Teens spend on average 6.5 hours a day on screens of all sizes, according to a recent survey by the Kaiser Foundation. Kids spend an average of 9 hours a day on media--so this includes listening to music, which is not included in the screen time figure (Common Sense Media recent survey). To reduce screen time, the screen time hours need to be replaced with other activities. Afterschool programs are one solution to helping kids find interests outside of social media, online content and video games.
One myth about kids is that they are over-scheduled and deserve downtime. In fact, according to The Afterschool Alliance’s “American After 3 p.m.” study, 40% of kids the U.S. do not have access to afterschool activities, which means that disadvantaged kids are spending much more time online than advantaged kids.
Afterschool programs not only offer ways for kids to spend time away from screens, they often actively discourage their use. My daughter’s ballet school, for example, doesn’t allow use of phones in the dance studio. If students absolutely must make a call or send a text, they can do so during the break but never in the studio during class. Our son plays sax which is impossible to do while holding a phone!
Research from the Afterschool Alliance found big improvements in school attendance and better test scores when kids have activities after school. The more often a child attends an after school program and the longer the program lasts, the better the academic outcomes. Children’s behavior improves as well as their self esteem.
Check out the Afterschool Alliance’s America’s Afterschool Storybook to see how these programs can change lives. A few examples include a young woman who took her first judo class through an afterschool program and is now a national champion and a young man who started dancing at age 11 at the Wooden Floor, a nonprofit dance studio in Santa Ana, CA.
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Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
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Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Learn more about our Screen-Free Sleep campaign at the website!
Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Register your interest in bringing our new movie to your school or community
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Teens spend on average 6.5 hours a day on screens of all sizes, according to a recent survey by the Kaiser Foundation. Kids spend an average of 9 hours a day on media--so this includes listening to music, which is not included in the screen time figure (Common Sense Media recent survey). To reduce screen time, the screen time hours need to be replaced with other activities. Afterschool programs are one solution to helping kids find interests outside of social media, online content and video games.
One myth about kids is that they are over-scheduled and deserve downtime. In fact, according to The Afterschool Alliance’s “American After 3 p.m.” study, 40% of kids the U.S. do not have access to afterschool activities, which means that disadvantaged kids are spending much more time online than advantaged kids.
Afterschool programs not only offer ways for kids to spend time away from screens, they often actively discourage their use. My daughter’s ballet school, for example, doesn’t allow use of phones in the dance studio. If students absolutely must make a call or send a text, they can do so during the break but never in the studio during class. Our son plays sax which is impossible to do while holding a phone!
Research from the Afterschool Alliance found big improvements in school attendance and better test scores when kids have activities after school. The more often a child attends an after school program and the longer the program lasts, the better the academic outcomes. Children’s behavior improves as well as their self esteem.
Check out the Afterschool Alliance’s America’s Afterschool Storybook to see how these programs can change lives. A few examples include a young woman who took her first judo class through an afterschool program and is now a national champion and a young man who started dancing at age 11 at the Wooden Floor, a nonprofit dance studio in Santa Ana, CA.
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Teens spend on average 6.5 hours a day on screens of all sizes, according to a recent survey by the Kaiser Foundation. Kids spend an average of 9 hours a day on media--so this includes listening to music, which is not included in the screen time figure (Common Sense Media recent survey). To reduce screen time, the screen time hours need to be replaced with other activities. Afterschool programs are one solution to helping kids find interests outside of social media, online content and video games.
One myth about kids is that they are over-scheduled and deserve downtime. In fact, according to The Afterschool Alliance’s “American After 3 p.m.” study, 40% of kids the U.S. do not have access to afterschool activities, which means that disadvantaged kids are spending much more time online than advantaged kids.
Afterschool programs not only offer ways for kids to spend time away from screens, they often actively discourage their use. My daughter’s ballet school, for example, doesn’t allow use of phones in the dance studio. If students absolutely must make a call or send a text, they can do so during the break but never in the studio during class. Our son plays sax which is impossible to do while holding a phone!
Research from the Afterschool Alliance found big improvements in school attendance and better test scores when kids have activities after school. The more often a child attends an after school program and the longer the program lasts, the better the academic outcomes. Children’s behavior improves as well as their self esteem.
Check out the Afterschool Alliance’s America’s Afterschool Storybook to see how these programs can change lives. A few examples include a young woman who took her first judo class through an afterschool program and is now a national champion and a young man who started dancing at age 11 at the Wooden Floor, a nonprofit dance studio in Santa Ana, CA.
Hobbies offer benefits at every age, from helping children build a sense of self to giving retirees a renewed sense of purpose. The word traces back to the 1400s as a nickname for a small horse, later evolving into today's meaning of a pastime pursued for its own sake. Parents can spark interest by sharing their own hobby histories, building a family-history hobby list, and trying new activities together. Summer is an ideal time to lean into offline hobbies as an antidote to screen saturation.
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When kids break a rule, most parents default to handing down a consequence. But research on autonomy-supportive parenting shows that inviting kids to help decide the consequence leads to deeper learning, stronger accountability, and even kinder behavior toward others. Younger kids tend to overpunish themselves while teens often go easy, and both create natural openings for parents to guide the conversation. The goal isn't softer consequences. It's consequences that actually teach.
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Kids with ADHD benefit most when parents provide support at the exact moment behavior happens, a science-backed approach called "point of performance." Abruptly shifting from high-stimulation screen time to demanding tasks creates a "dopamine cliff," a brain chemistry drop that often shows up as resistance and conflict. Understanding both concepts helps parents smooth those transitions and build real skills and confidence in their kids over time.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
