Summer holidays are here. If your children are at home all day, you might have noticed a growing trend – screen time is on the rise.
Click start to play today’s Crossword, where we learn that habits we have ‘enabled’ can backfire, quickly.
We all know too much screen time can be bad for health. According to a 2014 study in the Journal of Family Psychology, excessive screen use among adolescents was found to be directly associated with higher levels of family conflict, and decreased family satisfaction. Zoning out on screens leads to breakdowns in communication, disturbed sleep, and negative impacts on social skills, cognitive functioning and mental health, according to a July 2023 report in the US-based psychology website Psychology Today.
But there are several effective ways to regain control. Here are a few powerful, proven tips that can help you head off the issues mentioned above, according to the Psychology Today report:
1. Create a united action plan
Involve the entire family in an open discussion about unhealthy screen indulgence, and how it’s affecting the group’s dynamic. Rather than mum and dad just forcing house rules on their teens and adolescents, create a supportive environment, and involve kids in the decision to limit screen time. This can help reduce resistance to upcoming changes.
2. Create a list of alternatives
Collaborate with your children to come up with a list of fun, exciting and interesting activities to do instead. There can be some that can be done alone, and some with family or friends. Options could include arts and crafts, mini vacations, drive-through treats, reading, game nights, and lots more. Reward has been found to change behaviour a lot faster and more effectively than threats.
3. Put screens away
Set up specific areas in your home for device storage – like a locked cabinet, or a box within a box, which could make impulsive use more difficult. Keeping devices out of sight reduces temptation and helps establish clear boundaries.
4. Encourage meaningful screen use
If you are allowing your children to view screens for a limited period of time in a day, you can help guide them towards educational and productive content when you do so. Help them explore age-appropriate games, apps and websites that allows them to expand their skills and knowledge. Ideally, it’s best for children under 14 not to have access to social media apps, according to the Psychology Today report.
5. Model healthy screen usage
Children learn by example, so it’s essential to set healthy screen habits for yourself, too. Prioritise face-to-face interactions with your family, and when you’re talking to your kids, make sure they see your face, with no device between you and them most of the time. Ban devices at mealtimes and at night, for better interactions and quality of sleep.
At the end of every week, you can get together with a family and review how the week went, and what you could tweak to make the next week more interesting or engaging. Fostering open communication is key to the whole plan.
Have you set out a screen usage plan for the summer? Play today’s Crossword and tell us at games@gulfnews.com.
