Guest blog post from My Tutor–For teens, the wave of daily activity on Snapchat, Instagram and games like Fortnite can consume hours a day at the best of times. And since lockdown, with leaving the house mostly out of bounds, getting teens to spend a healthy amount of time with their screens has become even harder.
Too much screen time can mean they don’t socialise enough or stay active. At the same time, tech offers lots of amazing new ways to expand their minds, learn skills and get creative. The future of work (and everything else) will only be more tech-centric, so learning how to use it to their advantage is a way to set them up for life.
Finding their five-a-day
Making the most of tech is a bit like having a healthy diet. Adam Alter, Social Psychologist and author of “Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked” says, “It’s important to eat healthy foods alongside candy and dessert, and the same is true of the ’empty calories’ that come from spending too much time passively gazing at screens.” So like dessert, ‘bad’ screen time should be balanced with ‘healthy’ screen time – and keeping the balance is much better than banning tech altogether.
Like with all families, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Different kids and their families have their own unique set of needs, personalities, interests and problems, and as a parent you’re the best person to judge when something’s going right. It can still be hard for everyone to know when screen time is good screen time, and when it’s a problem. Here’s some advice for navigating issues and tips for managing their lives on and off the web.