So why play defense when it comes to screen-time for our children?
The media platforms we know so well such as YouTube, Netflix, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TicToc, Snapchat, Hulu, DisneyPlus, and so many others do not have built-in warnings! There is not an alarm that goes off after half an hour of scrolling through social media. There’s not a warning on YouTube when sexually suggestive content in an ad or video comes up. And there’s not any warning given when using any one of these platforms at the expense of sleep or proper exercise and nutrition. It’s like having access to an all you can eat buffet all day everyday without any limits or warnings about the adverse effects of over-eating. Without guidance and coaching, our children and youth will make themselves sick by gorging themselves on the endless buffet of entertainment media. Please forgive me for my rant, but you get the point! Defense is essential for the health and success of our children and the rising generation.
The Foundation
A good bed-time routine devoid of screens is so very important for several reasons. A good bed-time routine supports the work, energy, and creativity for the next day. When children and youth are left consuming media at the expense of the sleep they need, their energy and creativity batteries take a hit. Health experts recommend turning screens off an hour before going to sleep in order to give the brain a chance to wind down and prepare for sleep (American Association of Pediatrics).
Second, a good bed-time routine is an excellent safe-guard against screen related addictions. Children and youth will have much less opportunity to develop an addiction to video games, pornography, or social media when a bed-time routine is followed.
Third, bed-time routines provide an excellent opportunity for reading. I believe reading is the “golden bullet” of bed-time routines. Reading is so helpful for children in their cognitive development and provides a calming activity that helps the mind prepare for sleep. I’ve found that including reading in our bed-time routine provides my children an incentive for getting ready for bed and getting off of screens in the first place. They look forward to having the opportunity to choose a story and have it read to them. In addition to providing a powerful incentive for bed-time cooperation, reading at bed-time also helps children have an interest in reading on their own at other times during the day. Reading with children at bed-time is both a defensive and offensive strategy. Reading with children is powerful!
Time limits
It’s a lot easier for children and youth to get into the weeds of stagnation and screen related addictions when they are left to be on a screen for hours on end. Giving time limits on leisure screen-time helps children know what to expect when they sit down to watch their favorite shows or play a game. When time limits are combined with the Game-Changer routine, children and youth view screen-time as a reward that has limits rather than a lifestyle that has no end. I personally prefer giving my children a 1-2 hour time limit with screen-time. This time-frame works well with our children who are between the ages of 4 and 8.
Go with a Simple Phone
In my post, Ferrari in L.A: Part 2., I talk about the strategy of giving tweens and teens simple phones that don’t include an internet connection. Phone’s such as the Gabb Wireless phone or a basic flip phone are a great way to play defense when it comes to the amount of time youth spend on the internet. When youth do not have constant access to the internet, they will feel more purpose and have more direction in their use of the internet when they have their windows of opportunity to use it. When youth do not have constant access to social media and the internet on their phones, they will, by default, have more time to spend exercising, reading, and engaging in person to person communication.
While learning to play offense with the screen-time is important, helping our children and youth develop routines for a good defense is critical. Without defensive routines and principles in their lives, children and youth will learn through hard experience the cost in lost opportunity and poor health that the endless media buffet in our world can cause.
Defense is essential.
American Association of Pediatrics
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