Jj is for Jottings 91. Parents’ Screen Time.
This follows on from the effects of screen time on children. Before we go into the topic of how to limit our children’s screen time, we need to look to parents’ screen time.
No parents’ screen time here. This “parent” has his full attention on the “child”, complete with eye contact. Good parenting skills, David.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTS’ SCREEN TIME AND CHILDREN’S SCREEN TIME.
Studies from the University of Bristol show that the amount of time a child spends on a screen is closely associated with their parents’ own habits. They found that children were 3.4 times more likely to spend more than 2 hours a day watching television if their parents did the same. This is when compared with children whose parents watched less TV. The statistic carries over into other screen types as well.
Jordan Foster, cyber safety expert and child psychologist, commented along similar lines. She said that parents often forget that they are modelling unhealthy behaviours to their children. Children are looking at these devices and learning about screen time from parents.
INAPPROPRIATE PARENTS’ SCREEN TIME MAKES CHILDREN FEEL UNDERVALUED.
Parents watching television is one thing. But parents looking at their phones while children are speaking to them is another level altogether. This is telling the children that their screen is more important than their child. I have previously given statistics about the reduction in adult attention span. And I have written about the effects of lack of due attention, so I won’t repeat myself here (much). The simple fact is that children tend to follow on from what their parents have modelled. So we see whole families out in a public place such as a restaurant, all interacting with screens and not with each other.
As parents, we want our children to be healthy and happy. Nutrition aside, children need to feel valued as well as loved. My concern is about parents paying attention to their screens when they should be interacting with their children. We need to celebrate our children’s triumphs. We need to support them in their trials. We won’t know what their triumphs and trials are if our attention is on a screen rather than the child.
TOO MUCH PARENTS’ SCREEN TIME CAN LEAD TO MISSED OPPORTUNITIES.
Another aspect of parenting is that of teaching our children good values and principles for living. This can occur through discussion about situations in the child’s life and how to handle them. We can also utilise world events and stories, seizing every opportunity to teach all sorts of important things to our children. We need to be mentally and emotionally present to avail ourselves of these opportunities.
I’m certainly not suggesting that we drop everything at all times to accommodate our child’s every whim. Too much attention of the wrong sort can lead to children thinking that they are more important than other people. As with most things, it is a case of striking the right balance.
Next time we will discuss how to limit children’s screen time.
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