This article was written by Kayelene Kerr from eSafeKids.
Have you found yourself realising screen time has escalated from 'a little bit too much' to 'too much'. Whether it's due to extended holidays, illness or a hectic period in family life, the decision to scale back is made, but you're bracing for the inevitable challenges ahead - arguments, protests of unfairness and comparisons with what 'everyone else is allowed.' The good news is reducing screen time doesn’t have to involve drastic measures or a complete 'digital detox'.
Reasons to support moderate ‘screen time’ in childhood
When screen time becomes excessive it can displace the opportunity for children to engage in other activities that are vital for their developing bodies and brains. For some children screen time can also impact their mood, behaviour and choices. There are also broader health, wellbeing and personal safety considerations, including disrupted sleep patterns, decreased physical activity and consuming hurtful, harmful and age-inappropriate content.
There are a number of approaches to adjust or reset screen time, 'cold turkey' and 'slow and gradual', you can read more here.
Crowd Out Screens: Encourage Alternate Activities
An effective strategy I’ve used is what I refer to as 'crowd out'. The crowd-out strategy is an approach aimed at reducing undesirable/unwanted behaviours by replacing them with more positive or constructive activities.
Screen time reduces when we crowd out the time for it. Providing alternative activities to replace screen time can be challenging depending on your family circumstances, but finding alternate activities that your child/family enjoys can make the transition to less screen time smoother and more manageable.
Start by making a list of activities your child/family enjoy or have always wanted to try. Eg) reading more books, exploring a new hobby, getting out in nature, learning a new skill, family physical activity etc.
Integrate these alternatives by scheduling regular times for them during times your child would typically spend on screens.
Chasing Flow
If you've been to an eSafeKids Cyber Safety & Digital Wellbeing workshop you may remember me talking about 'chasing flow' with my boys. Identifying activities that naturally induce flow can make crowding out screen time easier.
Identify activities that naturally induce a flow state for your child/family. Examples of flow inducing activities are: sports, dancing, hiking, mountain biking, surfing, painting, writing, crafting, playing an instrument, cooking, playing chess etc.
Support your child to reflect on activities they’ve previously enjoyed and felt fully immersed in. Use these as a guide to explore similar flow-inducing experiences that you will then use to crowd out screen time.
A Bit About Flow
Flow is a psychological state where a person becomes fully immersed and engaged in an activity, experiencing a sense of effortless involvement and heightened focus. Flow is often described as being 'in the zone' and is characterised by a deep sense of enjoyment and fulfilment.
Tip: Have you ever noticed your child so immersed in something they loose track of time or can attend to a task for hours when ordinarily their attention span is much shorter? It is highly possible your child is engaged in a flow state.
When you’re in a state of flow, your brain operates at its most efficient level, allowing for enhanced creativity, problem-solving and sustained attention. Flow is associated with increased productivity because it minimises distractions and allows a person to work more effectively. When you’re fully engaged in a task, time seems to fly by, and you’re less likely to experience procrastination or distractions. Flow facilitates deep learning and skill acquisition. When you’re in flow, you’re more likely to absorb new information and master skills because your attention is fully concentrating on the task at hand.
Flow and Screen Time
Flow is a great psychological state but when someone is in a state of flow they are deeply engaged and often loose track of time. This can have a significant impact on screen time.
Often when children are gaming or using technology in a flow state they loose track of time. This can lead to prolonged screen time without even realising how much time has passed. Children can be so engrossed in what they are doing they experience time blindness and may find it difficult to follow screen time limits, leading to excessive screen time.
Flow doesn't just affect our children. Have you ever been scrolling Instagram or engrossed in work, you feel like you've only been doing it for 10 minutes but an hour or more has gone by. You can share this experience with your child.
"You know how you get so engrossed in gaming, it happens to me when I'm scrolling social media. Let's work together to make sure we're in control of our time and attention and not the technology."
Supporting Children to Manage Screen Time While Experiencing Flow
Flow can make screen time more engaging and productive, but it’s important to manage it wisely to avoid potential downsides. By implementing (or supporting your child to implement) strategies to balance screen time and maintain awareness of how long they spend in flow states, they can harness the benefits of flow while staying mindful of overall screen time.
Monitor Screen Time
Use apps that monitor screen time and provide insights into how much time you’re spending on different activities. This can help maintain awareness and adjust screen time accordingly.
Set Alarms or Reminders
Use timers or alarms to help manage screen time, even if you’re experiencing flow. This can help ensure that you take breaks and maintain a healthy balance.
Incorporate Breaks
Schedule regular breaks to move away from the screen.
Prioritise Off Screen Activities
Balance screen time with other activities such as exercise, social interactions and hobbies that don’t involve screens.
Acknowledging Constraints and Barriers
While the idea of crowding out screen time with other activities is appealing, it’s important to recognise that not everyone has the same opportunities or resources available to them. Many families face barriers that make it difficult to engage in alternate activities such as limited financial resources and time constraints.
Even with constraints, small changes can make a difference. Adjustments, like taking short breaks from screens or incorporating brief moments of physical activity throughout the day, can have a positive impact. These changes don’t require significant resources or time and can be integrated into daily routines. Many community organisations offer a wide range of free activities for children and families to enjoy. Check out the opportunities available in your local community.
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About The Author
Kayelene Kerr is recognised as one of Western Australia’s most experienced specialist providers of Protective Behaviours, Body Safety, Cyber Safety, Digital Wellness and Pornography education workshops. Kayelene is passionate about the prevention of child abuse and sexual exploitation, drawing on over 27 years’ experience of study and law enforcement, investigating sexual crimes, including technology facilitated crimes. Kayelene delivers engaging and sought after prevention education workshops to educate, equip and empower children and young people, and to help support parents, carers, educators and other professionals. Kayelene believes protecting children from harm is a shared responsibility and everyone can play a role in the care, safety and protection of children. Kayelene aims to inspire the trusted adults in children’s lives to tackle sometimes challenging topics.
About eSafeKids
eSafeKids strives to reduce and prevent harm through proactive prevention education, supporting and inspiring parents, carers, educators and other professionals to talk with children, young people and vulnerable adults about protective behaviours, body safety, cyber safety, digital wellness and pornography. eSafeKids is based in Perth, Western Australia.
eSafeKids provides books and resources to teach children about social and emotional intelligence, resilience, empathy, gender equality, consent, body safety, protective behaviours, cyber safety, digital wellness, media literacy, puberty and pornography.
eSafeKids books can support educators teaching protective behaviours and child abuse prevention education that aligns with the Western Australian Curriculum, Australian Curriculum, Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and National Quality Framework: National Quality Standards (NQS).
