Young people are spending more and more time online during the pandemic quarantine, and parents are often at a loss for how to monitor or modify their children’s screen time.
Social media helps keep us connected but it also steals our attention in chunks of time that easily get out of control. Distance learning means time on-line can be educational but on the other hand, how do you know where your child’s mind is focused when they are screen scrolling?
Dr. Delaney Ruston is a primary-care physician and documentary filmmaker whose film, ”Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age” has been shown in communities around the country. She’s recently started a podcast designed to spark conversations about how to help young people grow up screen-wise and tech-balanced.
Ruston said her work has shown her that attempting to limit young people’s screen time with fear tactics such as threatening to take their devices away is not effective. However, she said many young people she has talked to said they appreciate adult help in setting limits for their screen time.
Ruston added that research increasingly shows the damage caused by screen time after bedtime: it disrupts sleep and affects brain development.
Ruston said many young people she has spoken to know that retreating into the digital world is not a healthy way to deal with emotional problems and they appreciate adult intervention. She urged parents to engage their children on the question of how much time to spend online.
