725187">weigh up</a> positive and negative attributes of characters, plots and beliefs that form part of the storyline. </p>
<p>Ultimately, this can help your child learn to reason and make judgements about controversial issues, and hopefully learn to do this in a respectful way. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1716962443228787003"}"></div></p>
<h2>How can you talk to your kids about their favourite shows?</h2>
<p>If you want to have a thorough discussion with your child about their favourite program or game, set aside some time when you are not rushed. </p>
<p>Prepare by watching the program or movie, or playing the game before the discussion. Show excitement at the prospect of this time with your child and be prepared to listen carefully. </p>
<p>It is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104401">important</a> for the discussions to be a two-way exchange where you both listen to each other (and not just a parent telling the child what the story is about or alternatively nodding along while the child gives their version).</p>
<p>The trick is to ask questions that do not have one right answer. Many stories bring up issues of ethics, morals, conflict, relationships, social issues and offer insights into the life of others. You could ask your child:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>what they think the message in the story might be? Then ask them to justify their response with evidence from the story</p></li>
<li><p>about alternative perspectives. For example, maybe the movie was about the way someone’s actions affect others (rather than the power of magic or the triumph of goodies over baddies or the importance of family. Or maybe it was all of these things.) </p></li>
</ul>
<p>You could also ask:</p>
<ul>
<li>why they think character A did B? Then ask them if they agree with the actions or would have done something different themselves. Then ask them to justify their answer. </li>
</ul>
<p>The aim is to discuss alternative messages and justify the response with examples from the story. </p>
<p>In this way you are helping your child <a href="https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/berj.3909">make meaning</a> in their world – a vital skill as they grow up. </p>
<p>So, next time the same show or movie goes on again, relax. It may be annoying for you to hear the same songs or storyline for the 1,000th time, but there are benefits for your child. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tv-can-be-educational-but-social-media-likely-harms-mental-health-what-70-years-of-research-tells-us-about-children-and-screens-216638">TV can be educational but social media likely harms mental health: what 70 years of research tells us about children and screens</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218042/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Scholes has received funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>The good news is, it’s perfectly OK for children to watch and repeat. In fact, it can help them learn.Laura Scholes, Associate Professor and ARC Principal Research Fellow, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2173352023-11-28T13:40:04Z2023-11-28T13:40:04ZPhilly parents worry about kids’ digital media use but see some benefits, too<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560790/original/file-20231121-15-ky05z4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Parents can model good media habits, like using online tools to connect with family and friends. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/father-and-daughter-using-tablet-royalty-free-image/696315038">Ridofranz/iStock/Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A group of U.S. senators recently called on tech giant Meta – which owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger – to <a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2023.11.14%20-%20Meta%20-%20Document%20Request.pdf">hand over documents</a> related to the mental and physical harms its products cause to young people. The demand follows a lawsuit <a href="https://coag.gov/app/uploads/2023/10/23.10.24-Doc.-1-Complaint-People-v.-Meta-23cv05448.pdf">filed by 33 states</a> in October 2023 that alleges that Meta, in order to maximize profits, knowingly designs addictive social media features. The lawsuit states these features are designed “to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens.”</p>
<p>While researchers disagree about whether social media and other digital media <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106414">can truly be addictive</a>, they do agree that excessive smartphone use is a problem. Many parents express <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-023-02555-9">concern and confusion</a> about how best to manage digital media use for children under the age of 13. </p>
<p>I am a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=OPZ2j6wAAAAJ&hl=en">professor of library and information science</a> at Drexel University’s College of Computing and Informatics. My colleague <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/cems/cs/profiles/yuanyuan-feng">Yuanyuan Feng</a> and I conducted in-depth research interviews in 2019-22 with 17 parents at three branches of the Free Library of Philadelphia. The goal was to study <a href="https://navigatingscreens.wordpress.com/">how parents manage media use</a> within their families. All of the parents – who represented a range of educational, socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds – were Philadelphia residents with at least one child age 5 to 11. </p>
<p>Although we did not set out to study parental concerns about children’s media use, every one of the parents expressed worries. Only eight parents discussed any positive aspects of media use. </p>
<p>Our research suggests promoting balance – rather than preventing addiction – is a better goal for managing kids’ digital media use.</p>
<h2>Parents’ key concerns</h2>
<p>The most common concern – expressed by 80% of our study participants – was children’s exposure to inappropriate content. We have used pseudonyms throughout this article to protect our participants’ privacy. </p>
<p>As Eliza, a mother of three kids ages 4, 7 and 13, said, “I wanted to make sure that (my children) just were not watching inappropriate stuff. … They know that word. They’re always like, ‘It’s not appropriate.’” </p>
<p>Nearly three-quarters of the parents were uncomfortable with the amount of time their children spend with media. “It’s like a battle,” said Jordan, a father of three sons, the oldest age 6. “I try to limit the screens as much as I can, although I realize we have pretty much every type of device that he could use or want to use.” </p>
<p>Seventy percent of the Philadelphia parents worried about media use displacing potentially healthier activities like reading books, playing outside, socializing in-person with friends or attending <a href="https://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/kids/events">community events for kids</a>. </p>
<p>“There’s all kinds of cool things (at the library). There’s story time here, and … (t)hey had a pot-bellied pig outside one day. We got to meet a pot-bellied pig! I mean, how do you get that chance when you live in the city?” said Marla, the mother of a 5-year-old girl. </p>
<p>Evonne, a mother of an 8-year-old boy and two girls age 11 and 12, cited concern for children’s safety and privacy. This was shared by slightly more than half of the parents.</p>
<p>“I just had this conversation with my kids,” she said. “‘Whatever you put out there on social media can come back to haunt you … whether it’s a job interview or even a college or high school interview. You have to be very careful how you present yourself. … It can really damage you.’” </p>
<p>Research suggests that saying digital media damages children’s social skills <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/707985">is an oversimplification</a>. Still, about a third of the parents worried that media overuse leads to poor social skills. “Kids (are) losing the ability just to socialize,” said Tyler, a father of two boys, ages 4 and 8.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Girls sits on bed while taking part in video meeting on laptop" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561155/original/file-20231122-23-qahi7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561155/original/file-20231122-23-qahi7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561155/original/file-20231122-23-qahi7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561155/original/file-20231122-23-qahi7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561155/original/file-20231122-23-qahi7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561155/original/file-20231122-23-qahi7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561155/original/file-20231122-23-qahi7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Online interactions can help build kids’ social skills.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-in-black-and-white-zebra-print-shirt-using-macbook-pro-61fy_dlPtF4">Maria Thalassinou on Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Benefits for kids</h2>
<p>The parents in our study told numerous and often lengthy stories about their concerns. They mentioned benefits of media use much less often and with far less detail. Nonetheless, it’s important to recognize that digital media offer <a href="https://doi.org/10.21241/ssoar.71817">both risks and opportunities</a> for children. </p>
<p>Parents appreciated how digital media enabled their children to communicate with family and friends who live far away, for example by video chatting with relatives in other countries. They also believed digital media skills are vital to their kids’ future job success. And they appreciate how digital media can support kids’ learning by building curiosity and providing access to new information.</p>
<p>Several parents enjoyed playing online games with their children and texting them messages of support throughout the day. They felt these were examples of how they could use digital media to support healthy family relationships. </p>
<p>Finally, several parents discussed the joy and relaxation their children feel using digital media. Research shows that gaming in particular can be a <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1542/pir.2022-005666">healthy form of digital play</a> when done in moderation and with parental awareness of content warnings.</p>
<h2>How to guide kids</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01616846.2022.2044265">Thoughtful discussions with children</a> are key to helping them benefit from digital media and to reduce potential risks. Toward this end, I suggest parents think about their role in guiding children’s media use less as protecting them from harm and more as educating them for long-term healthy habits. Here are a few recommendations to support that approach. </p>
<p><strong>Rethink time limits:</strong> Time limits focus on the amount of digital media use without considering the <a href="https://www.today.com/parents/family/kids-phones-expert-one-thing-rcna121130">value of different types of use</a>. There is no “normal” amount of time children should spend with media. Three hours in one day spent watching cartoons probably isn’t great for social or educational development. But one hour watching cartoons plus one hour <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.268">video calling with grandparents</a> and one hour working online for a school assignment take up the same amount of time and represent a balance of activities that support entertainment as well as social and educational development. </p>
<p><strong>Educate kids:</strong> Some online content is <a href="https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/1183-investigating-risks-and-opportunities-for-children-in-a-digital-world.html">inappropriate or risky for children</a>. But simply restricting access leaves them unprepared to make informed decisions on their own when they reach adulthood. Educating kids about the benefits and risks prepares them for a life certain to be spent partly online.</p>
<p><strong>Encourage building social skills online:</strong> Much of young people’s social activity today takes place online, making online participation an important part of making and keeping friends. Being digitally connected can help children <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/are-there-apps-or-tech-tools-to-help-kids-develop-socially">practice social interactions</a>. Popular cooperative games like <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews/minecraft">Minecraft</a> and <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews/animal-crossing-new-horizons">Animal Crossing: New Horizons</a>, for example, can help children learn how to solve problems together. </p>
<p><strong>Model good media habits:</strong> When parents use media in moderation to interact with others and not just for passive use like watching videos, kids are likely to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.681">pick up these behaviors</a>. If you decide to set rules for family media use, you should follow them. too. If children are not allowed to use their phones at mealtimes, for example, parents should consider doing the same. The same is true for modeling respectful communication – set a good example by avoiding arguments online. </p>
<p><strong>Avoid fear tactics:</strong> Most young people find positive discussions more motivating than scare tactics, which are <a href="https://pshe-association.org.uk/evidence-and-research-key-principles-of-effective-prevention-education">generally ineffective</a>. Rather than telling children that the internet is a scary place where dangerous strangers hang out, for example, teach them to leave online conversations when anyone asks them to share personal information or when they begin to feel uncomfortable. It sends the same message without suggesting that all online conversations are dangerous. It also encourages children to build judgment skills. </p>
<p>At its core, a balanced parenting approach requires talking honestly with children about both the risks and benefits of digital media and helping them to learn to make good media use decisions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217335/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Denise E. Agosto, Rebekah Willett (University of Wisconsin), and June Abbas (University of Oklahoma) received funding for this work from The Institute of Museum and Library Services.</span></em></p>Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 17 Philadelphia parents about how their family uses digital media. Here they offer tips to promote healthy, balanced media habits for kids.Denise E. Agosto, Professor of Library and Information Science, Drexel UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2174842023-11-21T17:25:29Z2023-11-21T17:25:29ZWhy a social media detox may not be as good for you as you think – new research<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560463/original/file-20231120-17-c1p1u5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=190%2C476%2C4606%2C2640&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/social-media-jealousy-young-depressed-woman-2107300844">DimaBerlin/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Whether you’re an influencer, an occasional poster, or just a lurker, you likely spend more time than you’d like on social media. Globally, working-age people with internet access now spend <a href="https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-deep-dive-time-spent-on-social-media">more than 2.5 hours per day</a> on social platforms like Instagram, Facebook or X (Twitter).</p>
<p>Social media use can become excessive and problematic when it interferes with school or work, causes conflict in your relationships or <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9052033/">harms your mental health</a>. While not formally recognised as mental health disorder, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306460321000307?via%3Dihub">some scientists</a> even argue that problematic social media use is an “addiction”. </p>
<p>When you find yourself checking and scrolling your accounts excessively, you may decide it’s time to go on a digital “diet” or “detox” – cutting your use dramatically or even avoiding social media completely for a few days. But, as our new research shows, this approach can reduce the positive effects of social media just as much as the negative ones. And in fact, we were surprised at how little participants in our study missed social media when we asked them to cut back.</p>
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<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/three-steps-for-getting-over-social-media-envy-advice-from-a-psychologist-214446?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Three steps for getting over social media envy – advice from a psychologist</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-challenge-toxic-behaviour-and-help-someone-being-bullied-or-harassed-at-work-214524?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">How to challenge toxic behaviour and help someone being bullied or harassed at work</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/instagram-is-making-you-a-worse-tourist-heres-how-to-travel-respectfully-209272?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Instagram is making you a worse tourist – here’s how to travel respectfully</a></em></p>
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<p>In a <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0293467">recent study</a>, we asked participants to do just that. As 51 people tried to abstain from social media for one week, we tracked their behaviour and experiences through surveys sent to their phones throughout the day, and computer tasks in a controlled environment. </p>
<p>We found that only a minority of participants abstained completely. However, most were able to curb their use substantially, from three to four hours a day on average before the study, to just half an hour. Even after the abstinence period, participants’ daily social media use stayed well below the level seen before the study. </p>
<h2>Impact of curbing social media use</h2>
<p>However, in contrast to some <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/cyber.2016.0259">previous digital detox studies</a> we did not observe an improvement in our participants’ wellbeing. On the contrary, they reported a reduction in positive emotions over the course of the abstinence period. </p>
<p>Social media provides powerful and quantifiable social rewards through likes, shares and gaining followers. While it also offers quick bouts of entertainment and fun, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9483697/">research shows</a> that it is often these social rewards that drive compulsive checking of social media.</p>
<p>Humans are social animals – feeling part of a group, being accepted and receiving praise are <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0033-2909.117.3.497">universal needs</a>. Social media is a convenient and accessible tool to satisfy these needs anytime and anywhere we want, and provides connection that may be lacking in a world of remote working.</p>
<p>But these social rewards can quickly turn into unpleasant experiences. Receiving likes can turn into chasing likes, and a feeling of disappointment if your post performs worse than expected. Seeing others’ lives can lead to fomo (fear of missing out) or envy, and in the worst cases, users may be victims of unpleasant or hateful comments.</p>
<p>To that end, we also observed a reduction in negative emotions when participants cut down on social media use. They felt slightly less miserable, sad and mad during the study. </p>
<p>On the whole, abstaining from social media seems to remove both positive and negative emotions – for some people, the net effect on wellbeing may be zero.</p>
<h2>Can you be addicted to social media?</h2>
<p>Perhaps the most enlightening finding was how little our participants missed social media. They did not report increased desires, urges or cravings to check their accounts during the study period, despite dramatically reducing their screen time. </p>
<p>It seems that curbing social media use does not elicit “withdrawal” symptoms as sometimes seen when stopping drug use. With that in mind, we urge you to be cautious in using terms like “addiction” to talk about social media use. </p>
<p>Framing social media use in addiction terms risks demonising technology and pathologising normal behaviour. Labelling users as “addicted” can lead to stigma and to ignoring other psychological problems that may underlie excessive use behaviours. In our view, the term addiction should be reserved to describe a disease, which involves lasting changes in the brain’s reward system. </p>
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<img alt="A smartphone sitting in a small basket on top of a table, in the background a woman is sitting on a chair reading" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560466/original/file-20231120-15-x6t0fq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560466/original/file-20231120-15-x6t0fq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560466/original/file-20231120-15-x6t0fq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560466/original/file-20231120-15-x6t0fq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560466/original/file-20231120-15-x6t0fq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560466/original/file-20231120-15-x6t0fq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560466/original/file-20231120-15-x6t0fq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Consider being more mindful of how you use social media instead of going cold turkey.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/digital-detox-leisure-concept-close-gadgets-2189264169">Syda Productions/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Ultimately, social media has both positive and negative aspects, and it may just be the negative parts that people feel they need to detox from. </p>
<p>Perhaps a better way to think about improving your relationship to social media is similar to how you think about improving your diet. Both food and social media satisfy natural desires – energy for the former and social contact for the latter. </p>
<p>In both cases, you need to know your limits and prioritise healthy rewards. This may mean changing your view of how connected or liked you really need to be, and unfollowing accounts or deleting apps that make you feel bad.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217484/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span><a href="mailto:niklas.ihssen@durham.ac.uk">niklas.ihssen@durham.ac.uk</a> received funding from Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) through a NINE-DTP studentship to his PhD student <a href="mailto:michael.wadsley@durham.ac.uk">michael.wadsley@durham.ac.uk</a>. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Wadsley receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).</span></em></p>Our study found abstaining from social media led to a reduction in positive emotions.Niklas Ihssen, Associate professor, Durham UniversityMichael Wadsley, PhD student, Durham UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2168282023-11-16T01:33:57Z2023-11-16T01:33:57ZDoes screen use really impact our thinking skills? Our analysis suggests it could<p>Screens have become seamlessly integrated into our daily lives, serving as indispensable tools for work, education and leisure. But while they enrich our lives in countless ways, we often fail to consider the potential impact of screen time on our cognitive abilities.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11065-023-09612-4">new meta-analysis</a> of dozens of earlier studies, we’ve found a clear link between disordered screen use and lower cognitive functioning.</p>
<p>The findings suggest we should exercise caution before advocating for more screen time, and before introducing screens into even more aspects of daily life. </p>
<h2>Young people’s screen time is increasing</h2>
<p>In 2020, a UNSW Gonski Institute for Education report <a href="https://www.gie.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/UNSW%20GIE%20GUD%20Phase%201%20Technical%20Report%20MAR20%20v2.pdf">noted a concerning statistic</a>: about 84% of Australian educators believe digital technologies are distracting in a learning environment.</p>
<p>And according to the ABC, a recent Beyond Blue <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-18/mental-health-depression-anxiety-support-coming-for-schools/102831464">survey</a> of Australian teachers identified excessive screen time as the second-most significant challenge for young people, just behind mental health issues. </p>
<p>Despite mounting concerns, more than half of Australian schools have embraced a “<a href="https://www.linewize.io/anz/blog/the-rise-of-byod-in-australian-schools">bring your own device</a>” policy. Students are spending more time online than <a href="https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/students-computers-and-learning_9789264239555-en#page46">ever before</a> and starting at increasingly younger ages. A 2021 report by <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/8-18-census-integrated-report-final-web_0.pdf">Common Sense Media</a> estimated tweens spend an average of 5 hours and 33 minutes using screen-based entertainment each day, while teenagers devote a whopping 8 hours and 39 minutes.</p>
<p>A surge in screen use has led to some individuals, including children, adolescents and adults, developing screen-related addictions. One example is gaming disorder, for which <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0004867420962851">2–3% of people</a> meet the criteria. </p>
<h2>What is ‘disordered screen use’?</h2>
<p>The impact of screens on our cognitive abilities – that is, our thinking skills such as attention, memory, language and problem-solving – has sparked much debate. </p>
<p>On one hand, some researchers and reporters claim screen use can have negative effects, such as <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-022-12701-3">health problems</a>, shortened attention <a href="https://time.com/3858309/attention-spans-goldfish/">spans</a> and hindered <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312489265_The_relationship_between_television_exposure_and_children's_cognition_and_behaviour_A_systematic_review">development</a>.</p>
<p>On the other, schools are <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/education/tech-takeover-classrooms-crowded-with-digital-devices-20200125-p53ul1.html">increasingly adopting</a> technology to boost student engagement. Tech companies are also marketing their products as tools to help you enhance your problem-solving and memory skills.</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11065-023-09612-4">recent study</a> sought to understand the potential cognitive consequences of “disordered screen-related behaviours”. This is a broad category of problematic behaviours that may include screen dependency, and persisting with screen use even when it’s harmful.</p>
