I dug deeper into the research . I learned certain screen activities are far from being a neutral rite of passage for teens , and we can ’ t change the child development process . Teens may be apprentice adults , but they are not adults . They are intelligent but not mature yet . We can ’ t compel our children to exercise wisdom with screen time while the executive center in their brains is still under construction .
We discovered we needed to shift our conventional parenting mindset for this screen issue . For many issues , we trust in having conversations , aiming for balance , and allowing our children to learn through their failures . While these principles may have proven effective for negotiable matters like curfews and haircuts , they are woefully inadequate regarding non-negotiable serious issues such as drugs , alcohol , or screen time decisions . Removing harmful access
during this time of development — as we would with every other potential addiction — is a great solution . Willpower is not built by spending more time with addictive activities .
Adam ’ s experience and my newfound medical discoveries prompted my husband and me to adopt a different approach with his younger sister and twin brothers . We aimed to provide them with a ScreenStrong childhood , free from not all screens but specifically from toxic screens — video games , smartphones , social media , and pornography .
Radical ? Yes . But our daughter thrived throughout high school with a flip phone — she never had a smartphone or any involvement in social media . She was never pulled into the drama of middle school group text wars or the temptations teens face on social media . Just imagine a high school experience free from the pain of exclusion , rejection , anxiety , or online bullying . Instead , she spent a lot of time on her sport and became a D1 athlete in college .
“ The rest of Adam ’ s high school years were filled with conflict — the never-ending battle of attempting to navigate life alongside his gaming obsession .”
“. . . most kids spend around 16,000 hours with on-screen entertainment between middle and high school . . .”
“ The result was impaired self-control , disruption of daily activities like school and hobbies , and a detachment from family and friends . . .”
© ILLUSTRATIONS BY SCREENSTRONG
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