Screentime balance
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, debate on the number of times kids and students can spend on their screens - T.V., laptop, iPad, and iPhone - during a day has been on the forefront dramatic shift in opinions.
Over the past period, people felt ashamed to admit that they spend several hours - some of them up to 15 hours - a day on their screens. Before Corona, there were applications inciting people to go out and experience real life. Now, initiatives that were taken explicitly to help people to escape screens are advising on how to use them usefully. These apps now provide virtual forest baths. Parents used to try everything to keep the eyes of their toddlers off the screens. Parents put this commitment aside as parents beg now for them to watch all children's programming. They have lost the battle against the screens as they have learned that the screens can bring a lot of positives.
As the different devices are the only way to remain connected, people realized that through their conversations, via FaceTime, Zoom they learned to know each other better. Since kids were allowed to use their devices more frequently, they became more creative. They are now doing more impressive things: they make videos via iMovie about themselves and what they do during the quarantine. They post these videos on the net and get lots of reactions to it, which leads to other people being creative. More screen time also helps to feel less isolated in these pandemic times. People are happy that they are still to see each other, although virtually.
But what is the perfect screen time balance?
there's not really 1 answer to this question. But what one should do is Instead of looking at the time spent, to look at the child, content, and context. As parents know their children best, it is up to them to decide what is right for them. If a child is anxious, avoid that it watches scary movies. If the child loves music, find sites that teach him how to play the piano. In the context of this content, quality matters more than quantity. Look for reputable websites that provide positive information and help kids to develop.
what about video games? One should not forget that teens playing video games like Fortnite and maintain social relationships during a time when face-to-face interactions are limited. Steam has also hit a record 20 million gamers at the same time logged into their streaming platform. They see an impact on gamers' media behavior and the content they view each day.
How do we interact with our children around the media? Experts state that parents must show interest in what their kids are doing. They should engage with their kids during their screen time. Parents can do this by asking children what their online experiences are. The latter can also be turned around into a real-time experience: parents and kids could watch a cooking video and cook together afterward. But it is still essential to establish and communicate boundaries before children start using devices and sticking to the rules as much as possible. Especially small kids need structure. To eliminate screen use two hours before going to bed remains a good measure to keep children healthy and assure them a good night's sleep. As a general rule, parents should also restrain from using their devices all the time, as they should remain role model.
However, if this pandemic is here to stay for an extended period, it will be necessary to adjust the rules. Parents should not feel guilty if the amount of time their kids are before their screens will increase. This feeling of guilt might even be more explicit if parents work at home and need silence to focus on their online work.