<p>We conducted a meta-analysis of 34 studies that explored various forms of screen use (including gaming, internet browsing, smartphone use and social media use) and compared the cognitive performance of individuals with disordered screen use to those without it. </p>
<p>Our findings paint a concerning picture.</p>
<h2>Differences in cognitive function</h2>
<p>Across these rigorously peer-reviewed studies, individuals with disordered screen use consistently demonstrated significantly poorer cognitive performance compared to others.</p>
<p>The most affected cognitive domain was attention, and specifically sustained attention, which is the ability to maintain focus on an unchanging stimulus for an extended period.</p>
<p>The second-most notable difference was in their “executive functioning” – particularly in impulse control, which is the ability to control one’s automatic responses. </p>
<p>Interestingly, the type of screen activity didn’t make a difference in the results. The trend also wasn’t confined to children, but was observed across all age groups.</p>
<h2>Two ways to interpret the results</h2>
<p>Why do people with disordered screen-related behaviours have poorer cognitive functioning? </p>
<p>The first explanation is that disordered screen use actually leads to poorer cognitive function, including poorer attention skills (but we’ll need more experimental and longitudinal studies to establish causality).</p>
<p>If this is the case, it may be the result of being constantly bombarded by algorithms and features designed to capture our attention. By diverting our focus outward, screen use may weaken one’s intrinsic ability to concentrate over time.</p>
<p>Crucially, impaired attention also <a href="https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2006/10/1/article-p77.xml">makes it harder to disengage</a> from addictive behaviours, and would therefore make it harder to recognise when screen use has become a problem.</p>
<p>The second explanation is that people who already have poorer cognitive functioning (such as less inhibitory control) are more likely to engage in disordered screen use. </p>
<p>This could be a result of the plethora of addictive cues designed to keep us glued to our screens. Being bombarded by these could make it harder to <a href="https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2006/9/4/article-p990.xml">pull the brakes</a> on screen use.</p>
<p>Although the literature doesn’t seem to favour this explanation – and does seem to suggest that cognitive functioning is impaired as a result of disordered screen use – it’s still a possibility we can’t rule out. </p>
<p>Attention is the bedrock of everyday tasks. People with weakened attention may struggle to keep up in less stimulating environments, such as a static workplace or classroom. They may find themselves turning to a screen as a result.</p>
<p>Similarly, people with less inhibitory control would also find it more challenging to moderate their screen use. This could be what drives them towards problematic screen-related behaviours in the first place.</p>
<h2>Who should shoulder the responsibility?</h2>
<p>Research indicates people with impaired cognitive functioning usually aren’t as well equipped to moderate their own screen time. </p>
<p>Many users with disordered screen use are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563220302326?casa_token=BQv_N_MFffYAAAAA:AsGkAfdwXjCZHJB463G40Mx-ckS2Q1c8jSOn2SWR_9iW64eWaQsru1IJAZBDCgSPXwhZ3Qwl">young</a>, with mainly males engaging in internet gaming and mainly females engaging in social media use. Neurodiverse people are <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/9/5587">also at greater risk</a>. </p>
<p>Tech companies are driven by the goal of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/apr/18/netflix-competitor-sleep-uber-facebook">capturing our attention</a>. For instance, Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings acknowledged the company’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/apr/18/netflix-competitor-sleep-uber-facebook">most formidable competitor was sleep</a>.</p>
<p>At the same time, researchers find themselves struggling to keep up with the pace of technological innovation. A potential path forward is to encourage open-access data policies from tech companies, so researchers can delve deeper into the study of screen use and its effect on individuals. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tv-can-be-educational-but-social-media-likely-harms-mental-health-what-70-years-of-research-tells-us-about-children-and-screens-216638">TV can be educational but social media likely harms mental health: what 70 years of research tells us about children and screens</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216828/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michoel Moshel receives funding from an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer Batchelor, Joanne Bennett, and Wayne Warburton do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A meta-analysis of 34 studies has explored how disordered screen use may impact the cognitive performance of individuals.Michoel Moshel, PhD/Masters Clinical Neuropsychology Candidate, Macquarie UniversityJennifer Batchelor, Associate Professor, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie UniversityJoanne Bennett, Lecturer, Australian Catholic UniversityWayne Warburton, Associate Professor, Macquarie UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2166382023-11-13T19:46:46Z2023-11-13T19:46:46ZTV can be educational but social media likely harms mental health: what 70 years of research tells us about children and screens<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558581/original/file-20231109-17-n6sjdl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C34%2C5692%2C3838&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/adorable-little-asian-children-watching-fascinating-movie-with-mom-4474020/">Ketut Subiyanto/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Ask any parent and it’s likely they’ll tell you they’re worried about their kids’ screen time. A 2021 <a href="https://rchpoll.org.au/polls/top-10-child-health-problems-what-australian-parents-think/">poll</a> found it was Australian parents’ number one health concern for their kids – ahead of cyberbullying and unhealthy diets. But how worried should parents be?</p>
<p>The information that’s out there can be confusing. Some psychologists have <a href="https://www.rd.com/article/secondhand-screen-time/">compared it to smoking</a> (amid concerns about “secondhand screen time”), while others are telling us <a href="https://theconversation.com/stop-worrying-about-screen-time-its-your-childs-screen-experience-that-matters-118610">not to worry</a> too much about kids and screens. </p>
<p>Academics are also confused. As The Lancet <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)30358-7/fulltext">noted</a> in 2019, researchers’ understanding of the benefits, risks and harms of the digital landscape is “sorely lacking”.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01712-8">our new research</a>, we wanted to give parents, policymakers and researchers a comprehensive summary of the best evidence on the influence of screens on children’s physical and psychological health, education and development. </p>
<h2>What we did</h2>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-we-know-what-works-systematic-research-reviews-5979">Meta-analyses</a> are one of the best forms of evidence because they summarise the findings of lots of research all at once. </p>
<p>This can give us a much better view of what is happening than just looking at a single study of one group of people. So we gathered all meta-analyses conducted in English on any form of screen time in children, regardless of the outcome.</p>
<p>We found 217 meta-analyses, with almost half published in just the last two years. These meta-analyses represent the findings from 2,451 individual studies and have a combined sample size of more than 1.9 million children and adolescents up to 18 years. The individual studies were done between 1954 and 2021 and the meta-analyses were done between 1982 and 2022.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Three children sit on a couch with phone and tablets." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558580/original/file-20231109-21-viun8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558580/original/file-20231109-21-viun8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558580/original/file-20231109-21-viun8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558580/original/file-20231109-21-viun8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558580/original/file-20231109-21-viun8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558580/original/file-20231109-21-viun8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558580/original/file-20231109-21-viun8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Our research involved more than 2,400 studies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/children-lying-on-sofa-and-using-gadgets-4200824/">Jessica Lewis/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The good news</h2>
<p>We found some things that should reassure parents. </p>
<p>The overall size of the influence of screens across the outcomes (for example, depression, body weight, literacy and sleep) in children were small. </p>
<p>Almost all of the results had correlations less than 0.2, which is about the same as the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3044837/">correlation between height and intelligence</a>. That doesn’t mean the effect for an individual child will always be that small, just that on average, the relationship is small.</p>
<h2>How kids use screens matters</h2>
<p>We also found it’s not the screen itself that really matters but what’s on it and the way kids use it. </p>
<p>Television is a form of screen time that has worried parents for <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/20341829">more than half a century</a>. We did find general television viewing was associated with poorer academic performance and literacy skills. Our study did not give us time limits, but found a linear relationship. That is, the more TV a child watched, the poorer their literacy skills were.</p>
<p>But if the program was educational or if the child was watching with a parent, we found there was a benefit to their literacy. This is probably because it gives parents an opportunity to talk about things in the show (“I think Bluey is feeling dissapointed”) or ask questions (“what is Bingo drawing?”) which <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15250000701779378">develops language skills</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-bluey-less-paw-patrol-why-australian-parents-want-locally-made-tv-for-their-kids-215603">More Bluey, less PAW Patrol: why Australian parents want locally made TV for their kids</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The not so good news</h2>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="A young woman sits on a chair, looking at a phone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558582/original/file-20231109-23-pz2e5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558582/original/file-20231109-23-pz2e5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558582/original/file-20231109-23-pz2e5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558582/original/file-20231109-23-pz2e5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558582/original/file-20231109-23-pz2e5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558582/original/file-20231109-23-pz2e5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558582/original/file-20231109-23-pz2e5a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Our research found more social media use was associated with mental health issues and risk taking.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/focused-young-ethnic-lady-messaging-on-smartphone-sitting-on-chair-6382640/">Liza Summer/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We did find some forms of screen time are consistently associated with harm and had no evidence of benefits.</p>
<p>Chief among these was social media, which was associated with depression, anxiety and risk taking. Again, our research found a relationship between the more time a child spent on social media, the more likely they were to have a mental health issue. </p>
<p>This is similar to the advice released this year from the <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf">US Surgeon General</a>. This noted while social media could provide community and connections for young people (particularly from marginalised groups), it could also harm their mental health.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/excessive-screen-time-can-affect-young-peoples-emotional-development-213869">Excessive screen time can affect young people's emotional development</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What does it mean?</h2>
<p>As other <a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-for-kids-is-an-outdated-concept-so-lets-ditch-it-and-focus-on-quality-instead-186462">education experts have noted</a>, “screen time” is a bit of a useless term. </p>
<p>Nobody thinks facetiming Nanna and scrolling TikTok are equivalent, but both would fall into the category of “recreational screen time” in the <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians/for-children-and-young-people-5-to-17-years">Australian guidelines</a>. </p>
<p>So, a key message from our study is to focus less on an <a href="https://theconversation.com/two-hour-screen-limit-for-kids-is-virtually-impossible-to-enforce-36656">unachievable time limit</a>, and instead focus on what kids are actually doing on screens. Try to steer them towards educational apps, TV programs and video games.</p>
<p>But it can’t be education all the time – kids also need time for recreation. And if you watch with your child, it can also have benefits.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-your-kid-is-home-sick-from-school-is-unlimited-screen-time-ok-207922">If your kid is home sick from school, is unlimited screen time OK?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Don’t forget to be active</h2>
<p>Regardless of what screen-based activities you choose to allow, remember most screen time is sedentary. Long periods of sitting aren’t great for kids (or adults!), so breaking up these periods with movement is still important.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the most important factor for child development is <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/three-early-childhood-development-principles-improve-child-family-outcomes/">quality parenting</a>. Being present, spending quality time and creating a caring environment are what really <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/newborns/connecting-communicating/bonding/parent-child-relationships">make a difference for children</a>. You matter more to your child’s mental and physical health than the screen.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216638/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Taren Sanders receives funding from the Australian Research Council, NSW Department of Education, and Sport Australia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Lonsdale receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Medical Research Future Fund, Australian Research Council, NSW Department of Education, and Sport Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Noetel receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Medical Research Future Fund, Sport Australia, and the National Health and Medical Research Council. He is a director of Effective Altruism Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Philip D Parker receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Northern Territory Department of Education, and Catholic School NSW. </span></em></p>A major study of screen use found it’s not the screen itself that really matters but what’s on it and the way kids use it.Taren Sanders, Research Fellow, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic UniversityChris Lonsdale, Deputy Provost, Australian Catholic UniversityMichael Noetel, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, The University of QueenslandPhilip D Parker, Pro-vice-chancellor Research, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2114162023-10-24T15:23:00Z2023-10-24T15:23:00ZTeens and screens: 7 ways tried-and-true parenting approaches can help navigate family conflict<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555040/original/file-20231020-19-7slxda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=44%2C98%2C5595%2C3538&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Understanding how and why conflicts around devices and screen time are unfolding will help families foster healthy relationships with each other and with digital technologies.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/teens-and-screens-7-ways-tried-and-true-parenting-approaches-can-help-navigate-family-conflict" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Conflict is a normal and functional part of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12278">the parent-adolescent relationship, contributing to the development of social, emotional and problem-solving skills</a>. </p>
<p>However, when conflicts become stuck, rigid and persistent, they can hinder healthy emotional experiences. </p>
<p>In today’s digital age, where screens and digital devices have become an integral part of daily life, parent-adolescent conflicts surrounding digital experiences have become increasingly common. </p>
<p>Over <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/07/28/parenting-children-in-the-age-of-screens/">70 per cent of parents with children under the age of 12 express concern about their child’s screen time</a>, and majority of parents report fighting <a href="https://digitalwellnesslab.org/wp-content/uploads/Digital_Wellness_Lab-Parent_Survey-Media_Use_and_Remote_Learning-Visual_Summary.pdf">with their children over digital matters, with more than one-third reporting such conflicts on a daily basis</a>. </p>
<p>It is important to better understand how and why these conflicts may be unfolding, and what families can do to foster healthy relationships with each other and digital technologies.</p>
<h2>Parenting and adolescent perspectives</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="A youth on their phone looks deep in thought." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555038/original/file-20231020-15-w14x1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555038/original/file-20231020-15-w14x1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555038/original/file-20231020-15-w14x1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555038/original/file-20231020-15-w14x1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555038/original/file-20231020-15-w14x1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555038/original/file-20231020-15-w14x1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555038/original/file-20231020-15-w14x1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Adolescents embrace digital technologies as tools allowing them to connect with peers on their own terms.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(The Gender Spectrum Collection)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>During normal development, parent-adolescent conflict <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444390896">often unfolds due to clashes between teenagers’ yearning for independence and parents’ concerns for their safety</a>. </p>
<p>Adolescents embrace digital technologies as tools for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.42.3.395">self-expression, identity exploration and social interaction</a>. The digital landscape <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12643">provides platforms to assert their independence, individuality and connect with peers on their own terms</a>.</p>
<p>At the same time, parents are uncertain about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916211072458">children’s digital experiences that didn’t exist in their own childhoods</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/nostalgia-for-childhoods-of-the-past-overlooks-childrens-experiences-today-183805">Nostalgia for childhoods of the past overlooks children’s experiences today</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Content, social connections</h2>
<p>Conflicts can include concerns around screen time, videogaming, online safety, privacy and how internet content will affect youth development, health and habits (related to peer networks, sexuality, ideologies, substance use or exposure to advertising and commerce). </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="A teen with skateboard looking at phone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555036/original/file-20231020-19-ylhn5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555036/original/file-20231020-19-ylhn5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555036/original/file-20231020-19-ylhn5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555036/original/file-20231020-19-ylhn5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555036/original/file-20231020-19-ylhn5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555036/original/file-20231020-19-ylhn5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555036/original/file-20231020-19-ylhn5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some parents worry if digtial habits may cause some lasting harm to their child’s social and emotional development.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With social media, parents worry about age-appropriate content and cyberbullying, while adolescents value social media for social connections. Privacy concerns contribute to conflicts as parents monitor online activities for safety, which adolescents may find intrusive, leading to secrecy and resistance.</p>
<p>Given how <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2023/06/03/lets-free-teens-social-media-addiction-column">media amplifies</a> research <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/is-too-much-screen-time-harming-children-western-study-finds-link-to-anxiety-depression-1.6932356">highlighting potential harm to youth’s personal safety and healthy development</a>, parents may worry whether these technologies or digtial habits <a href="https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2020.22.2/codgers">may cause some lasting harm to their child’s social and emotional development</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tiktok-is-more-than-just-a-frivolous-app-for-lip-syncing-and-dancing-podcast-182264">TikTok is more than just a frivolous app for lip-syncing and dancing – Podcast</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Challenge of establishing boundaries, limits</h2>
<p>Parenting in the digital age has been fraught with uncertainty. Nonetheless, the same evidence-supported parenting practices that worked for guiding youth over several previous generations remain applicable and effective for navigating digital issues. </p>
<p>For parents, the goal may be clear: to raise children who are self-regulated and capable of responsible self-management, while simultaneously nurturing quality relationships with their kids and aiding in the development of mature communication skills.</p>
<p>Navigating conflicts and disagreements about screens can provide a valuable opportunity to achieve these goals. </p>
<h2>Tips on productive conversations</h2>
<p><strong>1. Seek understanding & embrace open communication:</strong> Sometimes, issues stem from misunderstandings and a lack of validation. Parents and children can work together by seeking to understand each other’s perspectives and encourage open dialogue. Parents can start by taking a genuine interest in learning about their kids’ digital interests and experiences. </p>
<p>Ask open-ended questions to facilitate discussions and promote active <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/4-conversations-to-have-with-older-kids-and-teens-about-their-screen-time-habits">listening to one another’s thoughts and feelings about digital technologies without judgement or interruption</a>. This approach can help youth feel heard and valued, alleviating the sometimes entrenched positions that parent and child can hold.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A dad talking with a teen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555365/original/file-20231023-15-ygnlql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555365/original/file-20231023-15-ygnlql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555365/original/file-20231023-15-ygnlql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555365/original/file-20231023-15-ygnlql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555365/original/file-20231023-15-ygnlql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555365/original/file-20231023-15-ygnlql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555365/original/file-20231023-15-ygnlql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parents can start by taking a genuine interest in learning about their kids’ digital interests and experiences.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>2. Be informed & stay current:</strong> Exploring the digital world together, understanding preferred platforms and content and potential risks can foster open discussions about online safety, privacy and responsible digital citizenship. Parents not only gain valuable insights, but also send a powerful message that they are engaged and committed to listening to their child’s thoughts and well-being. </p>
<p><strong>3. Set clear boundaries, together:</strong> Some limits and expectations <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916211072458">are needed to guide responsible digital experiences</a>. Collaboratively establishing boundaries and rules enables setting expectations that meet everyone’s wants and needs. </p>
<p>With these expectations clear, subsequent negotiation and compromise should be smoother when and if disagreements arise. While parents maintain a pivotal role in setting limits, involving youth in the decision-making process can be highly beneficial. Importantly, when children have a say in setting limits, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2019.101073">they are more likely to abide by them</a>. This approach also helps youth develop a sense of responsibility, self-control and problem-solving skills. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/digital-platforms-alone-dont-bridge-youth-divides-121222">Digital platforms alone don't bridge youth divides</a>
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</em>
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<p><strong>4. Not abstinence, but reinforcement:</strong> Although abstinence from digital technologies <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/21677026211028983">might seem like a good idea, a more balanced approach is</a> more effective. Outright denial of access can lead to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029484">conflicts and secrecy</a>.
