screen time addiction

Without a plan in place, you can't just rip screens cold turkey from you and your kid's hands. It took a slow process to gradually take away screens from April's four children until they went screen-free for 6 months.

It's all about being intentional about the process - from auditing how much time each person spends on screens now to figuring out how to dwindle down the usage each day.

Once April's family was screen-free, it was easy! Kids want more of their parent's time, but really more of their undivided attention. Once screens are gone, kids go back to reading, playing board games, building legos, and spending time with Mom and Dad.

Getting others on board is a huge deal. Everyone from kid's aunts to grandparents should help with this process so there are not deviations from the plan. 

Listen to April's TedX talk titled, "Abducted by Technology: Raising the Smartphone Generation."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFeOPv0fujo&feature=emb_title

April Whiting is a mother of 4, a TedX speaker, author, and founder of www.thescreensafeproject.com

Jennifer Zumbiel is also a mother of 4, author, and founder of www.togathermoments.com

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• Learn the latest Teen Slang, Emojis & Hashtags: https://smartsocial.com/teen-slang-emojis-hashtags-list/
• Get ideas for offline activities for your students: https://smartsocial.com/offline-activities-reduce-screentime/
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Gaming disorder is considered a mental health condition

• In 2018, the World Health Organization officially began recognizing gaming disorder as a mental health condition

What are gaming disorder warning signs?

According to World Health Organization, there are 3 signs that someone might be struggling with gaming disorder:

• Impaired control over gaming (e.g. onset, frequency, intensity, duration, termination, context)
• Increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities
• Continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences

What are some red flags parents need to look out for?

According to Dr. Mike Bishop, tech addiction expert, these red flags indicate that your child is struggling with screen time and gaming:

• Short tempers that are aggravated by screen time. If your kids are playing video games, you can sometimes see them getting frustrated at the game. Watch out for a quick temper and see if the game has got control over their mood
• Kids are not able to self-soothe when they’re playing video games. This translates into the next point, which is having problems going to sleep or waking up in the morning
• Having access to a device every night. If we let our kids use devices without limits set, without some rules and structure, they’re going to take their devices to bed with them and they’re going to be up at night browsing social media or playing games. Research says, allowing your child to have a TV or device in their room unchecked at night results in less sleep and having a harder time waking up in the morning
• Passing up face-to-face activities for screen time activities. Another major red flag is when you see your child passing up normal opportunities for socialization or outside play

What can parents do?

• Before giving your student access to a new game, ask them to explain why they want to play it. Then, spend some time playing the game on your own and decide if it is safe for your family to play. Know that your child has perhaps already played it at their friend’s house
• Schedule game time and set time limits beforehand
• Teach your children that video games are only to be played in moderation (or, best of all, as a family)
• Challenge your student to find offline activities they enjoy and can add to their resume
• Have an open dialog about video games with your children. Consider talking about the dangers of playing with strangers, sharing personal information in chats, graphic video game content, and bullying behavior
• Model positive screen time behaviors around your children
• Always supervise game time (and play with them, if possible)

Learn from SmartSocial.com's resources:

• Read the 2020 Ultimate Guide to Child Sex Trafficking: https://smartsocial.com/sex-trafficking/
• Join our free newsletter for parents and educators: https://smartsocial.com/newsletter/
• Register for a free online Parent Night to learn the hidden safety features on popular apps: https://smartsocial.com/social-media-webinar/
• Become a Smart Social VIP (Very Informed Parents) Member and unlock 30+ workshops (learn online safety and how to Shine Online™): https://learn.smartsocial.com/
• Download the free Smart Social app: https://smartsocial.com/app
• Learn the top 100 popular teen apps: https://smartsocial.com/app-guide-parents-teachers/
• View the top parental control software for 2020: https://smartsocial.com/parental-control-software/
• Learn the latest Teen Slang, Emojis & Hashtags: https://smartsocial.com/teen-slang-emojis-hashtags-list/
• Get ideas for offline activities for your students: https://smartsocial.com/offline-activities-reduce-screentime/
• Get Educational Online Activity ideas for your students: https://smartsocial.com/offline-activities-reduce-screentime/

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• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1269872857
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Dr. Catherine Jackson, Licensed Psychologist and Neurotherapist shares with us how screens and modern technology have many benefits. However, too much screen time may cause changes in the brain and can also lead to other problems such as obesity and sleep difficulties. Sleep difficulties, which can be caused by too much screen time, in and of itself leads to an array of other problems. These include brain cells dying, difficulty for brain cells to communicate with each other, attention, focus, and memory issues to name a few. All of these can affect academic performance.

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Brian Helfman's company helps college students and young professionals to meet other like-minded entrepreneurial people while going on fun travel adventures. He talks about social media detox tips and how to replace screen time with positive activities.

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