The idea for this column came from a LymeLine.com reader, but there is also a general clamor for information about this topic that I am privy to in my work with families.
Anna and Rosalie Shalom were the picture of old school, imaginative play in their West Orange, New Jersey, home. The two, 5 and almost 3, labored in harmony at their task, preparing an elaborate pretend dinner to be served at the tiny table in their playroom. They set out play plates. They loaded them up with wooden fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. They sat down, ready to dig in. Ah, but first: they whipped out their pretend cell phones to make sure that no pressing pretend calls or texts required their attention. Their parents cringed. Where had they learned that? (See this article published in Time magazine about raising the screen generation)
Well, Anna and Rosalie aren’t in any imminent danger, but we probably understand why this was cringe-worthy for their parents. I did observe real imminent danger posed by cell phone use just the other day – a young person almost struck by a car while crossing a busy Boston street, chatting on her phone. (Coincidentally, I was on my way to a conference where topics around children’s phone, screen and media use abounded.)
So how have screens, phones and media affected family life?
Let’s start with a little context to this question. According to The Moment, a time tracking app with nearly 5 million users, the average person spends four hours per day interacting with his or her cell phone. The amount of time children 8-years-old and younger spend on phones or tablets had increased 10 fold between 2012 and 2017, according to a study by Common Sense, which also found that in 2017, 42 percent of kids in the same age group had their own mobile device, up from only 1 percent in 2011. I have to admit to shock and knee jerk dismay at these numbers. It should be noted that TV usage still predominates for young people’s consumption of media.
I think we all can think of many ways technology has made our lives easer. What in the world did we do in the past when our car broke down on the road? When Junior did not know what time play practice finished up? When grandmother fell?
Media and technology are here to stay. So what concerns do families have about media use? Or “problematic media use,” as many psychologists have termed media use that interferes with “RL” (real life)?
Real life includes when toddlers learn to play with each other (there is some evidence that excessive screen time results in decreased social and emotional development in young children). Real life also includes the development of closeness and trust, learning logical reasoning, abstract thought, problem solving and creativity (see this story published in the Wall Street Journal about how cell phones hi-jack our minds). Real life includes separating from parents during freshman orientation (see this article published in the New York Times about the mental health of college freshmen).
So yes, there is evidence that excessive media use and dependency can interfere with “RL.” But there still remains much research to do into the “who, what, when, why and how much” questions concerning family media use and screen time.
So what are we families to do while we wait for more research? Families need to self-monitor as best they by can looking at their media usage and real (family) life. Commonsensemedia.org may provide some help for us, as perhaps can Anya Kamenetz’s new book, The Art of Screen Time: How Your Family Can Balance Digital Media and Real Life.
I tend to be a bit of a technophobe, but will end on a positive note: My son, a “digital native,” and my elderly mother bonded over his expertise in technology and her fear and ignorance of all things digital – enhancing both their “RLs” and strengthening their relationship.
Betsy Groth is an APRN, PMHS – BC and a pediatric nurse practitioner with advanced certification in pediatric mental health.
She is a counselor, mental health educator and parent coach in Old Lyme and writes a monthly column for us on ‘Family Wellness.’
For more information about Betsy and her work, visit Betsy’s website at betsygroth.com