To encourage positive behaviour, parents can adopt a strategy of reinforcement to leverage children’s strong desires for any activity, digital or otherwise, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916211072458">through reward as well as negative consequences</a> for ignoring agreed-upon boundaries: for example, breaking curfew may result in a reduction in allotted digital time.</p>
<p>Reward means positive consequences: initiating or completing chores without reminders could earn additional digital time. </p>
<p>If a parent grants their child two hours of screen time on Saturday mornings, they can reward positive behaviours throughout the week incrementally. </p>
<p>This direct, quantifiable and contingent approach to consequences empowers a child’s sense of control over their access.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A mom and daughter with a laptop and cellphone having fun." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555358/original/file-20231023-21-v9f5pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555358/original/file-20231023-21-v9f5pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555358/original/file-20231023-21-v9f5pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555358/original/file-20231023-21-v9f5pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555358/original/file-20231023-21-v9f5pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555358/original/file-20231023-21-v9f5pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555358/original/file-20231023-21-v9f5pn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Parents and youth can successfully traverse the digital landscape together.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels/Rdne stock project)</span></span>
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<p><strong>5. Promote critical thinking:</strong> As with any behaviour of concern, <a href="https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/5-videos-that-get-teens-thinking-critically-about-media">it is important for youth to think critically about their digital habits</a>. </p>
<p>Discussing the content they consume is a good way to teach youth to distinguish between positive and negative influences, question the credibility of online sources and make informed choices. </p>
<p><strong>6. Lead by example:</strong> One way to cultivate <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916211072458">healthy digital habits is for parents to model the behaviour</a> they wish to see in their child. Parents would also benefit from considering their own digital experiences and maintaining healthy digital habits. It may be helpful for parents to reveal their own digital struggles and management techniques in ways that are appropriate to children’s and youth’s maturity and the parent-child relationship.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/youth-have-a-love-hate-relationship-with-tech-in-the-digital-age-109453">Youth have a love-hate relationship with tech in the digital age</a>
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<p><strong>7. Revisit and adjust:</strong> Screen time and digital guidelines need periodic adjustments as children grow, gain more responsibility and digital needs and preferences change. </p>
<p>Through keeping an eye towards the basic goals of maintaining a healthy relationship and developing youth social and emotional competence, parents and youth can successfully traverse the digital landscape together.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211416/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tom Hollenstein receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanitiess Research Council of Canada and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katie Faulkner receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p>Navigating disagreements about screens can provide parents with valuable opportunities to foster quality relationships and raise children who can manage themselves responsibly.Tom Hollenstein, Professor of Developmental Psychology, Department of Psychology, Queen's University, OntarioKatie Faulkner, Masters student in Developmental Psychology, Queen's University, OntarioLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2138692023-09-21T04:34:46Z2023-09-21T04:34:46ZExcessive screen time can affect young people’s emotional development<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549484/original/file-20230921-25-olhs9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=12%2C269%2C4268%2C2574&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-negative-surprised-face-looking-something-771061159">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A recent Beyond Blue <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-18/mental-health-depression-anxiety-support-coming-for-schools/102831464?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=twitter">survey of more than 2,000 teachers</a> identified mental ill-health and excessive screen time as the biggest problems facing their students. </p>
<p>Comments from teachers revealed a perceived lack of social skill development in children and teens. As one wellbeing specialist said, young people:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>are not learning social awareness. They’re not learning how to read emotions. They’re not learning body language. </p>
</blockquote>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1703543298231611623"}"></div></p>
<p>There’s <a href="https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-And-Watching-TV-054.aspx">no definitive measure</a> of what constitutes “excessive” screen-time, although research is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30908423/">beginning to suggest</a> four hours per day or more is potentially risky.</p>
<p>Although COVID lockdowns played a role in disrupting normal social learning processes, concerns about social and emotional development in our teens has been bubbling away for some time across cultures that have easy access to screen-based technologies and social media. COVID may have thrown petrol on the flames, but it did not light this fire.</p>
<p>So what is going on? Does overexposure to screens lead to social impairments, and if so, how?</p>
<h2>Displacing children’s development</h2>
<p>The developing brain wires itself to the environment in which it finds itself. The skills you use most often will become almost automatic, such as driving a car. But skills you use infrequently need more concentration and effort, especially if you didn’t practice them much when your brain was still developing. </p>
<p>Important social experiences such as emotion recognition, reciprocal play and perspective-taking are potentially being sidelined by screen-time. In other words: when children are preoccupied with their screens, what are they <em>not</em> learning?</p>
<p>“Theory of Mind” is a brain function that allows people to understand the mental states of others. Theory of Mind starts with the realisation that everyone has different perspectives, mental states and understandings of our own. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/understanding-others-feelings-what-is-empathy-and-why-do-we-need-it-68494">Understanding others' feelings: what is empathy and why do we need it?</a>
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<p>Developmentally, Theory of Mind explains quite a lot about child and adolescent behaviours. </p>
<p>Most parents recall, with some horror, their toddlers’ “terrible twos” stage. One of the reasons for these tantrums is a lack of Theory of Mind, which doesn’t kick in until the age of three or four. Toddlers just can’t understand why their carers don’t have the same perspective as them. “I feel thirsty – why is mum not getting me a drink?” Cue tantrum. </p>
<p>This intense frustration is one factor that drives the development of language, as the toddler finally realises other people don’t intuit their every thought or feeling and they need to learn to communicate. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Theory of mind develops at around age three or four.</span></figcaption>
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<p>As children grow and develop, Theory of Mind underpins the development of all sorts of social skills, such as recognising others’ emotional state and developing empathy. This is crucial to developing friendships, romantic partnerships and other kinds of social relationships as we move through life. </p>
<p>By adolescence, Theory of Mind gets really sophisticated. Teenagers are good at understanding socially complex processes such as lying, masking or amplifying true emotions, socially appropriate behaviours such as when not to take a joke too far, and nuanced language expression. </p>
<h2>How does this affect mental health?</h2>
<p>A child or teenager without age-appropriate social skills will have difficulty developing and maintaining friendships. Given human beings are, by their nature, social creatures, this <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10826-021-02066-3">may lead to</a> isolation, loneliness and mental health issues. </p>
<p>Social media further inhibits perspective-taking by operating as an echo chamber, where a teen’s beliefs, interests and ideas are assessed via algorithms and parroted back to them. Rarely is an alternative idea or perspective presented, and, when it is, a teen with already impaired social-communication skills may react with anxiety instead of interest and curiosity. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/teens-with-at-least-one-close-friend-can-better-cope-with-stress-than-those-without-126769">Teens with at least one close friend can better cope with stress than those without</a>
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<p>The time young people spend on screens has been <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25657166/">linked with</a> an array of mental health issues. Longitudinal research is beginning to demonstrate higher screen time is associated with a raft of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35099540/">social-skill impairments</a> at increasingly <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32310265/">early ages</a>. </p>
<p>Brain-imaging research shows higher screen use is <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2754101">associated with</a> lower white matter tracts (the information superhighways of the brain) that underpin language and cognitive skills. In contrast, spending a great deal of time in the outdoors is associated with <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp1876">higher grey matter</a> in regions associated with working memory and attention. </p>
<h2>So what can parents and teachers do to help?</h2>
<p>In the early years, parents and educators can focus on reciprocal play with lots of turn-taking and emotional engagement. When reading books or discussing everyday social interactions, talk about what you or another person was thinking or feeling and how that was expressed.</p>
<p>Delay any form of social media engagement for as long as possible. Encourage your child to critically think about people’s agendas when posting online: what are they really trying to get across, what is their motivation, what are they selling? Focus on building in-real-life friendships at school, your local community or sporting club, and within families. </p>
<p>Overall, limiting screen time and encouraging in-real-life play and an array of social engagement opportunities is the best way to improve a child’s prospects of developing good social-emotional skills.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213869/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rachael Sharman and Michael Nagel have written a book covering these issues.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Nagel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Teachers are reporting a perceived lack of social skill development in children and teens. How might excessive screen time affect this development?Rachael Sharman, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of the Sunshine CoastMichael Nagel, Associate Professor - Child Development and Learning, University of the Sunshine CoastLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2044362023-08-25T12:27:42Z2023-08-25T12:27:42ZScreen time is contributing to chronic sleep deprivation in tweens and teens – a pediatric sleep expert explains how critical sleep is to kids’ mental health<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544646/original/file-20230824-2188-dbvyvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=45%2C36%2C5961%2C3971&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">When teens can’t sleep, they often scroll online well into the night, which only exacerbates the problem.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/teenager-sending-email-from-smart-phone-in-her-bed-royalty-free-image/537460890?phrase=teens+screens&adppopup=true">ljubaphoto/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>With the start of a new school year comes the inevitable battle to get kids back into a healthy bedtime routine. In many cases, this likely means resetting boundaries on screen use, especially late in the evenings. But imposing and enforcing those rules can be easier said than done.</p>
<p>A growing body of research is finding strong <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2020.101414">links between sleep, mental health and screen time</a> in teens and tweens – the term for pre-adolescent children around the ages of 10 to 12. Amid an <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7219a1.htm">unprecedented mental health crisis</a> in which some <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/mental-health/index.htm">42% of adolescents</a> in the U.S. are suffering from mental health issues, teens are also <a href="https://theconversation.com/school-start-times-and-screen-time-late-in-the-evening-exacerbate-sleep-deprivation-in-us-teenagers-179178">getting too little sleep</a>. </p>
<p>And it is a vicious cycle: Both a lack of sleep and the heightened activity involved in the consumption of social media and video games before bedtime can exacerbate or even trigger anxiety and depression that warrant intervention.</p>
<p>I am the lead physician of the sleep center at Seattle Children’s Hospital, where I <a href="https://www.seattlechildrens.org/directory/maida-lynn-chen/">study various pediatric sleep disorders</a>. Our team of physicians and providers routinely observe firsthand the negative effects of excessive screen time, and particularly social media, both of which affect not only sleep, but also the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/C2017-0-04667-0">physical and mental health</a> of our patients. </p>
<h2>Relationship between mental health and poor sleep</h2>
<p>Research has long shown a clear relationship between mental health and sleep: Poor sleep can lead to poor mental health and vice versa. People with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.chc.2020.09.003">depression and anxiety commonly have</a> <a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/insomnia">insomnia</a>, a condition in which people have trouble falling or staying asleep, or both, or getting refreshing sleep. That ongoing sleep deprivation further worsens the very depression and anxiety that caused the insomnia in the first place. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">A teen’s health, growth and emotional stability are linked to the quality and quantity of sleep.</span></figcaption>
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<p>What’s more, insomnia and poor-quality sleep may also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.chc.2020.09.003">blunt the benefits of therapy and medication</a>. At its worst, chronic sleep deprivation increases the risk of suicide. One study found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-014-0170-3">just one hour less sleep</a> during the week was associated with “significantly greater odds of feeling hopeless, seriously considering suicide, suicide attempts and substance use.” </p>
<p>And what do young people do when lying in bed awake, frustrated and unable to sleep? You guessed it – far too often, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.11.069">they get on their smart devices</a>. </p>
<p>Studies across the world in over 120,000 youth ages 6 to 18 who engage in any sort of social media have repeatedly shown <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001%2Fjamapediatrics.2016.2341">worsened quality and decreased quantity of sleep</a>. This is happening across the globe, not just in the U.S. </p>
<h2>The strong pull of screens and social media</h2>
<p>Although social media has some benefits, I believe research makes it clear that there are significantly <a href="https://doi.org/10.1503%2Fcmaj.190434">more downsides to social media consumption</a> than upsides. </p>
<p>For one, scrolling social media requires being awake, and hence, displaces sleep.</p>
<p>Second, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12351">light emitted from most hand-held devices</a>, even with a night filter, a blue light filter or both, is enough to decrease <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/melatonin-for-sleep-does-it-work">levels of melatonin</a>, the primary hormone that signals the onset of sleep. </p>
<p>When melatonin release is inhibited by staring at a lit device near bedtime, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073%2Fpnas.1418490112">falling asleep becomes more challenging</a>. For some people, melatonin supplements can help with inducing sleep. However, supplements cannot overcome the highly stimulating powers of internet content and light. </p>
<p>Third, and perhaps most problematic, is the content that young people are consuming. Taking in fast-paced imagery like that found on TikTok or video games <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2012.01060.x">before bedtime is disruptive</a> because the brain and body are highly stimulated by these exposures, and require time to settle back into a state that is conducive to sleep. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Teens are often ‘night owls,’ which adds to sleep deprivation.</span></figcaption>
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<p>But it’s not just the speed of the imagery flitting by. Media content can disrupt both nondream and dream sleep. Have you ever fallen asleep watching a disturbing thriller or a horror movie and had scenes from that movie <a href="https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/life/2019/02/06/perchance-dream-how-binge-watching-social-media-affect-your-dreams-sleep/2796568002/#">enter your dreams</a>? And it’s not just dreams that are affected – the brain also <a href="https://doi.org/10.5935%2F1984-0063.20180046">may not sustain deep nondream sleep</a> since it is still processing those fast-paced images. These intrusions in your sleep can be very disruptive to overall quality and quantity of sleep. </p>
<p>Worst of all, social media can contribute to FOMO – short for the fear of missing out. This can occur when a teen becomes enmeshed with an influencer or role model through posts, reels and stories, all of which are cultivated to reflect unrealistic perfection, not reality.</p>
<p>In addition, research has found a clear link between <a href="https://theconversation.com/mounting-research-documents-the-harmful-effects-of-social-media-use-on-mental-health-including-body-image-and-development-of-eating-disorders-206170">social media consumption and poor body image</a> in kids and teens, as well as overall <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2020.101414">worse mental health and worsened sleep problems</a>. </p>
<p>These issues are troubling enough that in May 2023, <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/23/surgeon-general-issues-new-advisory-about-effects-social-media-use-has-youth-mental-health.html">the surgeon general issued a statement</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/23/health/surgeon-general-social-media-mental-health.html">warning of the dangers of social media</a> and encouraging caregivers, teachers and policymakers to work together to create a safer online environment. </p>
<h2>A state of chronic sleep deprivation</h2>
<p>Making <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-much-sleep-do-you-really-need-156819">sleep a high priority</a> is a cornerstone of overall health and mental health, and it is also key to staying alert and attentive during the school day.</p>
<p>Multiple <a href="https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/6630/AAP-endorses-new-recommendations-on-sleep-times">professional medical</a> and <a href="https://www.thensf.org/how-many-hours-of-sleep-do-you-really-need/">scientific organizations</a> have recommended that teens sleep eight to 10 hours per night. But only 1 in 5 high schoolers <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/06/07/health/teen-sleep-deprivation-wellness/index.html">come close to that</a>. </p>
<p>Some of this is due to <a href="https://theconversation.com/school-start-times-and-screen-time-late-in-the-evening-exacerbate-sleep-deprivation-in-us-teenagers-179178">school start times</a> that don’t align with the natural rhythms of most teens, so they don’t fall asleep early enough on weekdays. </p>
<p>Teens who don’t get enough sleep <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2011.03.002">may suffer from weak academic performance</a>, a lack of organizational skills and mediocre decision-making. Teens don’t have fully formed frontal lobes, the part of the brain that controls impulse and judgment. Sleep deprivation <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2018.03.012">further impairs those behaviors</a>. This, in turn, may lead to poor decisions regarding <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111%2Facer.12618">drug and alcohol use</a>, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6703a1.htm">driving under the influence</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037%2Fhea0000753">sexual promiscuity</a>, fighting or the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12044">use of weapons</a>, and more. And these behaviors can start <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsw004">in middle school</a>, if not earlier.</p>
<p>In addition, sleep deprivation is directly linked with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1161%2FCIRCULATIONAHA.108.766410">high blood pressure</a>, <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-deprivation/how-sleep-deprivation-affects-your-heart">heart attacks</a> and the <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-health/lack-of-sleep-and-diabetes">development of diabetes</a> in adulthood. Lack of adequate sleep is also linked with <a href="https://doi.org/10.2147%2FAHMT.S219594">childhood and adolescent obesity</a>. Undesired weight gain occurs with sleep deprivation though a series of complex mechanisms, including <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-health/obesity-and-sleep">shifts in metabolism</a>, a more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12966-016-0428-0">sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary</a> choices. </p>
<h2>A way forward</h2>
<p>So what can be done to pry teens and tweens away from their screens? Keeping goals realistic is key, and sometimes it is helpful to start by focusing on just one goal.</p>
<p>Parents need to prioritize sleep for the entire household and model good screen time habits. Caregivers too often <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/08/22/how-teens-and-parents-navigate-screen-time-and-device-distractions/">send mixed messages</a> around screen time use, given their own bad habits.</p>
<p>Ultimately, parents and caregivers need to recognize the warning signs of <a href="https://parentingscience.com/signs-of-sleep-deprivation/">sleep deprivation</a> and <a href="https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=overview-of-mood-disorders-in-children-and-adolescents-90-P01634">progressive mood</a> and <a href="https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Resource_Centers/Anxiety_Disorder_Resource_Center/Your_Adolescent_Anxiety_and_Avoidant_Disorders.aspx">anxiety disorders</a>. Seek professional help for disordered sleep, troubled mental health or both, keeping in mind that finding <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-the-mental-health-crisis-in-children-and-teens-worsens-the-dire-shortage-of-mental-health-providers-is-preventing-young-people-from-getting-the-help-they-need-207476">mental health professionals can take time</a>. </p>
