Better balance screen time :
Simple tips for a happier family by Christa Melnyk Hines
With mobile devices readily available anywhere and everywhere , striking a healthy balance between online and in-person interaction is difficult for today ’ s families . How do we find a happy medium between quality family time and the siren song generated by the pixelated forest of apps , games and social media ?
According to Common Sense Media , mobile media use among children , ages zero to eight , has doubled from 38 percent to 72 percent since 2011 . On average , kids spend a little over an hour a day on the devices - downloading apps , playing games and watching videos .
“ Perhaps my biggest concern about the overuse of technology in families is ‘ opportunity cost ,’ which is an economic term that means that time spent in front of a screen is time not spent engaging in healthier and more meaningful activities such as family time , exercise , faith , cultural , education , et cetera ,” says Dr . Jim Taylor , psychologist and author of Raising Generation Tech .
Find your middle ground .
Overexposure to media can lead to poor school performance , obesity , sleep deprivation and invasions of privacy . But , banning kids from technology can effectively shut down conversations about appropriate media use , spurring kids to sneak around , create accounts and play games on friends ’ devices where you have no oversight .
“ Technology use becomes unhealthy when it hurts physical or mental health , relationships , school work or healthy avocations like sports , music and charity ,” Taylor says . “ The bottom line is that technology should be the exception and not the rule : a tool , not a toy .”
Use time wisely .
Make the most out of the time your child engages with technology by choosing educational apps and games . Although kids may be attracted to games featuring casino-like sounds and colors , these weren ’ t developed for kids and they can be addictive .
The amount of screen time among children has tripled in the past three years . A 2011 study conducted by the Kaiser Foundation found that kids spend an astonishing average of seven hours a day in front of screens .
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