Technology, social media and your teenager
My children attend an extremely low-tech school. There are no televisions, computers or tablets in the classroom, and mobile phones are prohibited during the school day. Families are asked to keep their children free for the first years of their life (up to six years), and for classes 1 to 7, limited time is recommended at weekends. Our family has followed these guidelines since our children went to school and we rarely deviate from them.
Now that my daughter is 13 years old and in high school, the struggle to limit screening time and exposure to social media is real. Most of my daughter's classmates have Instagram accounts, and many of them smuggle phones into the classroom, despite the no-tech rule. She says at her own expense she often feels disconnected from her classmates because she has not seen the latest Instagram post everyone is talking about. Do we prevent their ability to socialize and communicate with their friends? Maybe it's just the Generation Z (Post-Millennial) way to reach each other, just as we did when we were teenagers, as we walked our long phone lines through the hall to our rooms to chat with friends all night , This makes me question my choices and hope that my husband and I will make the right decisions for our daughter when it comes to limiting contact with social media and screens. And I also wonder why it feels like I'm one of the few parents that still exist.
But having recently seen the documentary Screenagers: Growing up in the Digital Age, I felt better with our decisions as I looked into the effects of excessive screenings and how the physical development of young people can be harmed. Studies show a connection between too much screen time and less attention time as well as a negative impact on learning. Filmmaker and mother of the dramatist dr. Delaney Ruston, who documents the real pain the daughter feels when she's removed from the phone, reminds parents that teenagers can not self-regulate when it comes to screening and social media. Parents and caregivers should be the ones who set limits, and consider writing a contract to regulate screen usage if they allow it. They should also be an example for children by being good role models themselves. And that means you have your own guidelines for the time spent on devices.
Another encouraging moment for me was at the end of the film when a group of teenagers talked about how happy they are that their parents set limits and rules about their airtime and say that they are likely to go to school if they do not There are clear limits. How refreshing. I think the most important thing for you to think of as a parent, moving across the ever-changing boundaries of technology and social media, is that you are still the creator of your children's future. If you set expectations for the foods you eat, what grades you get, and how much sleep you need, why not do the same with media and technology? Food for thought. Who has my back?
More Time Moms Designer tools that make your life easier so you can spend more time with your family.
Comments
Post a Comment