<p>When it comes to digital media, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding screens for <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/138/5/e20162592/60321/Media-Use-in-School-Aged-Children-and-Adolescents">at least an hour before going to bed</a> and not sleeping with devices in the bedroom. </p>
<p>For older kids who have homework to do online, avoiding screen use right before bedtime can feel next to impossible. What’s more, this rule tends to lead to <a href="https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/teenagers/teen-talk/how-strict-parents-can-actually-make-their-teens-more-rebellious/">covert use of electronic devices</a>.</p>
<p>So if one hour before bedtime is too stringent, then start by avoiding media for even 15 or 30 minutes prior to going to sleep. Or if some media is needed as a compromise, try watching something passive, like TV, rather than engaging in social media apps like Snapchat. </p>
<p>Remember that not everything has to be done all at once – incremental changes can make a big difference over time.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204436/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Maida Lynn Chen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Exposure to screens before bedtime can contribute to chronic sleep deprivation, which raises the risk for anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts.Maida Lynn Chen, Professor of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of WashingtonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2079222023-07-18T20:03:26Z2023-07-18T20:03:26ZIf your kid is home sick from school, is unlimited screen time OK?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533079/original/file-20230621-14332-vfjsad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5559%2C3700&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Not so long ago, if a child was home sick from school, the main screen-based entertainment was daytime television. The options were limited to The Price is Right or reruns of Home and Away. </p>
<p>Fast forward to the present day and we have multiple streaming services, tablets, smartphones, and an endless reservoir of content made specifically to captivate children’s attention. Managing a child’s screen time when they’re home sick from school has taken on a whole new dimension.</p>
<p>For many parents, the challenge of juggling work and caring for a sick child at home inevitably leads to more TV or iPad. The digital world offers a convenient solution to keep children occupied and, to an extent, comforted. </p>
<p>But should being unwell automatically equate to increased or even unlimited screen time?</p>
<h2>Illness should not automatically equal unlimited screens</h2>
<p>We are child development researchers specialising in child-technology interaction and have spent a lot of time thinking about this question. The answer depends on several factors and understanding these elements can help parents manage their child’s screen time effectively and healthily.</p>
<p>The comfort and distraction derived from favourite digital activities – whether it be episodes of Bluey, video games, YouTube videos, or even chatting to friends on social media – might alleviate the discomfort of being unwell. Screen use has been linked to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007091221004311">reducing children’s anxiety and pain levels</a> during painful procedures in the hospital.</p>
<p>Still, we should also try to avoid a pattern where every minor illness is seen as a gateway to endless screen time. Over time, this could lead to a situation where children might exaggerate or even feign symptoms of illness to gain extra screen time. </p>
<p>This may also inadvertently teach children that digital consumption is the go-to method for coping with illness-related discomfort or boredom, which could limit their ability to develop healthier <a href="https://www.seattlechildrens.org/health-safety/keeping-kids-healthy/development/activities-for-children-sick-at-home/">coping skills</a>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4793">Recent research</a> also suggests using technology to calm young children too frequently might be linked to higher levels of <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/practice-guides/developmental-differences-children-who-have-experienced-adversity-guide-no1#:%7E:text=Emotional%20dysregulation%20is%20when%20a,dramatic%20and%20excessive%20emotional%20responses">emotional dysregulation</a> (such as angry outbursts). </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-am-i-online-research-shows-its-often-about-managing-emotions-208483">Why am I online? Research shows it's often about managing emotions</a>
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<h2>How old is your child?</h2>
<p>But a child’s age should also be considered. The Australian <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/too-much-time-screens#:%7E:text=no%20screen%20time%20for%20children,years%20(not%20including%20schoolwork).">screen time guidelines</a> for young children and toddlers are less than those for older children. </p>
<p>This means more guidance and support is needed to manage younger children’s use of screens. </p>
<p>But older children also need to have boundaries. Recent research suggests screen use triggers the <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/06/12/1180867083/tips-to-outsmart-dopamine-unhook-kids-from-screens-sweets">release of dopamine</a> – which makes you seek out or want to keep doing something – which helps explain why it can be so hard to disengage. There are also continued concerns about the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/23/health/surgeon-general-social-media-mental-health.html">mental health impacts</a> of young people’s social media use. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A mother works while a child sleeps under her arm." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533080/original/file-20230621-4311-rj5ni6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533080/original/file-20230621-4311-rj5ni6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533080/original/file-20230621-4311-rj5ni6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533080/original/file-20230621-4311-rj5ni6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533080/original/file-20230621-4311-rj5ni6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533080/original/file-20230621-4311-rj5ni6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533080/original/file-20230621-4311-rj5ni6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">For many parents, juggling work and a sick child inevitably leads to screens.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tima Miroshnichenko/ Pexels</span></span>
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</figure>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-13-too-young-to-have-a-tiktok-or-instagram-account-199097">Is 13 too young to have a TikTok or Instagram account?</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How sick is your child?</h2>
<p>The type of illness also plays a crucial role. Some illnesses, such as high fever or flu, necessitate <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-dos-and-donts-of-easing-cold-symptoms#">ample rest</a> to aid recovery.</p>
<p>Good quality sleep <a href="https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/news/media-releases/sleep-to-boost-your-immunity.html">boosts the immune system</a> helping fight off the infection more efficiently. </p>
<p>But illnesses like mild colds or conjunctivitis may not require as much additional rest, although a reasonable amount of downtime is generally beneficial. </p>
<p>In both scenarios, it’s important to monitor screen time, especially before bedtime. The stimulating effects of <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/children-and-sleep/how-blue-light-affects-kids-sleep">screen light</a> can disrupt a child’s sleep, hindering the rest and recovery process. </p>
<h2>What are the pre-existing rules in your house?</h2>
<p>If your house already has screen time rules for non-school days (such as extra time on weekends or holidays), these can be applied or slightly relaxed when a child is home sick. </p>
<p>Having a baseline – even if it is more generous – makes some screen time limits during a sick day an expected norm. Maintaining these rules can help prevent a free-for-all scenario, which could complicate matters once the child recovers and needs to readjust to their regular schedule.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if there are no pre-existing rules for non-school days, introducing snap strict screen time regulations when a child is unwell may not be the best approach. Doing so could add an additional layer of stress for the child, who is already not feeling sick. </p>
<p>Instead, during these short-term illness periods, parents may choose to be more lenient with screen time, focusing on helping their child recover. Consider sitting down with your child and creating a list of other activities or possibilities that centre on rest and recuperation. Reading, playing with their pet, puzzles, art can all features on these lists. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/kids-screen-time-rose-by-50-during-the-pandemic-3-tips-for-the-whole-family-to-bring-it-back-down-193955">Kids' screen time rose by 50% during the pandemic. 3 tips for the whole family to bring it back down</a>
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<h2>Keep an eye on things</h2>
<p>Also, be sure to monitor what children are doing on their screens. Consider supporting decisions that help them rest and then switch off after an agreed period. For example, it might be easier to relax while watching a favourite movie rather than continuously watching new YouTube videos that change every five minutes. </p>
<p>It’s also of course essential to distinguish between entertainment screen use and schoolwork that must be completed on a computer or tablet. </p>
<p>Lastly, in full disclosure, one of the authors was sick with a stomach virus while working on this piece. So they also watched a lot of comfort television and scrolled through Twitter. We shouldn’t expect children to be better patients than adults.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207922/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jordy Kaufman has received funding from the Australian Department of Education and Training to research children’s use of technology for education. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer M. Zosh is consulting for Sesame Workshop and has consulted with the Lego Foundation and the Lego Group.</span></em></p>Thanks to streaming services, mobiles and tablets, managing a sick child’s screen time has taken on a new dimension.Jordy Kaufman, Associate Professor, Swinburne University of TechnologyJennifer M. Zosh, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, Penn StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2052732023-06-23T12:27:31Z2023-06-23T12:27:31ZLess sleep, less exercise and less relaxation – here’s the data on just how much busier moms are during the school year<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529187/original/file-20230530-25-aog7gq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Moms get about 25 minutes less sleep each weeknight when their kids' school is in session. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/son-waking-up-sleeping-mother-royalty-free-image/142740298">Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/DigitalVision Collection/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em></p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p>Moms of school-age children get significantly less sleep during the school year than during the summer.</p>
<p>We are <a href="https://www.toddrjones.com/">economists</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=TdNR3AIAAAAJ&hl=en">who specialize</a> in <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=EaLMFY0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">education and health research</a>. We combined <a href="https://www.toddrjones.com/papers/School_Crime_most_recent.pdf">extensive data</a> on <a href="https://publicholidays.com/us/school-holidays/">school district schedules</a> with information derived from the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/tus/">American Time Use Survey</a> to explore the ways <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.3386/w31177">families use their time differently</a> depending on whether school is in session or out for summer.</p>
<p>We observed mothers on average tend to sleep 25 minutes less, have 28 minutes less free time and allocate seven minutes less for exercise on weekdays during the school year than during the summer. For comparison, fathers reduce sleep by 11 minutes during the school year relative to the summer, have 21 minutes less free time and five fewer exercise minutes.</p>
<p>Conversely, mothers spend about half an hour more per day during the school year taking care of others, including kids, and five additional minutes on travel – which often involves driving their kids to and from school.</p>
<p>Interestingly, even though both mothers and fathers spend more time physically present with children in their household during summer months, both spend more time actively engaged with the children – such as helping with homework or reading together – during the school year. However, the effect is almost three times greater for women than it is for men: Moms spend an extra 34 minutes per day during the school year actively engaged with the children versus an extra 12 minutes for dads. </p>
<p>Our study also observed teenagers ages 15-17, as they are the only children included in the time use survey. </p>
<p>During the school year, teenagers sleep about one hour and 20 minutes – or 13% – less than they do during the summer, and they have over two hours – or 33% – less free time each day. This reduction in free time includes nearly an hour and a half less time spent each day on television, games – including video games – and computer use. </p>
<p><iframe id="UmBRW" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/UmBRW/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2020.08.013">Prior research</a> has shown there is a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.4570">gender gap</a> in mental health, with women faring worse than men on measures such as anxiety and depression. Women are also <a href="https://www.womenshealth.gov/blog/seasonal-affective-disorder-spotlight">four times as likely</a> as men to be diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that typically occurs in fall and winter.</p>
<p>Our results suggest the possibility that these issues are exacerbated by the greater demands placed on mothers during the school year. </p>
<p>Regarding teenagers getting more sleep, our findings support <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/high-school-students-need-more-sleep-and-later-school-start-times/">arguments for later school start times</a> so that teens can <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aau6200">get more sleep</a>. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended middle and high schools start <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014-1697">no earlier than 8:30 a.m.</a> so that adolescents can get sufficient sleep to support mental health and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2019.05.011">academic achievement</a>. However, the average start time <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2020/2020006/index.asp">for U.S. high schools is 8 a.m.</a>. </p>
<p>Our results also suggest that when school is out, teenagers may be especially susceptible to <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/05/17/1176452284/teens-social-media-phone-habit">media overconsumption</a>. Teens themselves <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/08/22/how-teens-and-parents-navigate-screen-time-and-device-distractions/">say they spend too much time</a> on screens.</p>
<h2>What we still don’t know</h2>
<p>We do not yet know how these changes in schedules affect teen mental health. While some measures of teen mental health <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.3386/w30795">improve during summer months</a>, we found that teenagers spend the lion’s share of their extra summer free time in front of screens, and studies have linked excessive screen time to <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.1759">higher levels of depression</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-020-00401-1">poorer mental health</a>.</p>
<p><em>This article was updated on July 31, 2023 with a new chart.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205273/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Parents spend more time actively engaged with their kids – such as helping with homework or reading together – during the school year than during summer. But the difference is almost three times greater for moms than for dads.Todd Jones, Assistant Professor of Economics, Mississippi State UniversityBenjamin Cowan, Associate Professor of Economics, Washington State UniversityJeff Swigert, Assistant Professor of Economics, Southern Utah UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2043152023-05-02T20:32:57Z2023-05-02T20:32:57Z‘Never-ending pressure’: Mothers need support managing kids’ technology use<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523638/original/file-20230501-16-5pwc3q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C539%2C7337%2C3382&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Interviews with mothers about children’s media use during pandemic lockdowns revealed struggles with practical and moral questions about short- and long-term effects of how children are using technology. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/-never-ending-pressure---mothers-need-support-managing-kids--technology-use" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Between March 2020 and June 2022, families in Toronto experienced <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57079577">some of the longest lockdowns in the world</a>. Ontario schools closed for in-person <a href="https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/research/docs/School%20During%20the%20Pandemic/GTAHReport2Grade9achievementFINAL_Jan132023.pdf">learning for over 27 weeks</a>, longer than <a href="https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/sciencebrief/covid-19-and-education-disruption-in-ontario-emerging-evidence-on-impacts/#">any other province or territory</a>, and government <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6859636/ontario-coronavirus-timeline/">restrictions on public spaces lasted for months</a>. Parents were left to figure out how to manage work, child care and virtual school.</p>
<p>We interviewed mothers of young children to reflect on how they managed their children’s screen media practices during this tumultuous time. </p>
<p>Our study is part of a larger collaborative research study, with researchers in <a href="https://theconversation.com/parents-and-screen-time-are-you-a-contract-maker-or-an-access-denier-with-your-child-188977">Australia</a>, the United States, China, Colombia, South Korea and the United Kingdom. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.routledge.com/iPads-in-the-Early-Years-Developing-literacy-and-creativity/Dezuanni-Dooley-Gattenhof-Knight/p/book/9781138219731">Children’s experiences of media</a> consumption and production can <a href="https://utorontopress.com/9781442615564/digital-playgrounds/">vary enormously depending on their context, for example, due to government regulations or socio-economic differences</a>.</p>
<p>Our interviews suggest there is never-ending pressure on mothers to negotiate kids’ technology use. Mothers need support managing these new realities. </p>
<h2>Constant re-negotiation of media use</h2>
<p>Between January and July 2022, we interviewed 15 mothers in the Greater Toronto Area over Zoom. We recruited parents and caregivers through 10 neighbourhood parenting groups on Facebook. Only mothers responded. Participants had children between the ages of four to 12, with people based in downtown and midtown Toronto and North York, as well as Burlington and Niagara.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A boy seen in front of video gaming screen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523637/original/file-20230501-22-rwtlgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523637/original/file-20230501-22-rwtlgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523637/original/file-20230501-22-rwtlgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523637/original/file-20230501-22-rwtlgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523637/original/file-20230501-22-rwtlgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523637/original/file-20230501-22-rwtlgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523637/original/file-20230501-22-rwtlgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Mothers worried about video games played alone or with peers in terms of isolation and addiction.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>All mothers were in two-parent families, although one was solo parenting with the other parent overseas. Most were middle class. When asked to self-identify racial and ethnic backgrounds of both parents, a range of answers included southeast Asian, Chinese, Jewish, white, Chinese Canadian, Scottish, “born in India now Canadian” and Canadian.</p>
<p>Mothers shared that for most of the pandemic, they were reassessing and re-negotiating their children’s technology use. Negotiations were focused on screen time and home spaces where children used technology. </p>
<p>These negotiations and decisions were loaded with moral implications. They were also refracted through families’ values and practices, mixed with anxieties about children as future adults — and nostalgia for mothers’ own childhoods in less technologically complex times.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/nostalgia-for-childhoods-of-the-past-overlooks-childrens-experiences-today-183805">Nostalgia for childhoods of the past overlooks children’s experiences today</a>
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<h2>Balancing time</h2>
<p>Mothers’ reflections on screen time <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/parenting4digitalfuture/2018/02/28/why-the-very-idea-of-screen-time-is-muddled-and-misguided/">were messy, complicated and sometimes contradictory</a>. </p>
<p>For example, mothers constructed some screen time as “good” if it involved skill-building, educational opportunities, communication with friends or family or was a family activity (like watching movies or playing with video consoles or online games together). </p>
<p>Mothers positioned video games played alone or with peers as more concerning. They worried about isolation and addiction. Families adopted strategies for monitoring screen time by using timers, scheduling screen time and limiting children’s access to WiFi or devices. </p>
<h2>Guilt for letting someone down</h2>
<p>Several mothers cited <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/screen-time-cps-1.6662929">pediatricians’ and researchers’ recommendations</a> around screen time, and many felt that these guidelines placed immense pressure and expectations on them as parents during the pandemic. While they cited these guidelines as ideal, following them was more complicated.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A toddler seen watching a laptop screen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523639/original/file-20230501-22-7iixbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523639/original/file-20230501-22-7iixbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523639/original/file-20230501-22-7iixbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523639/original/file-20230501-22-7iixbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523639/original/file-20230501-22-7iixbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523639/original/file-20230501-22-7iixbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523639/original/file-20230501-22-7iixbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A toddler watches a live stream of circle time for babies in Toronto in March 2020.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Joe O'Connal</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One mother stated: “I’m pretty sure we’ve broken all those rules.” She described parenting during the pandemic as “an impossible balance” of being in a “survival mode” where sometimes “the TV is [the] parent now, because I have to get work done so that I can, you know, generate an income.” </p>
