“Infants shouldn’t be on screen at all.”– The Times of India
“Kid screen addict? Keep a watch!”– The Indian Express
“Lawmakers Want Social Media Companies to Stop Getting Kids Hooked.”– WIRED
“87 % of children spend too much time on screens.”– INDIA Today
“Screen Addiction is taking a toll on children.”– The New York Times
“Screen time hurts children and the society.”– The Telegraph India
“Children under five and under at risk of internet addiction.”– The Guardian
As the world advances at rocket speed, children, adults and the elderly population is trying to cope with the pros and cons that are left behind. With every invention, creation, and discovery that falls on our plate, the little traces bring in a significant impact on the minds of every generation. Growth and development come with a responsibility, an alert, and *conditions apply!
Lives today are driven, governed, and mediated by technology. There is a striking difference in the way generations are interpreting technology.
Children, they are developing with each passing year. They could demonstrate limited self-control, and impulse control and may struggle to define and follow set boundaries. It is hard to explain to them that ‘too much is too bad.’ With technology, we as adults struggle too, don’t we?
Few points to ponder….
1. Children today are born in the technology era. There is no escape unless you choose to parent in remote areas where there is limited to zero influence of technology.
2. The need today is effective management rather than depriving them of curiosity.
3. Setting boundaries and application of thoughtful strategies with children could be a way out to control the usage and exposure.
4. As parents and caregivers, it starts with you. It could be an opportunity to monitor your behaviors, which in turn are being ‘copied’ by the little humans. Maybe ask yourself. “Am I just on a photo-clicking spree? Am I being too much on social media? I know I endlessly scroll, is my child picking up that too?
5. As responsible adults, you may not be able to control the environments outside the periphery of the family, but structural instructions could begin at home.
Screen habits and casual viewing turn into addiction if the acts are persistent and start significantly affecting/interfering with the ability to perform in social, family, school, and personal environments. Professionals consider the frequency and intensity before terming it as addiction. It is wise to avoid addressing children as ‘addicts’ casually in everyday situations.
Habits are tricky and nasty. The way it takes ages to build, it also does take a very long time to just leave. So, if at all, one day you decide to tell your child ‘NO SCREEN TIME’, it could have catastrophic effects! We understand your anxiety, but it is important to start small, slow, and steady. Change is hard!
Here is what you can do….
1. Target one activity at a time: If your child needs screen time during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or every time they snack, start eliminating screen time for one food session for a week. Remember to be consistent and firm. You could choose the time when the entire family sits together for food. That time could be ‘Off screen time food’. Make charts, meaningful appreciation, and simple rewards for actions rather than outcomes. Over the next few weeks, target the other levels.
2. Provide rationale: If you believe that children do not need explanations, you might have to think again. Involve them, give them choices, and make them a part of the plan. Appropriate explanations, using realistic reasons about your idea to reduce screen time, could prove helpful. Emphasize, that it’s teamwork.
3. Tolerate tantrums: Once you embark on the journey of eliminating or reducing screen time, you could surely experience resistance, negotiations, and extreme tantrums. Ensure the child isn’t hurting himself/ herself and others while fuming with anger. Try to maintain calmness (try!), use words, hold them closer, and allow the storm to pass. Demonstrate firmness and kindness. Publicly if you are embarrassed, never mind! Your child’s health is a priority.
4. Find out ‘when’ they need screen time: There is always a reason and a trigger. For example, boredom, inability to engage oneself, break the monotony, seek attention, address curiosity and attraction, or to imitate the adults around them. Identify the triggers, look for cues, drop your screen time, and improve your engagement with your children one minute at a time.
5. Find replacements or create opportunities: Remember the times when you might have easily handed over the phone or played a video so that your child could peacefully eat? Or handing over the gadget to calm them down? Or to attend an important meeting, a party, or a wedding or to simply make them sleep?
Children remember the behavior patterns and situations without understanding the reasons beneath. During those times when you handed over the gadget for desirable behavior, they could only remember the result- a gadget or a video! Their formula is simple, they condition themselves to tantrums that lead to gadgets and the cycle begins!
It is important to break the cycle and take meaningful actions in order to condition them to appropriate behavior. Observe their fondness, and establish a routine, preferably involving outdoor activities and opportunities to increase peer engagement. The initial steps are to reduce the screen time, followed by smooth elimination. Never forget to participate in the content viewed by them, and participate in order to monitor behavior and influence.
A major part of dealing with screen addiction is to equip children with self-control, and give them authority to decide and make healthy choices. For older children, it is important to establish healthy boundaries while also allowing them to explore technological advancements. It is important to refrain from treating them as new-age addicts or targets. It is important to create awareness and help them sail through the new age challenges!
