Why It’s So Hard to Get Off Screens & What to Do About It
Does your kid hate getting off screens and fight or negotiate for more time?
Yeah, mine too…
I worry about Ocean’s screen time habits and how they may be impacting his nervous system. He has become a master negotiator, but I do think it is important to be able to take no for an answer sometimes. His screen interests have caused conflict in our family when he rejects family outings or has a hard time sticking to our routines. A very honest kid, he has started to see what he can get away with to access more screen time. He ditches homework, or rushes through it, to get back to ROBLOX. He’s bored as soon as he’s unplugged. Nothing feels as interesting to him as his online activities.
It isn’t just Ocean. I’ve noticed that our whole family is more distracted and irritable when we’ve been on our screens for more than a few hours a day… which is usually the case.
Are you wondering if your child or teen’s screen time habits are negatively impacting their health?
If you’re wondering, they probably are.
If you’re seeing tech-related irritability, lethargy, difficulty sleeping, losing interest in other activities, anxiety, depression, social or self-esteem issues, you’re not alone.
We’re living in a child and teen mental health crisis of epidemic proportions. Social media, video scrolling and video games play a role. It doesn’t help that big tech is investing billions to figure out how to make videos, games and apps that capture our attention, and the attention of our kids, like never before.
I am really looking forward to learning from the best experts in the upcoming Screen Time & Mental Health Summit. My hope is that the info will help our family reset our screen time and enjoy each other’s company again.
The impact of excessive screen use on kids and teens includes:
Trouble getting off of screens and negotiations for more time
Loss of interest in anything other than screens
Social atrophy: Declining comfort in real life friendships
Mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation
Poor sleep and lack of exercise
Decreased family communication, cohesion, and satisfaction
These things suck to think about and I’m sorry to bring them up, but we all know they are already here, even if we bury our heads in the sand.
There are good things about screens, too!
Ocean gets to connect with friends who don’t live nearby. He has access to tons of info about his special interests. He’s learning to code as he designs games. I’d love to hear your additions in the comments…
But still.
Parenting in this screen-addicted culture is hard, and we need any help we can get.
The great news is that we can learn what we can do to protect our kids from these risks. Expert insights, tools and strategies will be shared in the Screen Time & Mental Health Summit! It’s completely free to attend the summit and it starts Monday, May 15th.
Here’s the topic for each day:
💡Day 1: Why It’s So Hard to Get Off Screens & What to Do About It
💡Day 2: Kids, Teens, Screens & The Mental Health Crisis
💡Day 3: Screens, Habits, Hacks & Solutions
💡Day 4: Bright & Quirky Kids and Technology
💡Day 5: The Science of Digital & Real Life Well-Being
I’m especially looking forward to learning from: Nir Eyal, author of Indistractable: How to Control your Attention and Choose Your Life, Dr. Alok Konojia, Harvard-trained psychiatrist specializing in healthy video gaming, and ALWAYS Dr. Mona Delahooke, child psychologist and author of Brain Body Parenting!!!
I will see you there!
You can register for FREE here.
The summit runs May 15 - 19.
I know of ND families who might describe screens as *necessary* for regulation. It sounds like. you haven't found that?
We have no TV but screens are still a huge, huge draw. They incentivize their own behaviour using screens. "If I do xyz, then can I watch that video?" Urgh!