<p>This increased presence of technology in the home and her children’s increased screen time was connected to “feelings of guilt” of either letting her kids down by not being able to interact with them, or letting work down by “ignoring tasks.”</p>
<h2>Balancing space</h2>
<p>It was not just that time on screens was an “impossible balance” but which screens were being used, where and for what (leisure or school). Families’ domestic spaces changed drastically with the lockdowns.</p>
<p>Open-concept houses made it easier to see what kids were doing with technology for leisure, but was distracting when kids and parents were trying to work and learn from home. </p>
<p>Parents who let their kids use the technology in the bedrooms found this allowed more focus for both the kids during school time and parents during the workday. However, this arrangement made it difficult to know what children were really doing online.</p>
<h2>It took a toll</h2>
<p>For some, reliable WiFi access wasn’t available in all spaces in the home, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/hey-siri-virtual-assistants-are-listening-to-children-and-then-using-the-data-186874">voice-assisted technology such as Alexa</a> meant the digital encroached into spaces that parents had previously designated as tech free.</p>
<p>With online school, many mothers found they had to sit near their children to keep them focused and help with the technology. This was even more challenging for those who had two or more young children in school. </p>
<p>One mother described supporting two children online as constantly “ping ponging” between them. Trying to work from home while supporting children took a toll. Many mothers described feeling frustrated as short lockdowns morphed into long months with no sense of returning to normal.</p>
<p>Some parents were able to transcend the school-home binary in a way that they were never able to before. These parents who closely supervised and supported their children with online school had a much greater sense of classroom dynamics between teachers, students and the curriculum.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/parent-teacher-relations-were-both-strained-and-strengthened-by-the-covid-19-pandemic-163054">Parent-teacher relations were both strained and strengthened by the COVID-19 pandemic</a>
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<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A child seen in front of a glowing computer screen while a parent is in a kitchen with another child." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523488/original/file-20230429-655-r3d263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523488/original/file-20230429-655-r3d263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523488/original/file-20230429-655-r3d263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523488/original/file-20230429-655-r3d263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523488/original/file-20230429-655-r3d263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523488/original/file-20230429-655-r3d263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523488/original/file-20230429-655-r3d263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There is no returning to pre-pandemic realities of tech in the home. A mother and children seen at their home in Chicago on Oct. 12, 2022.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Tech use changed a lot for families</h2>
<p>As the pandemic wore on, decisions and negotiations around screen time and where that screen time happened in the home were ongoing, and perhaps impossible to get completely “right.” </p>
<p>Technology use changed a lot for families during the pandemic. <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/06/22/digital-divide-persists-even-as-americans-with-lower-incomes-make-gains-in-tech-adoption/">Some children were introduced to technology all together, as families got new devices, platforms and apps</a>. Instead of one family computer for example, with online school, each child had access to their own device. This affected how mothers managed children’s and families’ time and space. </p>
<p>Mothers’ decisions around children’s screen media use are wrapped in worries about being a “good parent,” concerns around children’s childhood and futures and work-from-home realities.</p>
<p>There is no returning to the pre-pandemic realities of tech in the home. Many kids have new devices, spaces to use those devices — and expectations to use technology for activities that previously were offline. </p>
<h2>Must accept shared responsibility</h2>
<p>It’s not enough to think our society can manage families’ changed home tech use and the burden of responsibility it brings to mothers just by having medical professionals offer screen time guidelines. One-size-fits-all solutions like <a href="https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/article?contentid=643&language=english&utm_source=youngster&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=skf_youngster#/">screen time guidelines fail to take into account the complexity of technology in families</a>. </p>
<p>We need broader discussions that include the responsibilities of <a href="https://time.com/6259863/tiktok-time-limit-teens/">social media</a> and educational technology companies, <a href="https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/teacher-tips-how-to-reduce-screen-time-when-school-is-online/2020/10">schools</a> and <a href="https://apolitical.co/solution-articles/en/child-health-how-government-can-cut-kids-screen-time">policymakers</a>, to name a few, to support families in navigating these new realities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204315/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Natalie Coulter received funding from York University Liberal Arts and Professional Studies Minor Research Grant.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lindsay C. Sheppard received funding from York University Liberal Arts and Professional Studies Minor Research Grant.</span></em></p>Policymakers, tech companies and schools should all be part of conversations about how our society is responsible for the new realities of tech in the home after COVID-19 lockdowns.Natalie Coulter, Associate Professor of Communication Studies, and Director of the Institute for Research on Digital Literacies, York University, CanadaLindsay C. Sheppard, PhD Student, Sociology, York University, CanadaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2039632023-04-25T13:51:28Z2023-04-25T13:51:28ZKids and screen time - an expert offers advice for parents and teachers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521285/original/file-20230417-24-sich9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C655%2C5013%2C2981&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">There's no expert consensus on whether screen time is good, bad or somewhere in between.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>How much time did your child spend looking at a screen today?</p>
<p>The answer likely depends on how old they are, what grade they’re in at school and what rules you have in place at home about screen time. But the reality is that, for children and adolescents growing up as “<a href="https://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf">digital natives</a>”, it is almost impossible to imagine life without screens of some sort.</p>
<p>Devices like cellphones, laptops and tablets have become ubiquitous as tools for entertainment and education in most parts of the world. This has led parents, guardians, teachers and researchers to wonder whether screens are good or bad for children. </p>
<p>The World Health Organization <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128">recommends</a> that school-going children (five-17 years) limit their recreational screen time. The recommendation for two to four year-olds is not more than one hour of screen time per day (less is better); it <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241550536">suggests</a> that children younger than two should have no screen time. <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2798256">Research evidence</a> suggests that children and adolescents were already exceeding these recommendations, and that the COVID-19 pandemic only made this <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2798256">worse</a>.</p>
<p>There isn’t yet conclusive evidence about whether screen time is good or bad for children. But, based on my ongoing research into children’s development – including the <a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-how-much-kids-need-to-move-play-and-sleep-in-their-early-years-107024">role of play, sleep, physical movement</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-screen-time-for-babies-children-and-adolescents-needs-to-be-limited-110630">screen time</a> – my view is that there are benefits of educational screen time, but we don’t know enough about the potential harms. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, there are several things parents and teachers can do. This includes basics such as being aware of how much time children are spending on screens and what their posture is like through, to more complex issues such as what each child’s developmental weaknesses and strengths are. It also involves setting boundaries.</p>
<p>None of this is easy to implement. However it doesn’t mean that they cannot be a healthy goal worth working towards. It is never too late to start, but the earlier you do, the better.</p>
<h2>Covering the basics</h2>
<p>First, it is essential for parents to be aware about how screen-based activities (educational and recreational) influence their child’s development, as well as their behaviour. </p>
<p>Secondly, remember that all children are different and will therefore respond differently to screen time. So understanding the child and their strengths and weaknesses is key. For example, if a child struggles with managing sensory input – like loud noises, bright lights or certain textures – it may be better for them to avoid recreational screen time.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-screen-time-for-babies-children-and-adolescents-needs-to-be-limited-110630">Why screen time for babies, children and adolescents needs to be limited</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Thirdly, establish boundaries around screen time. This is key at home and at school. </p>
<p>Fourth, keep tabs on how screen time is stopping children from doing other things that are developmentally beneficial. For example, in the home, a child who is learning mostly on screens at school could be encouraged to spend time after school playing outside, and doing activities that develop fine motor skills. Screen swiping and typing are poor substitutes for activities that stimulate these skills, like writing, drawing, colouring in, painting, and cutting.</p>
<p>Fifth, in a school environment, are there other activities that provide children and adolescents opportunities to intentionally develop their social and emotional skills that are not getting as much attention when they are working alone on screens? </p>
<p>Sixth, are screens set up in such a way that encourages good posture? </p>
<h2>Baby steps</h2>
<p>Setting boundaries and striving for a healthy balance of educational and recreational screen time within the broader context of development may seem daunting. </p>
<p>It requires thoughtfully reflecting on the wider impacts of the choices made around screens, and offering a range of opportunities that help to boost chlidren’s chances of growing up to be healthy and well-adjusted adults.</p>
<p>As much as possible, involve children and adolescents in conversations about why a healthy balance of screen time will benefit them. This can help them take ownership of their choices about their health and development – both in the present as well as their future health and well-being.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203963/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catherine Draper receives or has received funding from the British Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the South African Medical Research Council, the Jacobs Foundation, and the European Commission. </span></em></p>Parents should keep an eye on how screen-based activities influence their child’s development and behaviour.Catherine Draper, Associate Professor, University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2022152023-04-12T16:36:28Z2023-04-12T16:36:28ZSeven tips for a healthier relationship with your phone<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520282/original/file-20230411-18-utjsyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=68%2C45%2C5006%2C3413&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">No phones in the bedroom.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/multiracial-couple-surfing-mobile-phones-lying-in-bed-with-dog-after-awakening-4545196/">pexels ketut subiyanto</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>How long do you spend staring at a screen every day? According to <a href="https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-global-overview-report">one report</a>, the average person spends about seven hours a day on screens connected to the internet. And that figure is going to be even higher if your job is mainly done in front of a computer. </p>
<p>Most of us <a href="https://www.dovepress.com/problematic-smartphone-use-and-social-media-fatigue-the-mediating-role-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-PRBM">over-use digital devices</a>, spending too long either working or enjoying being distracted on phones, tablets, laptops or even VR headsets. We are <a href="https://time.com/5139859/smartphone-addiction-solutions/">accused of being addicted</a> to tech and warned of the dangers to our physical and mental health. </p>
<p>One significant paradox here is that we often retreat into the digital world <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cyber.2014.0317">to escape the stresses</a> of the physical world, but can end up simply collecting other kinds of digital and physical stress along the way.</p>
<p>As a parent, I became concerned a few years ago about the effect my <a href="https://web.stanford.edu/%7Egentzkow/research/DigitalAddiction.pdf">digital life</a> was having on my work and family. I did some research of my own, changed the way I used my devices and even wrote a book about the dangers of what I call the “<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Inferno-Technology-Consciously-Hyperconnected/dp/1905570740">digital inferno</a>”. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Group of friends, wearing pink, looking at a phone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519583/original/file-20230405-23-6hco88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519583/original/file-20230405-23-6hco88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519583/original/file-20230405-23-6hco88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519583/original/file-20230405-23-6hco88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519583/original/file-20230405-23-6hco88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519583/original/file-20230405-23-6hco88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519583/original/file-20230405-23-6hco88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Break free from screen time addiction: seven tips for a healthier lifestyle.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/friends-in-pink-clothes-5325597/">pexels/anna shvets</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It’s only in recent years that longer-term studies <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4267764/">have been published</a> on the issue. And taken together, these studies comprise a growing and significant body of knowledge, that is hard to dismiss or ignore: <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15213269.2015.1121832">too much tech</a> can cause issues for us humans.</p>
<p>To be clear, digital devices offer <a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-tj/Fulltext/2017/09010/The_Ubiquity_of_the_Screen__An_Overview_of_the.1.aspx">significant benefits</a> – think connection, education, entertainment. The <a href="https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-020-00508-z">danger</a> is when our <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13347-021-00463-6">overuse of them becomes toxic to our health</a>. </p>
<p>From a personal perspective, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016164202200361X">eye strain</a>, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00586-020-06640-z">neck ache</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079219300267">poor sleep</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563215303162">stress</a>, <a href="https://jmpas.com/admin/assets/article_issue/1638816270JMPAS_MAY-JUNE_2021.pdf">repetitive strain injuries</a> of <a href="https://www.toi-health.com/physician-articles/effects-smartphones-fingers-hands-elbows/">all kinds</a> and <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wzCwEAAAQBAJ&lpg=PA95&dq=info%3Afb7N0N2UD8sJ%3Ascholar.google.com%2F&lr&pg=PA86#v=onepage&q&f=false">impaired hand function</a> are just a few of symptoms I’ve had over the years thanks to my overuse of screens and devices – and research shows I’m far from alone.</p>
<p>If any of these symptoms describe you (or anyone you know), or you just feel too much of your life is taken up with staring at a screen, then you might find my advice on how to regain control of your tech helpful.</p>
<h2>How to regain control</h2>
<p><strong>1. Practice putting down your digital devices consciously</strong></p>
<p>Keep them out of sight and put them away when you aren’t using them, <a href="https://hbr.org/2015/08/research-shows-how-anxiety-and-technology-are-affecting-our-sleep">especially at night</a>. Banish them from the bedroom, get an alarm clock (so you aren’t using your phone alarm) and you’ll <a href="https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-study-on-smartphone-addiction-and-sleep/">sleep better</a> without the late-night scrolling. And get out of the habit of watching TV with your phone next to you. Just focus on one task at a time without the distraction of another screen.</p>
<p><strong>2. Set yourself screen time limits</strong></p>
<p>Too much screen time can give you <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-12802-9">headaches</a>. Be mindful of the way your use your tech and make use of features like voice notes, which allow you to stay up-to-date with communication without staring at a screen for a long time.</p>
<p><strong>3. Stop allowing digital distractions</strong> </p>
<p>Constant interruption can <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/1357054.1357072">induce physical and mental stress</a>. Turn off notifications and alerts when you want to fully focus on a task. And keep your phone off your desk. <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/691462">Research shows</a> that having your phone nearby, even if it’s not buzzing or ringing and even if the power is off, can hurt your performance.</p>
<p><strong>4. Schedule proper digital-free time</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-022-04419-8">Depression and anxiety</a> is one result of digital overload. So getting away from your digital world for a while is <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44184-022-00015-6">important</a>. Take a walk in nature, read a book, go for a bike ride – anything that takes you away from the screens for a while. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman sitting reading book, with laptop and phone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519585/original/file-20230405-26-kbznoz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519585/original/file-20230405-26-kbznoz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519585/original/file-20230405-26-kbznoz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519585/original/file-20230405-26-kbznoz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519585/original/file-20230405-26-kbznoz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519585/original/file-20230405-26-kbznoz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519585/original/file-20230405-26-kbznoz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Maybe just read the book?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-sitting-on-bean-bag-white-using-macbook-in-front-of-round-table-with-green-leafed-plant-169915/">pexels/tranmautritam</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>5. Make screens easier on the eyes</strong></p>
<p>Screen overuse can strain our <a href="https://www.jmir.org/2020/12/e21923/">eyes and affect our eyesight</a>. Don’t squint at tiny screens to do work that would be better done on a larger-screen laptop. Reduce the blue light on devices and make use of all the other helpful accessibility features. Start with that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038092X04003536">screen glare</a>. And also make sure the volume doesn’t <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/23312165211015881">burst your ear drums</a>.</p>
<p><strong>6. Take control of the chaos of information overload</strong></p>
<p>Organise your phone, computer and tablet so you can use them more efficiently. Some apps really do help you take charge of your life and <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781547400546/html">work more calmly and effectively</a>. <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/news/a27948/phone-time-wasting/">Time-tracking apps</a> measure how much time you’re spending (wasting) on your screen – prepare to be horrified! We regain mastery over our digital devices when we become more proactive in their use.</p>
<p><strong>7. Sit well when you are digitally engaged</strong> </p>
<p>Slouching over a phone or hunching over your laptop will harm your <a href="https://theconversation.com/drafts/202215/edit">neck</a> and your back. Sit upright, stretch regularly and exercise often – <a href="https://journals.lww.com/spinejournal/Fulltext/2021/04010/Changes_in_Low_Back_Muscle_Activity_and_Spine.5.aspx?context=FeaturedArticles&collectionId=2">without your phone</a>.</p>
<h2>Be a digital decider</h2>
<p>These seven tips should help you regain a sense of control over your digital life. For me, it’s all about sleeping and waking better after leaving my phone downstairs. It’s about having dedicated, planned digital time and specific times when the phone has no place in what I’m doing. </p>
<p>Yet it’s also about enjoying these tech miracles in a more satisfying way and using them more consciously. I like to think of myself now as a digital decider and not just another digital casualty.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202215/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Levy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Screen time overload? Here’s how to regain control and boost your health.Paul Levy, Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Innovation and Digital Leadership, University of BrightonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1982212023-03-08T20:33:03Z2023-03-08T20:33:03ZSocial media addiction disrupts the sleep, moods and social activities of teens and young adults<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509965/original/file-20230214-28-2onfti.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4909%2C3636&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Social media developers design apps and platforms to create dependencies in users.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It took a half century for the first American Surgeon General Report to establish the link between <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/surgeon-general-announces-link-between-smoking-cigarettes-and-cancer">tobacco and lung cancer</a>. In response, companies infiltrated media and genetically modified tobacco leaves to make them <a href="https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/health-effects-tobacco-use/nicotine-why-tobacco-products-are-addictive">even more addictive</a>. </p>
