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parents, don't beat yourselves up over too much screen time
parents are juggling a lot right now between working at...
apr 21 2020
2 minute read
screen time can help kids find normalcy in a time that's anything but. stock/getty
parents are juggling a lot right now between working at home and managing the kids. without school or childcare, it’s leaving many parents struggling for options to keep their kids occupied during quarantine — plus, kids are bored.
while it’s not surprising that screens are at the forefront in many homes, parents should know that during these uncertain times, time playing video games, watching movies or using social media may not be a bad thing.
“we don’t say, ‘throw all your rules out the window’, but you can definitely be looser,” caroline knorr, senior parenting editor at common sense media, a nonprofit advocacy group on media and tech use told quartz . “while parents are trying to figure out how to run the household under the new conditions, it’s fine to allow more screen time than usual.” of course, as long as it’s age appropriate.
before quarantine, the canadian 24-hour movement guidelines advised a mix of physical activity, unrestrained play, a good night’s sleep and limited screen time. according to the guidelines, the recommended screen time is two hours or less for kids ages five to 17. for toddlers and preschoolers over one, it’s an hour. for children younger than that, screen time isn’t recommended.
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although it’s easy to feel guilty about seeing your kids glued to a screen, for now it’s okay as we adjust to a new lifestyle in quarantine. “i don’t want parents to beat themselves up about anything,” nusheen ameenuddin, a mayo clinic doctor and chair of the american academy of pediatrics council on communications and media told the washington post. “these are really extraordinary, unusual circumstances, and we don’t expect anyone, even before covid-19 to follow rules 100 per cent.”
even the world health organization (who) agrees, officially encouraging people to play video games to help them stay home.
of course, a balance if other activities and social interaction is important. some experts like jean twenge, author of the alarm-ringing 2017 book igen: why today’s super-connected kids are growing up less rebellious, more tolerant, less happy — and completely unprepared for adulthood, said that while a slight increase in screen time doesn’t appear to impact mental health, she has concerns about teens on social media apps like tiktok, instagram and facebook.
she told the washington post that there’s no way to know what weeks or months of increased screen time could have, as children’s brains are different from adults. “the advent of the smartphone and social media was already this vast uncontrolled experiment, and then we put this pandemic on top of it. we’re all kind of living like rats in a cage, so who knows what’s going to happen,” said twenge.
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what’s important to focus on is making sure there’s a healthy balance of online versus offline activities, and try to use devices to connect with others, like facetime or video chats whenever possible. there are also a lot of resources like this from the university of calgary to help parents navigate screen time.
at the end of the day, it seems like if you’re kids are spending more time on their devices, don’t feel guilty about it. we’re in unique times, and we are all adapting to a new normal — kids included.
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