© Romrodinka | Dreamstime.com
According to reports, children spend an average of 6.5 hours a day on screens, not including school or homework. Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood hosts the annual international celebration: Screen-Free Week. This event serves as a reminder for communities to unplug and connect to a world beyond the screen – families, friends, and nature.
Collierville Schools Family Resource Center hosted two screenings of an award-winning documentary Screenagers back in January to raise awareness about technology use. The film addressed various family situations exploring the struggles over social media, video games, and internet addiction. With help from experts, it showed how tech time affects child development and offered solutions on how parents can help their kids navigate the digital world. The movie touched on the topic of Screen Time Contracts, Parenting Apps, Digital Citizenship, and more.
“Parents should sign up for Screenagers movie weekly blog, Tech Talk Tuesdays,” says Meghan Seay, Collierville Schools’ health and wellness specialist. It offers families tools and tips for starting a conversation about technology.
Some basic rules to consider include making your bedrooms screen-free zones so kids can catch up on their sleep and stowing away devices out of sight while in the car so teens learn not to text and drive. Seay suggests replacing the phone alarms with an actual alarm clock and using paperback books instead of e-readers.
“We depend on our devices for work and school, but designating screen-free time at home will help kids understand that they can still have fun without being connected all the time,” says Seay. Work this in at dinner time or by setting aside family time on the weekend.
This year Screen-Free Week also coincides with the 100th anniversary of Children’s Book Week. So pick up a book and read!
Here are some fun titles to get you inspired!
- If You Give a Mouse an iPhone: A Cautionary Tail by Ann Droyd
- Bad Kitty Does Not Like Video Games by Nick Bruel
- The Berenstain Bears and Too Much TV by Stan & Jan Berenstain
- Unplugged: Ella Gets Her Family Back by Laura Pederson
- Katie Friedman Gives up Texting! by Tommy Greenwald