<p>Curiously, tech companies developed similar compelling algorithms to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03126-x">create dependence among users</a> — these technologies <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.12.007">appear innocuous</a>, but should be regulated. There are objectionable consequences regarding the influence of algorithms because <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305119845678">they manipulate users</a> by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120915613">creating false perceptions, dependencies and addiction</a>.</p>
<p>Today’s youth are among the first generations to not have experienced life before the internet. For many, their most important generational memory will be that of security concerns associated with terrorism or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/S0742-730120210000039004">the recent pandemic</a>.</p>
<p>Advancements in communications and internet technologies have produced a virtually integrated world; <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106618">parents, guardians and educators struggle to make sense of how to manage youth online</a>.</p>
<h2>Designed to be addictive</h2>
<p>Research in neuroscience has established <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2167696818821803">that adolescence lasts into one’s 20s</a> — and beyond for youth with neurodevelopmental disorders — making universities a prime site for addressing and managing problematic social media use.</p>
<p>Social media are designed to be addictive — <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03126-x">driven and reinforced by dopamine</a>. Teens and emerging adults are susceptible to acceptance and rejection through social media, making them particularly responsive to such media and emotionally addicted. </p>
<p>Daily use of social media is associated with a significantly <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.106">increased risk of self-harm and depression for adolescents</a>. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.4.2015.010">added sleep cycle disruptions</a> explain part of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2019.01.029">association with depressive symptoms</a>. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509966/original/file-20230214-20-9mzjma.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a teenaged boy lies in bed in the dark, his face illuminated by his phone screen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509966/original/file-20230214-20-9mzjma.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509966/original/file-20230214-20-9mzjma.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509966/original/file-20230214-20-9mzjma.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509966/original/file-20230214-20-9mzjma.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509966/original/file-20230214-20-9mzjma.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509966/original/file-20230214-20-9mzjma.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509966/original/file-20230214-20-9mzjma.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">An addiction to social media can disrupt teenagers’ sleep patterns.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Even moderate screen use is associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.10.003">mental health difficulties that require medication</a>. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176035">lockdowns</a> caused by the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/pcn.13134">COVID-19 pandemic</a> only <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112686">aggravated</a> the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2020.100897">situation</a>.</p>
<h2>Finding belonging</h2>
<p>Youth peruse social media to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03126-x">derive a sense of belonging or to avoid challenges</a> in their offline lives. Compared to live interactions, online socialization has been associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.106">intolerance to negative emotions and poor concentration</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-delete-your-social-media-but-cant-bring-yourself-to-do-it-here-are-some-ways-to-take-that-step-176149">Want to delete your social media, but can't bring yourself to do it? Here are some ways to take that step</a>
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<p>As a result, youth experience an inability to manage <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124566">frustration</a>, fear, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.10.003">sadness</a> and academic difficulties. These risks could lead to problems in education, work and relationships.</p>
<p>One study revealed that young people were <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124566">motivated to scroll as a coping mechanism or out of habit or boredom</a>. The researchers found that staying off social media for one week led to less FOMO — the fear of missing out on social events.</p>
<p>Another study found that staying off social media for one week led to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2021.0324">significant reductions in depression and anxiety in 154 young adults</a>. In yet another study, university students were instructed to limit their use for each application to 10 minutes daily, while a control group used social media as usual. The group taking a break reported <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2020.0217">an overall improvement in well-being</a>, achieved mainly through sleep quality.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510159/original/file-20230214-24-85lqr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a young sad-looking boy pushes a phone away" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510159/original/file-20230214-24-85lqr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510159/original/file-20230214-24-85lqr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510159/original/file-20230214-24-85lqr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510159/original/file-20230214-24-85lqr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510159/original/file-20230214-24-85lqr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510159/original/file-20230214-24-85lqr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510159/original/file-20230214-24-85lqr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Giving up social media is similar to giving up other addictive substances.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Short breaks from being online — even as little as two and a half hours at a time — has a positive effect on perceived life satisfaction. A study of 65 university students used daily journals to track social media use and experienced emotions. The control group used social media as usual, but the group who abstained <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-020-09852-0">experienced improved behaviors and feelings during and after abstinence</a>.</p>
<h2>Overcoming addiction</h2>
<p>Weaning someone off social media is similar to giving up a food, drug, gambling or alcohol addiction. Cognitive behavioural approaches — such as keeping a daily journal, reading on paper, listening to music or podcasts, planning social activities, sharing meals with friends and family, physical activity, active transportation, a daily gratitude practice and bundling mundane activities with enjoyable ones — <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-020-09852-0">can help support the transition</a>. </p>
<p>Such strategies create tolerance for solitude at times when a user may be tempted to go online. After giving up social media for a week, users experienced less distress, more active behaviour, and a more positive outlook on how to live life more mindfully and efficiently. </p>
<p>There is consensus that social media is deliberately designed to introduce and sustain addiction. The overuse of social media is detrimental to well-being. Therefore, we suggest that universities launch a “challenge” campaign that sensitizes and discourages leisure screen use for a period of 72 hours each semester to foster student organizational, affective, and cognitive growth. This would set the stage for better life-long habits and success.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/198221/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Addiction to social media can affect the emotional well-being of adolescents and young adults. But staying offline — even for only a few hours a day — can help.Linda Pagani, Professor, School of Psychoeducation and researcher at CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de MontréalAmélie Gilker Beauchamp, Étudiante à la maîtrise en psychoéducation, Université de MontréalBeatrice Necsa, Masters student, Psychoeducation, Université de MontréalBenoit Gauthier, Candidat au doctorat en sciences humaines appliquées, Université de MontréalKianoush Harandian, PhD Candidate, School of Psychoeducation, Université de MontréalLaurie-Anne Kosak, Masters student, Psychoeducation, Université de MontréalLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1939552022-11-11T01:46:12Z2022-11-11T01:46:12ZKids’ screen time rose by 50% during the pandemic. 3 tips for the whole family to bring it back down<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494034/original/file-20221108-26-tdff27.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=9%2C14%2C3225%2C2138&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.pexels.com/photos/7414095/pexels-photo-7414095.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=1260&h=750&dpr=2">Pexels/Kampus Production</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Has your child’s screentime increased since COVID? If you were to estimate by how much would you say 20%, 30% or even a 50% increase? </p>
<p>A <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2798256">newly released review</a> comparing children’s screentime before and during COVID, shows children’s screentime spiked by a whopping 52% between 2020 and 2022. Increases were highest for children aged 12 to 18 years, and for handheld devices and personal computers.</p>
<p>Even though life is (almost) back to normal, many parents have noticed their child’s technology use is still much higher than pre-COVID levels. Their instinct may be to come down hard with rules and restrictions.</p>
<p>But another approach might be to create a healthier balance as a family.</p>
<h2>Easy habits to make</h2>
<p>The full effect of the pandemic on our technology use is not yet clear, but there are factors to consider when understanding the current state of play of increased time on devices. </p>
<p>A key factor driving ongoing increased screentime is that extensive screen use sustained over time turns into <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/habitual-behavior">a habit</a>. </p>
<p>In other words, once a person gets used to using technology for greater lengths of time, it becomes their “baseline”. Much like the way a child may get used to staying up late every night in the summer school holidays and then find it difficult to adjust back to school term bedtime again. The longer we do it, the more adjustment needed. </p>
<p>During our two COVID-induced years of restrictions, regulations and stay-at-home orders, many other activities were also removed from children’s routines. Not only did screentime <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(22)00182-1/fulltext">increase</a>, but it also became the only resource child had for school, play, communication, and everything in between. Screentime was not an add-on to their day, it became the <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fhumd.2021.684137/full">core of their day</a>. </p>
<p>Another factor driving children’s increased screentime more of our life has gone online since COVID. <a href="https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-021-02909-z">Online learning</a> has become an ongoing element of education. Online work and entertainment have all become more digital. </p>
<p>As a result children continue to use technology for longer periods of time and more intensely, and it’s likely this trajectory will continue to increase. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/lockdown-babies-behind-on-communication-milestones-to-help-toddlers-language-skills-just-talk-and-listen-192362">Lockdown babies behind on communication milestones: to help toddlers' language skills, just talk and listen</a>
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<h2>Effects on kids</h2>
<p>Increased screen time likely did not negatively interfere with wellbeing during lockdown periods as it was the only way to remain <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fhumd.2021.684137/full">socially connected</a>. However many worry, about the impact of ongoing high levels of screentime on children. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07503-w">Evidence of its impact</a> is still sketchy. One of the main reasons is that it is now very difficult to separate our online and offline worlds. </p>
<p>But there are important points to consider regarding how problematic screentime impacts mental and cognitive health, which sit at the core of learning and development for children, and for us as adults. </p>
<p>We know there is a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44184-022-00015-6">link</a> between screen use and stress and anxiety. This doesn’t not necessarily mean phone use causes stress and anxiety. It may be that when we are stressed and anxious, we reach for our phone to relieve it. But when that happens problems are not resolved and stress maintains. This can become a habit for children. </p>
<p>Overuse of a screen can lead to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44184-022-00015-6">mental and physical fatigue</a> impacting a child’s mood and ability to focus and learn. </p>
<p>Sleep is important for learning because it is during sleep we consolidate the ideas we engaged with that day. Little sleep means our brain doesn’t have a chance to do this, which negatively impacts learning. Some small, limited lab-based experimental studies <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945716000599?via%3Dihub">suggest</a> screen use may negatively impact adults’ body clock and sleep. </p>
<p>However, disrupted sleep is more often associated with the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691822002773">content</a> a child engages with on a screen before bedtime. Hyped, highly emotive content – whether it’s on their phone, tablet or TV – is more likely to keep a child up at night. Reading a sweet story book on their screen, before bed has a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691822002773#bb0220">different impact</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/development-of-vision-in-early-childhood-no-screens-before-age-two-193192">Development of vision in early childhood: No screens before age two</a>
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<h2>3 tips for cutting back as a family</h2>
<p>Taking measures to cut a child’s screentime may seem like the most obvious parenting strategy. However, it is not necessarily the best as it often cannot be sustained. There are other measures that are more effective. </p>
<p>Like children, adults also experienced <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fhumd.2021.684137/full.">excessive screentime</a> during COVID. Given parents’ level of screen use is <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2798256">strongly associated</a> with children’s screen use, getting our own screentime back under control is an important role model that children need to see. Here are three tips: </p>
<p><strong>1. Approach it together</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44184-022-00015-6">One study</a> from Denmark focused on all family members taking measures together to change their screen habits and the results were highly effective. Families reported positive effects on mental wellbeing and mood of all family members. </p>
<p><strong>2. Prepare for challenges</strong></p>
<p>Important to the success of families in the study was that they were encouraged to talk about their expected challenges of reducing screen use and list potential solutions. This “in it together” approach enhances family bonding, motivation for change and new home screen environments. </p>
<p><strong>3. Guide all elements of healthy screen use</strong></p>
<p>Ensure parental guidance focuses on all three aspects of healthy device use: screen time, screen quality and screen buddies. This means keeping a eye on time spent on a device but also ensuring a child uses technology in a wide variety of positive ways, in varying social situations – sometimes independently but often with others. </p>
<p>Technology use has changed markedly since COVID. Managing screentime remains integral for children’s health and wellbeing. But how we understand screentime, its place in our lives and how we help children manage it must move with the times. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tiktok-can-be-good-for-your-kids-if-you-follow-a-few-tips-to-stay-safe-144002">TikTok can be good for your kids if you follow a few tips to stay safe</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193955/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joanne Orlando does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Parents may well feel the need to ‘crack down’ on kids’ screentime. But a whole-family approach might be more successful.Joanne Orlando, Researcher: Digital Literacy and Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1931922022-10-25T20:22:51Z2022-10-25T20:22:51ZDevelopment of vision in early childhood: No screens before age two<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491691/original/file-20221025-22-wx4aqi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=14%2C7%2C979%2C655&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Electronic devices are not, in and of themselves, a source of visual problems. Using these devices inappropriately can interfere with the natural development of the eye, as well as reading and learning skills. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Things are busy on a rainy Saturday afternoon when I make a trip to the mall to finalize some back-to-school shopping. I pass by a lot of people, including several parents with young children under two years old, in strollers, and am struck by the fact that all of the children have a tablet or phone in their hands. Has technology become the ultimate tool for keeping children calm?</p>
<p>As an optometrist and eye health expert, this observation saddens me every time I see it, since I know all the harmful effects such exposure to electronic tools can have on children.</p>
<p>These effects are all the more critical during the first years of life, both on the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34625399/">visual level</a> and on the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36190219/">cognitive and social development of children</a>.</p>
<h2>Visual development of children</h2>
<p>The human eye develops <a href="https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/health-wellness-and-safety-resources/helping-hands/infant-vision-birth-to-one-year">through stimulation</a>. The quality of the optical stimulus influences the growth of the eyeball via a complex and balanced mechanism. At birth, the eye is hyperopic, that is to say, its power is not perfectly adjusted to its size. A child sees at short distances and is barely able to distinguish a shadow when grandpa comes to the bedroom door.</p>
<p>In the first few weeks, the eye grows, the retina matures and a balance is established between the growth of the eyeball and the power of the inner lens. At six months of age, each of the toddler’s two eyes has the vision of an adult eye. From this moment on, the eyes will develop their coordination, in order to generate vision in three dimensions. It’s also starting at the age of six months that the communication between the eyes develops in the visual brain as well.</p>
<p>Billions of neurological connections will have to be made during the <a href="https://opto.umontreal.ca/clinique/pdf/EFFETS%20DES%20ECRANS%20SUR%20LE%20D%C3%89VELOPPEMENT%20VISUEL%20DES%20ENFANTS.pdf">first eight years of life</a>. This maturation time is long, but necessary, considering that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763413001917">more than a third of the brain’s neurons are dedicated to vision</a>.</p>
<h2>A question of distance</h2>
<p>Electronic devices are not, in themselves, a source of visual problems. Rather, the inappropriate use of these devices can interfere with the natural development of the eye, as well as reading and learning skills.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489407/original/file-20221012-17-g43eu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two small children with glasses sitting on white chairs : a boy with a tablet computer, a girl with a cell phone" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489407/original/file-20221012-17-g43eu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489407/original/file-20221012-17-g43eu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489407/original/file-20221012-17-g43eu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489407/original/file-20221012-17-g43eu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489407/original/file-20221012-17-g43eu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489407/original/file-20221012-17-g43eu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489407/original/file-20221012-17-g43eu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">For normal visual development, it is recommended that exposure to electronic devices be avoided between the ages of zero and two years.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The first thing to consider is viewing distance. The eye is designed to look at a near distance that is about equal to the length of the forearm (distance from the elbow to the fingertips of the hand). That means about <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0042698913000795">30 cm for a young child, and 40 cm for an adult</a>. However, tablets and phones are held on average 20-30 cm from the eye, and this distance <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cxo.12453">becomes shorter with prolonged exposure</a>. The visual effort required to maintain a clear image at this distance is therefore doubled.</p>
<p>A distance that is too short influences the quality of the retinal image (and therefore visual development) and causes <a href="https://books.google.ca/books?hl=fr&lr=&id=jGGROHBFYt8C">excessive eye fatigue</a>. It is also important to understand that when eyes must accommodate short distances, they automatically converge towards the nose in order to focus at the normal reading distance. Too much effort spent accommodating the short distance is therefore accompanied by a greater than normal convergence. As the eye cannot maintain this prolonged effort over a long period of time, it will relax its effort and the perceived image will become blurred for a while, a sensory penalty that we want to avoid. After a period of rest, the eye will resume its effort, and this alternation between the clearness and the blur will continue as long as attention to the close image is required. So, ideally, the tablet or phone should always be kept at the distance of the forearm.</p>
<h2>Constant stimulation is not recommended</h2>
