Being there for your kids - Computer Time: Family Friend or Enemy?

Episode Date: August 30, 2019

We all live in a cybernetic age. Computers, algorythms, gaming, texting, all just a few quick clicks away. Wow! What a temptation for our children...and for us. Woulddn't it be nice to have some research to back up your concerns. And, let's throw in some practical time management rules, so that our computers work for us, not the other way around. Well, here they are.

Hey, I'm Dr. John Robinson, and this is Teachable Moments. Let me ask you a question. Are you techno-savvy? In this age of social media and much too much screen time, did you know that increased screen time delays social skill development in children, delays speech development, and creates deficiencies in self-help skills and resilience? Also, it increases social isolation and emotional desensitization. It increases the prevalence of social. cyberbullying and sexting. It also undermines the attachment bonding process for you and your kids. Wow. Being aware of these researched facts will help you become more techno-savvy and make effort to counter such influences on your children. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I admit I'm not

as techno-savvy as I want to be. If I'm stuck on an app on my computer, I call my eight-year-old granddaughter to help me get going. I asked my 17-year-old grandchild recently, what I'm I could do to get more likes on my Facebook page, and she came up with a bunch of suggestions. As parents of the smartphone generation, we all can become more technosavvy and improve the quality of time we have together. Let me give you some more statistics. By the age of seven, many children in the U.S. or U.K. will have spent one full year of 24-hour days watching screen media. The average American child ages 8 to 18 spends more than seven hours a day looking at video games, computers, cell phones, or TV, usually multitasking. TV viewing time for children under three is linked to delayed language acquisition. For older children and teens, excessive screen time is linked to increased psychological difficulties, including hyperactivity, emotional and conduct problems, and difficulty with peers.

Further, over 20% of high schoolers have participated in sexting, and 25% have forwarded sexting images. Finally, 390,000 injuries occur each year from car accidents where there was texting while driving, 25% of all accidents, and leading to nine fatalities every day. So, what can we do? We can be actively involved in our children's lives, avoid electronic babysitting, and set healthy balance. for them. What kind of boundaries are you looking at? How about these? Decide ahead of being asked what types of games you will allow your child to play online, both at home and with friends. Set limits on the amount of time and location for gaming. Keep it public. Active listen to your

child's moods, words, and actions that show distress, both generally and specifically with gaming time and social media. Create electronics-free zones in your home, such as during family meals and not in bedrooms. I know one family that has a cell phone basket and everyone drops their cell phone into the basket before going into their bedroom. Use only hands-free phones while driving and never text and drive. Limit times and locations where family members can check their emails or go on social media daily. Limit social media time to one hour per day and only after homework is done. Have a game night or family outing at least once a week. Finally, spend one to one time with each of your children on a weekly basis.

Becoming more techno-savvy and improving emotional intimacy and family relations by having more time together can lead to moderate technology time becoming a blessing rather than a curse in your home. I'm Dr. Jonathan C. Robinson, licensed clinical psychologist and Christian author of Teachable Moments Building Blocks of Christian Parenting, and this has been Teachable Moments. Teachable Moments, Building Blocks of Christian Parenting, is available online at Amazon on Books.com and in local and national bookstores. More on Dr. Robinson at TMC-P-I-N-C.com.