Media is Bad for Kids... Right?
Screen time.
When I think about how much time I spend staring at TVs or devices in
general I get concerned, so it makes sense that parents would be worried about
media usage with their children. After learning the facts and opinions from
multiple sources, I had the opportunity to interview my sister (since I don't
have kids) and got her opinion.
My sister currently has three children- three and under- and works full-time. She also had concerns about raising her children in a media-saturated world, especially regarding television, noting that exposure was harder to eliminate and she herself slipped into habits of media usage (Radesky 2015).
Despite using TV as an electronic babysitter when she has
work meetings, she still manages their use of media using a multitude of
methods:
- No tablets or phones
- TV cannot be on for more than two hours in one day
- They set aside specific quiet times in the day where her children read
rather than watch shows or even play with toys
- Only educational shows (PBS kids is her go-to)
- Every show watched must have follow-up questions from her or her husband
throughout the day (makes it seem more like a family activity)
Despite the concern, her intent has always been not a promotion of media or completely discouraging it, but rather to use it more purposefully in every way you can. She has educated herself with different platforms and different studies (including stimulation effects) and noted that her children actually respond better to the shows that she limited them to and are even more interested in them than the television they’ve been exposed to elsewhere.
While
she thinks it should play less of that “babysitter” role in her family, she
thinks ultimately her methods are working well. She adapted what most people
deem to be detrimental and enhanced it so it could be beneficial to their
entire family system.
In short: purposeful (educated and limited) use = good screen time.
I like this approach that is not dichotomous. Screen time isn't inherently only good or only bad but is dependent on how it is used. I like the rules discussed as this gives me ideas for my future family and home.
ReplyDeleteI like what you said about making media usage more purposeful. I think everyone can do that in their lives, not just with their children. I definitely need to make sure that my media usage is more purposeful and not just an escape from my life. I also agree that media can be useful in moderation. It helps me feel connected, but it also helps me learn so much!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your sister's experience! I think in the beginning, most people think that they won't expose their kids to any sort of media because of the dangers of it, but that is not realistic in the world today. We are constantly surrounded by media, and I also believe that if we use it wisely and to our advantage, it doesn't need to be a dangerous or scary thing.
ReplyDeleteI liked the idea of asking follow up questions about the shows that they are watching. Now only does it make it more of a family activity, but it helps them to analyze and process the things they are absorbing from media.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea that it needs to be interactive. I think we can definitely learn a lot from interacting with the media we consume, especially for kids who can't always process everything that happens. Your sister is a great example of good media consumption and awareness!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your sister that purposeful, educated, and limited screen time use is good screen time. I also interviewed my sister and she talked about how with media, she wants to teach her children moderation because screens are never gonna just go away, so it is important for her to teach her children good habits when it comes to media.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! One of the reasons I really like this approach to media usage especially for children is that it helps them to develop good habits from a young age. In a world where one can't avoid media, the approach of teaching children at a young age how to develop good habits in terms of limiting their screen time is invaluable as they will learn to exercise discipline and self-control over their media usage. I feel like these habits would be harder to learn in later years if they had no exposure at a young age.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your thoughts about what your sister does for her children. I think using media very purposefully is a necessity for young children. If you allow them to use media whenever they want and as long as they want, they can develop unhealthy media habits that take over their life. Intentionally educated media use will help the child develop healthier media habits.
ReplyDelete