<p>The use of electronic tools, with games or videos, requires a constant attention span, without breaks. This is the second factor to consider. When a child draws in a notebook or reads a paper book, he or she will instinctively stop at some point, look elsewhere, far away, and become interested in something else around them. These pauses and breaks are beneficial <a href="https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/computer-vision-syndrome?sso=y">for the visual system to recover from its effort</a>. Focusing on targets at a distance is also beneficial to the child’s visual development. With electronic tablets, it is not uncommon to see children doing sessions of more than two to three hours continuously, without looking up from the screen.</p>
<p>The visual apparatus of children from zero to two years old is simply not sufficiently developed and robust to undergo such stress from constant stimulation in front of the screen. In particular, the structural elements of the sclera (the deep layer of the eye), which give the eye rigidity and determine its size, develop between zero and two years of age and then stabilize. The visual stimulus at these ages can interfere and therefore <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335108098_Scleral_structure_and_biomechanics">influence the development of visual defects and pathology in later life</a>.</p>
<p>It is also important to note that the screen can emit blue light. Children’s eyes do not filter these rays like those of an adult. This means that children are exposed to more blue light, which may stimulate nearsightedness and disrupt the secretion of melatonin, <a href="https://www.myopiainstitute.com/eye-care/how-blue-light-affects-your-vision-and-overall-health/">which regulates our biological clock</a>. This can disrupt the naps necessary for children of this age, as well as sleep during the night. Sleep loss can also lead to myopia.</p>
<h2>Let’s learn about electronics</h2>
<p>For normal visual development, it is therefore recommended to <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/128/5/1040/30928/Media-Use-by-Children-Younger-Than-2-Years?_ga=2.208746386.1459529850.1665228699-655911314.1665228699?autologincheck=redirected?nfToken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000">avoid all exposure to electronic devices between the ages of zero and two</a>. The exception would be occasional video conversations, under the supervision of a parent, to say hello to a grandparent who lives far away, for a few minutes.</p>
<p>From the age of two years on, an hour of exposure per day can be considered, especially to consult educational sites, always accompanied by a parent or an educator.</p>
<p>When the visual system is mature, around the age of six to eight, exposure can be increased gradually, without exceeding two to three hours per day, with 10-minute breaks every hour. Electronic device use should be avoided during meals, family activities, and at least one hour before sleep.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489410/original/file-20221012-24-ip7l62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Young mother holding her cute, crying baby daughter, looking at a tablet during a virtual video call business or family meeting at a distance" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489410/original/file-20221012-24-ip7l62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489410/original/file-20221012-24-ip7l62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489410/original/file-20221012-24-ip7l62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489410/original/file-20221012-24-ip7l62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489410/original/file-20221012-24-ip7l62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489410/original/file-20221012-24-ip7l62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489410/original/file-20221012-24-ip7l62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rare video conversations, with parental supervision, to wave to a grandparent from a distance, for a few minutes, can be considered.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Let’s play outside!</h2>
<p>The best advice for successful visual development is to encourage exposure to outdoor light for <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6678505/#:%7E:text=Each%20additional%20hour%20of%20daily,by%2013%25%20%5B23%5D.">at least one hour per day, ideally two hours</a>. We are talking about playing, walking, and activities that are done outside. The amount of light is then much greater than indoors, which would stimulate the production of dopamine, a chemical mediator essential to regulating the growth of the eye. This is the most effective way to prevent the onset of myopia in children.</p>
<p>It is also important to make sure that a child’s visual system is normal and developing naturally. Therefore, the first examination by an optometrist should be done at six months of age (to validate that the eye has normal optics and that there are no congenital defects), and then at three years of age to evaluate eye coordination. If everything is normal, the next examination will take place at five years of age, and annually thereafter, <a href="http://nada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/BK-ChildrenAndTheirVision-2018-EN.pdf">considering that vision can change rapidly</a>.</p>
<p>In the case of an abnormality, the earlier we intervene in the process, the easier it is to restore normal oculo-visual function, either by exercise or by optical means.</p>
<p>By following these recommendations for visual hygiene, we will protect children’s visual system and ensure their normal development.</p>
<p>And let’s not forget that the most beautiful screen in the world is nature! We should offer it to our children more often.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193192/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Langis Michaud ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>The impact of using electronic devices is critical during the first years of life, both visually and on the cognitive and social development of the child.Langis Michaud, Professeur Titulaire. École d'optométrie. Expertise en santé oculaire et usage des lentilles cornéennes spécialisées, Université de MontréalLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1916722022-10-18T01:04:12Z2022-10-18T01:04:12Z3 ways app developers keep kids glued to the screen – and what to do about it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489718/original/file-20221014-22-4bjtx2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=242%2C391%2C4257%2C2604&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>From learning numbers to learning how to brush your teeth, it seems there’s a kids’ app for everything. </p>
<p>Recent US statistics indicate more than half of toddlers and three-quarters of preschoolers <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2020_zero_to_eight_census_final_web.pdf">regularly access</a> mobile apps. So it’s no surprise there has been an explosion of options within the app market to keep kids engaged.</p>
<p>These apps certainly offer some fun interactive experiences, not to mention good educational content in many cases. They’re also very good at keeping young minds engaged. So what’s the catch? </p>
<p>You just read it: they are <em>very</em> good at keeping young minds engaged – so much that kids can struggle to put their devices down. If you’ve ever wondered why it’s so hard to tear your child from their device, read on.</p>
<h2>What is persuasive design?</h2>
<p>Although there are <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians">national recommendations</a> to help guide parents through the minefield of kids’ screen time, there is a hugely under-acknowledged piece of this puzzle – and that’s the way the technology itself is designed.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/persuasive-design">Persuasive design</a> refers to strategies that grab and hold our attention. It’s something both kids and adults experience (usually unknowingly) while scrolling through social media or fighting the urge to play another round of Candy Crush.</p>
<p>If persuasive design can influence the screen-use behaviours of adults – who have supposedly developed regulatory skills and self-control – then toddlers and kids don’t stand a chance. This aspect of the screen-time debate is rarely scrutinised with the seriousness it deserves. </p>
<p>To find out just how persuasive kids’ apps can be, we applied a <a href="https://www.academia.edu/download/43956371/Behavior-Model-for-Persuasive-Design.pdf">well-established model</a> of persuasive design to 132 of the most popular early childhood apps downloaded by Australian families via the Android and iOS app stores. <a href="https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1fqfn2f%7EUWIssm">We found</a> three main ways persuasive design features keep kids coming back. </p>
<h2>1. Motivation</h2>
<p>A key concept in persuasive design is to tap into kids’ emotions to ensure they stay motivated to engage with the app. This is done by:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>offering pleasure through rewards</strong>. Kids are still developing their ability to <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.2658056">delay gratification</a>. They’re more likely to seek an immediate reward of lower value than wait for a reward of higher value. In the context of apps, they’re likely to be motivated by instant rewards that bring happiness or excitement. The apps we tested offered many more instant rewards (such as sparkles, cheers, fireworks, virtual toys and stickers) than delayed rewards. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>provoking empathy</strong>. Just as adults seek positive feedback through “likes” on social media, kids love receiving social feedback from characters they admire (think Hello Kitty, or Bluey). Kids often attribute human <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1127846">feelings and intentions</a> to fictional characters and can form <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=bziTAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA187&dq=parasocial+relationships+young+children&ots=Z9EmxV6x30&sig=5s7EAAiGJHI2HKaXZHThszkvoLc">emotional ties</a> with them. While this can help foster a positive learning experience, it can also be exploited for commercial purposes. For instance, character empathy is at play when Hello Kitty looks sadly at a shiny locked box of food that can only be opened in the paid version of the app. </p></li>
</ul>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/12_YEGh8tC4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">YouTube/Budge Studios.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. Ability</h2>
<p>No one wants to play a game that’s too difficult to win. Ability features provide kids with continuous instructions to reduce the likelihood of disengagement.</p>
<p>One way to increase a child’s sense of mastery is <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1999-15231-005">repetition</a>. Many early childhood apps include rote learning, such as making the same cookie over and over with the Cookie Monster. By including tasks that are quick to learn and repeating them, app designers are likely trying to tap into childrens’ growing <a href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html">sense of autonomy</a> by helping them “win” on their own. </p>
<p>So what’s the problem with that? While repetition is great for learning (especially for developing minds), the removal of any requirement for help from a parent can encourage more solitary use of apps. It can also make it harder for parents to engage in <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/119/1/182/70699">social play</a> with their child. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489719/original/file-20221014-12-5ah99y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Sesame Street's Cookie Monster holds up 7 fingers, next to some cookies and a surprised child in the background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489719/original/file-20221014-12-5ah99y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489719/original/file-20221014-12-5ah99y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489719/original/file-20221014-12-5ah99y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489719/original/file-20221014-12-5ah99y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489719/original/file-20221014-12-5ah99y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489719/original/file-20221014-12-5ah99y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489719/original/file-20221014-12-5ah99y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">We have a responsibility to ensure kids’ apps are genuinely educational and aren’t exploiting their developmental vulnerabilities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Google Play/Sesame Street Alphabet Kitchen</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Prompts</h2>
<p>Commercial prompts were the most common trigger we found in early childhood apps, especially free apps. They have one main purpose: to bring in revenue.</p>
<p>Prompts include pop-up advertisements, offers to double or triple rewards in exchange for watching an ad, or prompting the user to make in-app purchases. While adults might be able to see prompts for what they are, kids are much less likely to understand the underlying commercial intent.</p>
<h2>So what can be done?</h2>
<p>There’s no doubt some of these features in moderation help maintain a basic level of app engagement. But our research makes it clear a lot of persuasive design features simply exist to serve business models. </p>
<p>We need to have more conversations about ethical design that doesn’t capitalise on children’s developmental vulnerabilities. This includes holding app developers accountable. </p>
<p>The early-childhood app market is vast. Parents often won’t have enough information on how to navigate it, nor enough time to assess each app before downloading it for their child. However, there are a few ways parents can get an upper hand:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>talk to your child after they’ve played with an app. Ask questions like “what did you learn?”, or “what did you enjoy the most?”.</p></li>
<li><p>play the app with your child and decide if it’s worth keeping. Are they getting smothered by rewards? Are there many distracting prompts? Is it too repetitive to be genuinely educational?</p></li>
<li><p>look for the “<a href="https://play.google.com/console/about/programs/teacherapproved/">teacher-approved</a>” indicator (on Play Store) when considering an app, or check reviews from trusted sources such as <a href="https://childrenandmedia.org.au/app-reviews/">Children and Media Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews">Common Sense Media</a> before downloading.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Ideally your child should be leading the play, actively problem-solving, and should be able to end their time on an app relatively easily.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-for-kids-is-an-outdated-concept-so-lets-ditch-it-and-focus-on-quality-instead-186462">'Screen time' for kids is an outdated concept, so let's ditch it and focus on quality instead</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/191672/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Persuasive design in kids’ apps is often overlooked in the screen-time debate.Sumudu Mallawaarachchi, PhD Candidate, School of Psychology, Deakin UniversitySharon Horwood, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1864622022-07-07T19:51:54Z2022-07-07T19:51:54Z‘Screen time’ for kids is an outdated concept, so let’s ditch it and focus on quality instead<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472910/original/file-20220707-15-swzx3y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6240%2C4116&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It is school holidays in Australia and, in many parts of the country, it’s also raining and bitterly cold. This means many children are stuck indoors and many parents will be grappling with how much “screen time” their kids are having. </p>
<p>As as early childhood researcher and parent to a four-year-old, this is a question I am asked a lot. How much screen time is too much? Should I be worried about how much my child is watching? </p>
<p>If I had magic powers, I would get rid of the concept of screen “time”. We need to be talking about screen quality instead. </p>
<h2>Parents find it very tricky to stick to the guidelines</h2>
<p>There are <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more">international</a> and <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/too-much-time-screens-screen-time-effects-and-guidelines-children-and">national</a> guidelines around screen time, depending on the age of children. </p>
<p>In Australia, no more than one hour of screen time a day is recommended for two- to five-year-olds. For five- to 17-year-olds it is no more than two hours of sedentary screen time per day (not including schoolwork).</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sx6fvFVVbcc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>But <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2789094">research indicates</a> many Australian parents find the current “time-based” regulations difficult to comply with. The Royal Children’s Hospital <a href="https://www.rchpoll.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NCHP20-Poll-report-A4_FA.pdf">2021 child health poll</a> found too much screen time was parents’ number-one health concern about their kids. More than 90% of surveyed parents said it was a “big” problem or “somewhat” of a problem. </p>
<p>But the idea that we need to focus on the “time” aspect is an outdated one. It only measures quantity and not the quality of what children are watching. This is not to suggest a free-for-all (sorry, kids!). Instead, we need to look at what our kids are watching and how they are watching it. </p>
<h2>Moving beyond ‘screen time’</h2>
<p>Longstanding research <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/the-foundations-of-lifelong-health-are-built-in-early-childhood/">highlights</a> the importance of the first years of life, with clear links between children’s early childhood experiences and their ongoing <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/connecting-the-brain-to-the-rest-of-the-body-early-childhood-development-and-lifelong-health-are-deeply-intertwined/">mental and physical health</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Small child looks at a tablet." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472912/original/file-20220707-160-fuggny.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472912/original/file-20220707-160-fuggny.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472912/original/file-20220707-160-fuggny.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472912/original/file-20220707-160-fuggny.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472912/original/file-20220707-160-fuggny.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472912/original/file-20220707-160-fuggny.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472912/original/file-20220707-160-fuggny.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Play is a huge part of a child’s learning and development.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We also know that play and physical activity are vital to development and so, if you are using screens, it should only be one part of a child’s life. But let’s consider the following scenarios:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Jenny (aged 4) watches Spiderman with her older brother. She only watches for a few minutes but during this period views a dramatic fight scene.</p></li>
<li><p>Bryce’s (aged 5) friend Lucas has moved interstate. Bryce regularly spends 20 minutes video chatting to Lucas. They talk about toys, play hide-and-seek, and occasionally send emojis.</p></li>
<li><p>Leo (aged 6) and his aunt are watching Sing. They watch the movie for more than 60 minutes, singing along to the music. Leo actively talks about the characters for days after viewing, commenting that Meena (a character with stage fright) had to keep trying to be brave.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Each of these examples, among all those that occur in Australian homes every day, show different uses of “screens”. Yet, as researchers, we often put these in the same bucket, labelled “screen time”. </p>
<p>Researchers are <a href="https://www.acu.edu.au/research-and-enterprise/our-research-institutes/institute-for-learning-sciences-and-teacher-education/our-research/early-childhood-futures/young-children-in-digital-society-an-online-tool-for-service-provision">looking at how</a> kids can <a href="https://www.digitalchild.org.au/about/">best use screens</a> in our increasingly digital world. But we also need popular discussions to move beyond inflexible ideas that only encourage parental guilt. </p>
<h2>What does quality screen use look like?</h2>
<p>There are two main strategies to focus on. The first is to engage with what your child is watching or playing.</p>
<p>The research calls this <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/co-viewing">“co-viewing”</a> or “co-engaging”. This idea focuses on using children’s engagement with television and games as a chance to talk, promote language and build comprehension. </p>
<p>After or during viewing, parents could ask children to explain what they watched. For example, “wow, you watched some PAW Patrol today, what were you noticing?” or “I see you’re loving Hey Duggee, which parts do you like?”. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/making-up-games-is-more-important-than-you-think-why-bluey-is-a-font-of-parenting-wisdom-118583">'Making up games is more important than you think': why Bluey is a font of parenting wisdom</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>This also gives us a chance to say if something doesn’t align with your values: “they fight a lot in Ninjago, it is better to talk about your problems than fight about them”. This also allows you to teach your kids to be critical about the media they watch. </p>
<h2>You choose what your kids watch</h2>
<p>The second strategy is to make active choices about what your kids watch. This means we can select content that supports learning and matches our values. This doesn’t mean every show has be blatantly educational but there are a lot of programs out there that can help kids grow and develop their skills. </p>
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<p>For example, in my house, Numberblocks has created an interest in early numeracy and Bluey promotes physically active play, emotional resilience and self-regulation. Dino Dana and Andy’s Dinosaur Adventures connect children to the prehistoric world, and of course Play School continues to be a favourite. </p>
<p>Other families report video games such as Mario Kart promote fine motor skills and teamwork. Of course, a “dose” of Peppa Pig or something else just for fun is OK sometimes, too, in the same way adult viewers might veg out with Bridgerton or James Bond movies. </p>
<p>The message here is that parents and carers can make conscious choices about quality. This means that rather than just turn on the TV or iPad and walk away, we need to need to engage with what our kids are watching and playing. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-coronavirus-lockdown-is-forcing-us-to-view-screen-time-differently-thats-a-good-thing-135641">The coronavirus lockdown is forcing us to view 'screen time' differently. That's a good thing</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186462/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Highfield consults for ABC Kids, with a focus on supporting healthy technology use in play and learning. With colleagues, she receives or has received funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>Recent polling shows more than 90% of Australian parents think their kids’ screen time is a problem.Kate Highfield, Senior Lecturer, Deputy Head of School (ACT and regional NSW), Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1779002022-05-04T12:33:36Z2022-05-04T12:33:36ZA boom in fitness trackers isn’t leading to a boom in physical activity – men, women, kids and adults in developed countries are all moving less<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459877/original/file-20220426-22-gzk038.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C23%2C7892%2C5273&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Since the mid-1990s, people have been doing less and less walking or bicycling to work and school and spending a lot more time staring at screens. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/young-couple-changing-channels-while-relaxing-on-royalty-free-image/1321174010?adppopup=true">RainStar/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Worldwide sales of fitness trackers increased from US$14 billion in 2017 to over <a href="https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/fitness-tracker-market-103358">$36 billion in 2020</a>. The skyrocketing success of these gadgets suggests that more people than ever see some value in keeping tabs on the number of steps they take, flights of stairs they climb, time they spend sitting and calories they burn. </p>
