Screen Time – the Bigger Picture
Yes, we know many kids are addicted (as are many adults) to screens as reported in The Big Disconnect (Catherine Steiner-Adair) and in other research. Yes, screen time is sedentary. Yes, less is best and parents need to be setting limits and attempting to monitor what’s being watched and for how long. It’s a struggle; not always easy to win.
Gratefully there is a cadre of thought leaders in the tech industry including Tristan Harris (Former Google Design Ethicist/co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology) and James Steyer (founder of Common Sense Media) who are working to address “the downside of constant connectivity, by engaging tech companies, health officials, lawmakers, and consumers in raising awareness” to make design changes. This smart initiative – Truth About Tech – wants to find active solutions by involving the creators, perpetuators, overseers, profit makers, and users all together. Clearly there is enough intelligence and creativity in that group to do what is right for children and their families instead of wanting us to be so hooked on social media and digital use that we feed into the ‘dark side’ of technology.
Some changes that advocates know CAN be made include:
- Not allowing “apps stores to sell apps that are marketed to children to collect personal data”
- Not allowing “apps to share personal information with third parties”
- Not having “apps filled with ads”
- Giving parents stronger controls over accessibility
- Making defaults settings “where you don’t feel a constant need to get back to everybody. A good way to disconnect without feeling you are missing something important.”
- Lessening and downplaying enticing wording, content, pace, bright colors, and too many responses from ‘friends’
Watch the short video on Truth About Tech-How Tech Has Kids Hooked, where teenagers tell their stories of how they are so attached to screen time – addicted, easily distracted, stressed, sidetracked, feeling pressured, feeling an urgency to make fast choices, procrastinating, not in control of their time, not even in control of themselves, feeling the urge to touch/scroll/tap, losing sleep, not doing homework, feeling the need to alter the way they look on any photos posted, low self-esteem, not connecting personally with friends, letting personal relationships be undermined. They know spending 4-12 hours on a game is not good for them. They know they shouldn’t be sucked into the fast-moving colorful pitch of games and ways to connect with people that they may or may not even know. The problems are growing rapidly. All of this begs for thought leaders and the ‘screen companies’ to be honestly proactive in implementing change. Also read the piece A Road Map for Kids’ Digital Well Being on Common Sense Media. The Center for Humane Technology has a great piece to use – Take Control. Follow both: www.humanetech.comand www.commonsensemedia.org
Harris and Steyer have had a series of news interviews which you can read. You can certainly also join their websites and receive their newsletters. Consider their suggestions and the research they share. If the DESIGN for devices improve, it will be easier for parents to set doable rules.