Screens are becoming a regular aspect of everyday life, especially family life. From work to school, many parents might be struggling with how to handle the amount of screen time their kids now have.
It may seem like a daunting task, but one professor from the University of Guelph says there are ways parents can reduce excessive screen time and create a better balance, online and off.
Jess Haines is a professor in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition. She is also the co-director of the Guelph Family Health Study, which looks at how families can develop lifelong healthy habits, based on their eating, sleep, exercise and screen time habits.
Looking at screen time, Haines says 89 per cent of parents reported they and their children are using more screens than before the pandemic.
“Not only do we need our screen now more than ever for things like work and our children’s education, but a lot of the things we would’ve done as alternatives to screen time, were taken away from us due to physical distancing,” says Haines, “Things like, taking your kids to a park or all the organized activities they may have been involved in.
“It was and remains a fairly challenging time for families to navigate this world of screens with these challenges of the pandemic.”
When it comes to cutting back on our use of technology, Haines says they’ve found consistency can help families better manage their kids screen time.
“If kids know what’s expected of them, if they sit down and know they only have an hour to watch, they get used to that routine,” she says.
“Establishing how much time kids can have, setting a specific limit, seems to lead to less screen time for kids. Also, monitoring the screen means not only setting the limit, but following it, seems to work for kids.”
If screen time seems to be interfering with mealtime or bedtime, Haines suggests parents take the lead by putting away devices. Researchers note that parents screen habits tend to influence their children’s habits.
“It looks like parents who use their screens more often in front of their children, those kids watch more,” says Haines.
“And so, one of our recommendations is to be thoughtful as a parent, try to model putting away your screens and be present with your kids, as that also tends to lead to less screen time.”
One final suggestion from their research is to not take away screen time as punishment. This tactic can lead to children idolizing screen time, making them want it more.
“The families that do that, it appears their kids watch more screens than families who don’t use that as a reward,” says Haines, “Our recommendation is to find other things that manage behaviour.”
While all these tips can help families to reduce their screen time, Haines says screen doesn’t have to be non-existent. In some circumstances, she says it might even be beneficial for parents.
“If you need young children to stay out of the kitchen while cooking, giving them a set of crayons isn’t as effective as putting them in front of a TV.” says Haines.
By planning ahead and choosing a time within the day where kids can enjoy some screen time, it can help parents create time for other responsibilities, and decrease fighting when it comes time to turn off the screen.
“I don’t say to people, ‘Never use it,’ but I say, ‘Be strategic about when you use it,’” she says.
As technology becomes more integrated within our society, Haines says parents aren’t doing their children any favours by not teaching them how to balance their time online.
“Our job is to help them learn how to manage that, what does balance look like?” she explains.
“The more we can show them what it looks like, hopefully they’re more ready to go out into the world on their own”
However, Haines says she recognizes it’s not an easy task to do, and that it’s okay for parents to make mistakes.
“Start small, be consistent, and enlist everybody in your family to make those routines happen.”
With the pandemic impacting families in different ways, Haines and her team are also working on a new, three-year study looking at family stress. Currently they are looking to recruit families in Guelph to participate. Those who are interested in participating in the experiment can go to famstress.com to learn more.