<p>The manufacturers of these devices certainly want consumers to believe that tracking fitness or health-related behaviors will spur them on to increase their activity levels and make them healthier. </p>
<p>Our analysis of research published over the past 25 years suggests otherwise.</p>
<p>We are professors of kinesiology – the science of human body movement – at <a href="https://www.boisestate.edu/humanperformance/faculty-staff/dr-scott-conger/">Boise State</a>, the <a href="https://krss.utk.edu/faculty-staff/david-r-bassett-jr-ph-d/">University of Tennessee</a> and the <a href="https://webapps.unf.edu/faculty/bio/n01443361">University of North Florida</a>. To learn whether and how physical activity has changed in the years since fitness trackers became popular, we analyzed more than two decades of research from several industrialized nations – all conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<p>Our systematic review of data from eight developed nations around the world shows that despite the surge in sales of fitness trackers, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000002794">physical activity declined</a> from 1995 to 2017. What’s more, we discovered that this was not an isolated effect in one or two countries, but a widespread trend. </p>
<h2>Reviewing the research</h2>
<p>To conduct the study, we first searched for published research that tracked physical activity such as walking, household activities or playing sports throughout the day. We wanted studies that obtained two “snapshots” of daily activity from a population, with the measurements separated by at least one year.</p>
<p>We found 16 studies from eight different countries that met these criteria: Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United States. The studies were conducted between 1995 and 2017.</p>
<p>It is important to note that these snapshots did not track specific individuals. Rather, they tracked samples of people from the same age group. For example, one Japanese study of physical activity among adults ages 20 to 90 collected data each year for 22 years from people in each age group. </p>
<p>Scientists tracked the participants’ physical activity using a variety of wearable devices, from simple pedometers – step counters – to more sophisticated activity monitors like accelerometers. </p>
<p>The study groups ranged from large, nationally representative samples numbering tens of thousands of people to small samples of several hundred students from a few local schools. </p>
<p>After identifying the research studies, we calculated an “effect size” for each study. The effect size is a method of adjusting the data to allow for an “apples-to-apples” comparison. To calculate the effect size, we used the data reported in the studies. These include the average physical activity at the beginning and end of each study, the sample size and a measure of the variability in physical activity. Using a technique called meta-analysis, this allowed us to combine the results of all studies to come up with an overall trend. </p>
<p>We discovered that overall, researchers documented fairly consistent declines in physical activity, with similar decreases in each geographical region and in both sexes. Overall the decrease in physical activity per person was over 1,100 steps per day between 1995 and 2017.</p>
<p>Our most striking finding was how sharply physical activity declined among adolescents ages 11 to 19 years – by roughly 30% – in the span of a single generation. For instance, when we compared the studies reporting physical activity in steps per day, we found the total steps per day per decade declined by an average of 608 steps per day in adults, 823 steps per day in children and 1,497 steps per day in adolescents.</p>
<p>Our study doesn’t address why physical activity has declined over the past 25 years. However, the studies we reviewed mentioned some contributing factors. </p>
<h2>More staring at screens, less walking or bicycling</h2>
<p>Among adolescents, declines in physical activity were associated with increases in ownership and use of smartphones, tablets, video games and social media. </p>
<p>In the U.S., for example, screen time increased dramatically in adolescents, from <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED527859">five hours per day in 1999</a> to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/dbp.0000000000000272">8.8 hours per day in 2017</a>. </p>
<p>At school, most of the physical activity that adolescents perform has traditionally come from physical education classes. However, the changes in the frequency of physical education classes during the study period are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2014.06.002">inconsistent and vary from country to country</a>. </p>
<p>All of these factors may help to explain the decline in physical activity that we observed in our study.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rhcpv9VOtrg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Lisa Cadmus-Bertram, an assistant professor of kinesiology at University of Wisconsin – Madison, explains which fitness trackers are best at tracking.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In addition, fewer adults and children are walking or bicycling to school or work than 25 years ago. For instance, in the late 1960s, most U.S. children ages 5 to 14 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2007.02.022">rode a bicycle or walked to school</a>. Since then, this “active transportation” has largely <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2011.04.006">been replaced by automobile trips</a>. Rates of travel by school bus or public transportation have seen little change. </p>
<h2>So why use a fitness tracker?</h2>
<p>So if levels of physical activity have dropped at the same time that the popularity of fitness tracking has grown, what makes these gadgets useful?</p>
<p>Fitness trackers can help to increase people’s awareness of their daily physical activity. However, these devices are only part of the solution to addressing the problem of sedentary lifestyles. They are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2014.14781">facilitators, rather than drivers, of behavior change</a>. </p>
<p>[<em>Over 150,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletters to understand the world.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?source=inline-150ksignup">Sign up today</a>.]</p>
<p>When a person’s physical activity goes down, it opens the door to overall reduced fitness levels and other health problems such as obesity or diabetes. On the other hand, physical activity has a dramatic positive impact <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/hco.0b013e32833ce972">on health</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.16111223">well-being</a>. The first step to increasing active movement is to measure it, which these devices can do. But successfully increasing one’s overall physical activity requires several additional factors such as goal setting, self-monitoring, positive feedback and social support.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/177900/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research is revealing that fitness trackers alone can be helpful facilitators toward changing a sedentary lifestyle but don’t motivate people to increase their physical activity.Scott A. Conger, Associate Professor of Exercise Physiology, Boise State UniversityDavid Bassett, Professor and Department Head of Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport Studies, University of TennesseeLindsay Toth, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, University of North FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1783792022-03-09T17:08:29Z2022-03-09T17:08:29ZIs March Break really a break? How pandemic-weary parents can recharge and connect with children without a vacation<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450521/original/file-20220307-84100-s1zggd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=70%2C186%2C5837%2C3737&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Reinforcing the message that children are worthy and loved does not depend on planning blockbuster events. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels/Keira Burton)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 175px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/is-march-break-really-a-break-how-pandemic-weary-parents-can-recharge-and-connect-with-children-without-a-vacation" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>As students and families in <a href="https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/nine-unique-places-to-stay-during-march-break-within-three-hours-of-ottawa-1.5797798">some parts of Canada</a> approach <a href="https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/spring-break-2022-bc-metro-vancouver-events">their spring breaks</a>, busy parents and caregivers everywhere may be reminded of the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/03/11/975663437/march-11-2020-the-day-everything-changed">COVID-19 pandemic’s two-year anniversary of March 13, 2020</a>. </p>
<p>On this day, the Canadian government issued <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-covid-19-1.5496367">warnings against all international travel</a>. That was soon followed by <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-607-x/71-607-x2021009-eng.htm">school closures across Canada</a> and globally.</p>
<p>While some families who can afford vacations or for parents to take time off work <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2022/02/10/in-desperate-need-of-a-vacation-travel-agencies-see-uptick-in-march-break-getaways-as-pandemic-fears-ease.html">may be pushing for a getaway</a>, this year many parents are likely looking for ways to rest and rejuvenate from the <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/10/cover-parental-burnout">parental burnout</a> that two years of pandemic parenting might have brought.</p>
<p>Since the pandemic erupted, <a href="https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/global-hr/pages/coronavirus-canada-parents-accommodations.aspx">working parents</a> have been balancing their work and their children’s intermittent bouts of virtual learning, along with the many other parenting challenges. </p>
<p>This balancing act has been one that many mothers in particular have had to grapple with, all while also shouldering the lion’s share of <a href="https://jourms.org/motherhood-and-mothering-during-covid-19-gendered-intersectional-analysis-of-caregiving-during-the-global-pandemic-within-a-canadian-context/">domestic responsibilities</a>.</p>
<p>Busy and exhausted parents can recharge and connect with their children by prioritizing rest and sleep, as well as cultivating daily moments and experiences for sharing belonging and love.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="The front of a school is seen and children are walking out." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450526/original/file-20220307-83257-11ie25i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450526/original/file-20220307-83257-11ie25i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450526/original/file-20220307-83257-11ie25i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450526/original/file-20220307-83257-11ie25i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450526/original/file-20220307-83257-11ie25i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450526/original/file-20220307-83257-11ie25i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450526/original/file-20220307-83257-11ie25i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Time off from school for children doesn’t translate into a family break without planning and preparation from parents.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Pandemic slowdown and burnout</h2>
<p>At the beginning of the pandemic, those whose work wasn’t accelerated by pandemic needs <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-stay-at-home-slowdown-how-the-pandemic-upended-our-perception-of-time-139258">slowed down, some took moments to pause and reflect</a> and some even took up <a href="https://www.corporatelearningnetwork.com/employee-experience-learning-design/articles/learning-new-skills-during-the-pandemic">new skills</a>. </p>
<p>In contrast, demands on time and energy of essential workers, coupled with threats to their safety and health, led to high rates <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/checkup/are-you-suffering-from-pandemic-burnout-at-work-1.6315697/workers-are-feeling-burnt-out-experts-say-employers-need-to-listen-and-act-1.6316968">of burnout</a> and <a href="https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/01/06/ontario-nurses-burnout-covid19-pandemic/">staff shortages</a>.</p>
<p>The start of online schooling and lockdowns and the <a href="https://journals.library.mun.ca/ojs/index.php/IJ/article/view/2244">blurring of home, school and work life balance</a> brought <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-34995-001">considerable stress for many families</a>. Indeed, these stressors are disproportionately higher for racialized communities who face ongoing and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2021.642662">intersecting inequities</a> amid the pandemic and other urgent global crises.</p>
<p>Considering ways to slow down, restore and take seriously our breaks is an important part of recovering from <a href="https://theconversation.com/childrens-grief-in-coronavirus-quarantine-may-look-like-anger-heres-how-parents-can-respond-135348">some of the grief</a> and damage of these times.</p>
<h2>Benefits of breaks</h2>
<p>For adults, the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21211793/">benefits of taking brief mental breaks</a> include reduced mental fatigue, boosted brain function and longer on-task behaviour. </p>
<p>For children, <a href="https://www.brainfacts.org/thinking-sensing-and-behaving/learning-and-memory/2020/kids-need-brain-breaks-010920">the benefits</a> of taking a break at home or <a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/research-tested-benefits-breaks">in the classroom</a> also contribute to increases in cognitive functioning and on-task behaviour.</p>
<p>The benefits of taking a break also fulfil some of our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346">basic needs that underlie human motivation</a>. </p>
<h2>Hierarchy of needs</h2>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/biography-of-abraham-maslow-1908-1970-2795524#:%7E:text=Abraham%20Maslow%20was%20an%20American,%2C%20and%20self%2Dactualizing%20needs.">American psychologist Abraham Maslow,</a> our “higher-level” needs such as the need for love, belonging and esteem, and mental stimulation cannot be met until our lower-level physiological needs — such as for sleep, food and shelter — are met. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110171">When people’s basic needs aren’t met</a> their ability to actively participate in learning is significantly reduced. Psychologist Jacob Ham, director of the Center for Child Trauma and Resilience in New York, explains that faced with basic needs deprivation and trauma, people’s brains go into “survival brain” mode instead of “learning brain” mode.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KoqaUANGvpA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Psychologist Jacob Ham explains how being deprived of basic needs affects people’s brains.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One fundamental basic need is sleep. A lack of sleep for children has been found to cause long-lasting adverse effects, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13303">poorer mental health and well-being and worse quality of life</a>. </p>
<p>This is especially important now as the pandemic has had a negative impact on many children’s sleep. A recent review of existing research on children and sleep in the pandemic that included studies from Canada and China found that “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2021.06.002">sleep duration recommendations were not met in nearly half of healthy children</a>.”</p>
<p>Researchers found sleep of school-aged children and adolescents was directly or indirectly affected by dramatic changes in children’s lives. However, they also cautioned about drawing firm inferences from studies based on predominantly online surveys of parents. </p>
<p>Parents can aim to protect sleep windows for their children and themselves — and renew commitments to <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-build-childrens-resilience-and-your-own-amid-coronavirus-unknowns-135789">bolstering their own mental health to be in an optimal place</a> to be present in relationships and support their children.</p>
<h2>Taking a break while tending to basic needs</h2>
<p>We’ve compiled more ways that busy parents can recharge themselves along with their children that can help fulfil some families’ physiological, safety, belonging and love needs.</p>
<p><strong>1. Spend time in nature</strong></p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="crocuses seen coming through snow." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450553/original/file-20220308-85122-auezvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450553/original/file-20220308-85122-auezvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=550&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450553/original/file-20220308-85122-auezvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=550&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450553/original/file-20220308-85122-auezvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=550&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450553/original/file-20220308-85122-auezvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=691&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450553/original/file-20220308-85122-auezvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=691&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450553/original/file-20220308-85122-auezvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=691&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The first flowers of spring are often a surprise.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Spending time outdoors that brings a sense of contact with nature has been associated with many physical and mental health benefits. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00722">Research shows</a> that spending 10 minutes three times a week or more outdoors can help lower stress. This break, try to explore local <a href="https://www.todaysparent.com/family/activities/the-best-parks-canada-attractions-for-families/">child-friendly Parks Canada attractions</a> or municipal parks or conservation areas in your area you may not have visited before.</p>
<p><strong>2. Family activity night</strong></p>
<p>Engaging in a family activity, such as a <a href="https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/bringing-back-family-game-night">family game night</a>, can help parents and children work together to generate ideas, solve problems and enjoy the many benefits of spending positive time together as a family. Or consider creating an <a href="https://gatheredagain.com/indoor-camping-ideas/">indoor camping night</a> (this does not have to involve real camping equipment) or indoor beach visit involving things like rolling out towels, reading age-appropriate books alone or together or playing summery music. </p>
<p>A family activity night can meet many of your children’s needs, including safety and security, love and belonging.</p>
<p><strong>3. Get active</strong></p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389#:%7E:text=Exercise%20boosts%20energy&text=Exercise%20delivers%20oxygen%20and%20nutrients,energy%20to%20tackle%20daily%20chores.">health benefits of regular physical activity</a> for adults and children are well-documented. March Break is a fantastic opportunity to seize the benefits of the mood and energy boosts that come with physical exertion.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People seen lying on a blanket, one person blowing bubbles." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450510/original/file-20220307-84100-1rmfsci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450510/original/file-20220307-84100-1rmfsci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450510/original/file-20220307-84100-1rmfsci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450510/original/file-20220307-84100-1rmfsci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450510/original/file-20220307-84100-1rmfsci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450510/original/file-20220307-84100-1rmfsci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450510/original/file-20220307-84100-1rmfsci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Connecting with family members can happen in small moments.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels/Anastasia Shuraeva)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>4. Connect daily</strong></p>
<p>Connection is a critical component of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7781063/">secure and healthy attachment in children</a>. When we connect with our children, they feel a sense of belonging and that they matter. Connecting with our children also fulfils our belonging and love needs as parents. </p>
<p>This March Break, <a href="https://www.handinhandparenting.org/2017/09/10-ways-to-connect-with-your-child-everyday/">simple yet powerful ways to connect</a> with our children — from cultivating humour to taking the time to look your child in the eye or being present when you do chores together — may reinforce the message that they are worthy and loved. Ways to connect <a href="https://www.parentmap.com/article/how-to-connect-with-your-independent-school-aged-kid">with school-aged</a> <a href="https://raisinghealthyteens.org/rht_blog/teenage-connection-the-11-best-ways-to-connect-with-your-teen/">and teenage</a> children will vary, but connection remains the fundamental goal. </p>
<p><strong>5. Reduce screen time</strong></p>
<p>Screen time has <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/45-28-0001/2021001/article/00027-eng.htm">increased dramatically during the pandemic</a>, especially among younger Canadians. </p>
<p>While <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-5-tips-for-navigating-childrens-screen-time-during-social-distancing-134445">screen use to stay connected with friends or family has been important</a> in the pandemic and has been part of family survival strategies, some <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(19)30062-8/fulltext">of the negative consequences of screen time include time taken away from healthier habits</a>. </p>
<p>This March Break, making a conscious effort to ensure everyone gets a little more rest and allows their <a href="https://childmind.org/article/the-benefits-of-boredom/#:%7E:text=Additionally%2C%20boredom%20fosters%20creativity%2C%20self,%2C%E2%80%9D%20Dr.%20Lee%20advises.">minds to wander</a> and bodies to enjoy the outdoors or physical games together even if just for a short time. This can help give your brain the break it needs, and also create more space to be present with each other.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/178379/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Making daily time to connect with their children is an important way of nurturing family experiences and relationships and to find restoration.Kimberly Hillier, Lecturer, Faculty of Education, University of WindsorLindsey Jaber, Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of WindsorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.