Technology and its influence on our children can be a controversial topic. Across the world, attitudes towards how much children should be engaging with screens and electronic devices can vary quite dramatically. Last month Facebook announced that it would be launching Messenger Kids, a new social messaging app aimed at children aged 13 and under. Yet, also in the news in December, France announced that it will be banning students from using mobile phones in the country’s primary, junior, and middle schools. It appears that we are in constant turmoil regarding the role that technology should be playing in our children’s lives and how much time they should be spending on these devices. However, according to a recent study out of the University of Michigan, it is not how much time they spend on these devices which is the most influential factor, but how they engage with them. “Typically, researchers and clinicians quantify or consider the amount of screen time as of paramount importance in determining what is normal or not normal or healthy or unhealthy,” said lead author Sarah Domoff from the University of Michigan Center for Human Growth and Development. “Our study has demonstrated that there is more to it than number of hours. What matters most is whether screen use causes problems in other areas of life or has become an all-consuming activity,” she adds. Typical warning signs might be if screen time interferes with daily activities, causes conflict for the child or in the family, or is the only activity that brings the child joy. However, with the correct content and with appropriate time limits, electronic devices can be used for a world of good, helping to shape our children’s minds in the right direction.
Dee Guiney
