We live in a society with a loud and clear message: “Family life is private life.” When things go awry, the memo most of us were raised with tells us, "You and your family should deal with it on your own.”
Then the tech revolution tsunami hit and flooded all of our homes. What was the response? Was there a national invitation to get all concerned people together to share what was happening to their kids and families and to find solutions? Of course not. Instead, it was every family for themselves.
I decided to make the Screenagers movies to bring communities together — to stop family silos — and inspire post-screening conversations about helpful strategies.
Research has shown that people are particularly influenced by their peers, and this doesn’t just apply to teens. Adults are influenced by their peers, too.
In countless post-screening Screenagers and Screenagers Next Chapter discussions I’ve run, I have watched entire rooms perk up when people share screen time limits they have tried and what has or has not worked. So often, one person sharing something vulnerable is the catalyst needed to get others to share as well.
The other night, I was leading a post-screening Q&A with parents of elementary school-aged kids, and a parent stood up and asked a question. She mentioned that in her home, they use tech to shut the wifi off at 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on weekends. She emphasized this has made a big difference in their home.
Other audience members started sharing things they had experimented with after her comment. After the Q&A, I saw parents gather to continue the sharing.
Hearing ideas from people in our circles can significantly impact us in many ways. For example, it might get us to try something new, and being able to follow up with the person who shared the idea can get us through challenging times. Another thing is that parents often believe other parents are much more permissive around tech than they actually are.
One final thought, since I am always on the hunt for more tech time-out ideas to share with all of you, please consider sending me any answers to the questions above. This will help me share more ideas — anonymously — with our wonderful Screenagers community. By the way, thank you for being a part of it.
Questions for your kids and family to get the conversation started:
We live in a society with a loud and clear message: “Family life is private life.” When things go awry, the memo most of us were raised with tells us, "You and your family should deal with it on your own.”
Then the tech revolution tsunami hit and flooded all of our homes. What was the response? Was there a national invitation to get all concerned people together to share what was happening to their kids and families and to find solutions? Of course not. Instead, it was every family for themselves.
I decided to make the Screenagers movies to bring communities together — to stop family silos — and inspire post-screening conversations about helpful strategies.
Research has shown that people are particularly influenced by their peers, and this doesn’t just apply to teens. Adults are influenced by their peers, too.
In countless post-screening Screenagers and Screenagers Next Chapter discussions I’ve run, I have watched entire rooms perk up when people share screen time limits they have tried and what has or has not worked. So often, one person sharing something vulnerable is the catalyst needed to get others to share as well.
The other night, I was leading a post-screening Q&A with parents of elementary school-aged kids, and a parent stood up and asked a question. She mentioned that in her home, they use tech to shut the wifi off at 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on weekends. She emphasized this has made a big difference in their home.
Today I share my top 3 main screen time categories and offer many options of rules that can be tailored to your specific family. Let’s be real that policies for a 10-year-old will be different for a 17-year-old. Then there are factors such as kid’s maturity levels, outside activities, sibling dynamics, bandwidth of parents/guardians, and the list goes on. For this reason, having many ideas can be helpful. Let’s get started.
READ MORE >It’s back-to-school time and an ideal time to readdress screen time at home. Ahhhhh, so not easy! When we approach emotionally triggering topics with our kids, having a road map, including specific things to say, can be extremely helpful. I know all too well that without those things, my reactive brain can take over, and everything can go sideways. Eleven years now into studying the intersection of biology, psychology, communication science, and parenting screen time, I offer my top 3 steps for creating new or cementing existing tech time policies as back-to-school kicks off.
READ MORE >Today, I'm writing (and podcasting) about skillful ways to respond when tech rules get broken by our kids, which is one of the most challenging aspects of parenting. It's important to acknowledge that when I mention rules related to screen time, I’m referring to rules developed through family efforts and input from kids whenever possible. I will give some specific examples of what a parent might say in an effort to validate when kids are indeed following a rule.
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.