Are You Guilty of Smartphone Babysitting?
Smartphone babysitting. You know what I'm?talking?about. It's when you harmlessly hand over your iPad to your kids so that you can have a moment of peace. Then you realize 2 hours have passed and they are still watching videos of people playing Minecraft. I'm definitely guilty of this. You may be too. And like me, you may be worried about how this is impacting your children’s social, emotional, and physical well-being. But the good news is, "screen time", a term we have all come to know and causes well-meaning parents a bit of anxiety, is not always bad.
Now, if your children are holing themselves up in a dark room with their headphones on, staring into a bright screen endlessly watching ‘junk videos’, then yes, this may be problematic. However, this is an extreme example, and most kids aren’t behaving this way. It’s wanting to prevent this from happening, but not knowing how to approach the issue, that is the source of our stress.
Understanding Generational Differences
If you are a parent that belongs to Generation X (the digital immigrants) or Y (the digital natives), you are considered proficient in technology. However, your relationship with it is different from that of your children (the Post-Millennials). With computer technology’s exponential growth in the past century, screen devices transformed from being accessories into necessities. To many Post-Millennials, they probably consider the screen as their dear childhood friend, or more prevalent now, an entertaining babysitter. And this isn’t all bad because these inventions help alleviate parenting stress.
The Oxford Internet Institute at Oxford University conducted research suggesting that engaging in “television-based or digital device activities” can actually help children develop higher levels of social and emotional wellbeing.
So, it would be wrong to conclude that screens are bad for kids. Instead, we should reflect on how our children are consuming these products. Recall how your kids use their devices. Are they using them to watch videos? Or are they using them to learn something? These are two different types of consumption, passive viewing and active engagement. Parents likely introduced screen technologies to children by teaching them passive viewing through “smartphone babysitting”. Consequently, these young people become occupied by their devices rather than consciously consuming them.
A study at the University of Michigan found: “how children use the devices, not how much time they spend on them, is the strongest predictor of emotional or social problems connected with screen addiction.” Excessive passive screen use can lead to the formation of such addiction, negatively affecting children’s imaginations, creativity, and learning abilities. (Oreo) Essentially, ensuring the quality of screen usage is vital, and it matters over quantity.
The Solution?
The good news is that us parents are in control. The solution should not be to eliminate screen consumption. Instead, it is to find a balance between passive and active screen time and teach children better ways to use their devices. Screen time is necessary, and it is everywhere; screen technology has been incorporated into our system, and it is an essential piece now to keep our society running. We must learn to embrace the change and find the right way to interact with them. As parents, it is important to help children establish the right type of connection with screens, so children don’t become consumed by them. Instead, find online activities that engage your child with active participation, that encourages social connection and creation. Don’t let screens take away children’s creativity, make them useful for nurturing their imaginations!
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Venture Capital & Growth Investments, Adjunct Professor
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