Viva Vitality: Children, teens and screens – finding balance

By Michelle Sauve on March 27, 2021.

The original smartphone, “Simon,” was introduced to the world in 1992. Since then, cell phones and other digital technologies have advanced at lightning speed. The number of children who have access to these devices is also rapidly expanding and changing how children learn, grow and interact with their world.

Parents, educators and communities may feel challenged to support children and youth as they navigate our ever-changing digital world. Added to this are the ongoing impacts of the pandemic on how children and youth are learning online, coupled with their efforts to stay connected with peers.

If you have children in your life, you may have noticed their increased screen use. Given the world we are all living in, some increases are to be expected. If you are concerned, there are resources available to help you navigate.

Let’s start with some guidance for young children from the Canadian Paediatric Society. It recommends the following: For children under two years old screen time is not recommended. For children two-to-five, limit screen time to less than one hour a day. For children older than five limit screen time to less than two hours a day.

It’s important to set limits as a family and make sure screen use does not interfere with school work, household responsibilities, sleep and physical activity. When looking for balance, think about how your child spends their day. Is their screen time after they have completed schoolwork and household responsibilities? Are they spending time with their family?

Remember the importance of parents and caregivers as role models. Some helpful tips are to model the behaviour you hope to see in your children, monitor the games they are playing, and establish and maintain time limits. While many families are feeling there is more time together than ever, try to encourage family time that includes device-free spaces and times in the home. It may be helpful to make mealtimes and bedrooms screen-free zones. Setting limits when your children are young and sticking to them may prevent future challenges with screen time as well.

It’s also important to acknowledge the difference between use that supports learning and schoolwork versus recreational use such as video games and social media. During the pandemic, this may be particularly difficult to manage. Empowering parents and caregivers to set limits on recreational use can support a healthy balance.

For school-aged children and youth, Media Smarts – Canada’s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy, offers information and resource for parents as well as teacher resources including lesson plans, games and professional development opportunities.

An American website, Families Managing Media, provides practical information such as how to determine if a child is ready for a cell phone, the impacts of social media and gaming on young brains, screen replacement activities and more.

Finally, there are also some great local screen time resources via the Digital Wellness Coalition which consists of members from Southeastern Alberta. Their website can be found at digitalwellnesscoalition.weebly.com. Here you will find information guides on topics such as video games, parental control apps and how to create a family media plan. There are also resources aimed at teens on how to unplug and what to do with their time, such as getting active or creative and how to connect without screens.

The Digital Wellness Coalition website also has resources for school staff and an events page. In the past, this group has hosted some excellent events including Dr. Phil McRae. He shared the findings from “Growing up Digital,” which is a 10-year collaborative research project that examines the scope of the physical, mental and social consequences of digital technologies on Alberta’s children and youth. This study is being completed by leading screen-time researchers from the Alberta Teachers’ Association, Harvard Medical School, University of Alberta and Boston Children’s Hospital. Most recently, the Digital Wellness Coalition hosted an online event with Greg Godard and Mary Lou Godard, registered psychologists, who helped us learn how to find balance in our family’s digital lives.

If you want to learn more about finding balance in screen use for your family or yourself or are curious about the Digital Wellness Coalition, check out their website for more information!

Michelle Sauve is a Health Promotion Facilitator with Alberta Health Services.

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