{"id":9533,"date":"2017-07-08T18:55:03","date_gmt":"2017-07-08T18:55:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=9533"},"modified":"2017-07-08T18:55:03","modified_gmt":"2017-07-08T18:55:03","slug":"screen-time-is-about-more-than-setting-limits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/screen-time-is-about-more-than-setting-limits\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Screen time&#8217; is about more than setting limits"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/nathan-fisk-376195\">Nathan Fisk<\/a>, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-south-florida-1359\">University of South Florida<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In today\u2019s media-rich world (or media-saturated, depending on your view), one rarely has to look far to find parents concerned about the ways that kids engage with technology. Recently, managing \u201cscreen time\u201d seems to be on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/morning-mix\/wp\/2017\/06\/19\/why-a-colorado-dad-is-fighting-to-make-smartphones-for-preteens-illegal\/\">everyone\u2019s<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/education\/can-they-unplug-a-school-principal-will-pay-students-to-forgo-screentime-this-summer\/2017\/06\/09\/b22decd4-4c88-11e7-bc1b-fddbd8359dee_story.html\">mind<\/a> \u2013 particularly during these summer months when kids find themselves with more time on their hands.<\/p>\n<p>As someone who has spent the majority of my career studying <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mitpress.mit.edu\/books\/framing-internet-safety\">kids and safety online<\/a>, I get a lot of questions from parents about screen time. My response? There\u2019s a lot more to digital media consumption than expert advice about hourly limits. <\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/8NcPA\/4\/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"webkitallowfullscreen\" mozallowfullscreen=\"mozallowfullscreen\" oallowfullscreen=\"oallowfullscreen\" msallowfullscreen=\"msallowfullscreen\" width=\"100%\" height=\"328\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Where \u2018screen time\u2019 comes from<\/h2>\n<p>The idea of \u201cscreen time\u201d initially gained traction in 1999, when the American Academy of Pediatrics suggested that parents <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1542\/peds.2011-1753\">avoid smartphone, tablet, computer and TV use for children under two<\/a> and limit such use to no more than two hours for children over two, adding hours as kids mature. While the American Academy of Pediatrics <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-much-screen-time-is-good-for-kids-53780\">relaxed these guidelines<\/a> somewhat in 2016 (expanding their policies to include <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1542\/peds.2016-2592\">positive digital media use<\/a> and suggest family media plans), the <a href=\"http:\/\/eprints.lse.ac.uk\/66927\/1\/Policy%20Brief%2017-%20Families%20%20Screen%20Time.pdf\">core idea of screen time remains largely unchanged<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center zoomable\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.theconversation.com\/files\/176937\/area14mp\/file-20170705-29992-vwtymp.jpg\"><img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.theconversation.com\/files\/176937\/width754\/file-20170705-29992-vwtymp.jpg\"><\/a><figcaption>\n              <span class=\"caption\">As early as 1984, even the Berenstains had something to say about screen time.<\/span><br \/>\n              <span class=\"attribution\"><a class=\"source\" href=\"http:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/12152\/the-berenstain-bears-and-too-much-tv-by-stan-and-jan-berenstain-illustrated-by-the-authors\/9780394865706\/\">Penguin Random House<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Despite the allure of easy-to-follow rules that address parental concerns, screen time recommendations have drawn <a href=\"http:\/\/eprints.lse.ac.uk\/66927\/1\/Policy%20Brief%2017-%20Families%20%20Screen%20Time.pdf\">increasing criticism<\/a> from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/science\/head-quarters\/2017\/jan\/06\/screen-time-guidelines-need-to-be-built-on-evidence-not-hype\">wide range of experts<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In the academic world, the science supporting screen time recommendations has major limitations. Lab-based studies don\u2019t always translate to the complexities of real life. More often than not, screen time studies demonstrate <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1745691615596788\">connections between problems with well-being and media use<\/a>; they don\u2019t demonstrate that one causes the other. For example, while research suggests that there\u2019s a connection between screen time and childhood obesity, that could just mean that kids who are less active are more likely to be obese and spend more time in front of screens. The research does not suggest that screen time causes obesity.<\/p>\n<h2>Screen time today<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"align-right \">\n            <img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.theconversation.com\/files\/176465\/width237\/file-20170630-16446-2jgstb.png\"><figcaption>\n              <span class=\"caption\">One way to limit kids\u2019 screen time: apps that lock their internet usage after a certain amount of time.<\/span><br \/>\n              <span class=\"attribution\"><a class=\"source\" href=\"http:\/\/www.unglue.com\/press\/\">unGlue<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As our media practices have changed, and adults themselves have begun to spend more of their time online, the idea of screen time has not quite kept up with the times.  The world is increasingly saturated with all kinds of <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/textbooks-in-the-digital-world-78299\">positive, interactive media experiences<\/a> \u2013 for children and adults alike. Ideas about limiting screen time assume all screen experiences are equally negative for kids and that they\u2019re replacing positive offline activities.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, we know that kids do all kinds of positive things with digital media, often in ways that <a href=\"https:\/\/mitpress.mit.edu\/books\/hanging-out-messing-around-and-geeking-out\">support and are supported by \u201creal life\u201d activities<\/a> \u2013 in ways similar to adults. They go online to hang out with friends, catch up on events and seek out entertainment and information, just like anyone else.<\/p>\n<p>In my own work, I\u2019ve argued that some of the problems that parents have with kids and technology are, in fact, not about technology at all. With each generation, kids have been <a href=\"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1080\/14733285.2011.638173\">increasingly restricted<\/a> from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2015\/04\/13\/living\/feat-maryland-free-range-parenting-family-under-investigation-again\/index.html\">going outside on their own<\/a>. With fewer private spaces to be a kid, we shouldn\u2019t be surprised when kids turn to social media apps to hang out and socialize \u2013 and get upset when we stop them.<\/p>\n<p>What looks like a \u201cwaste of time\u201d or an \u201caddiction\u201d is often just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/242101479_Questioning_the_Generational_Divide_Technological_Exoticism_and_Adult_Constructions_of_Online_Youth_Identity\">everyday hanging out<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n            <img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.theconversation.com\/files\/176448\/width754\/file-20170630-21184-jikdnd.jpg\"><figcaption>\n              <span class=\"caption\">Should kids be allowed outside \u2013 away from their devices \u2013 alone? The Meitiv family of Silver Spring, Maryland, faced an investigation after allowing their children to play in a local park unsupervised.<\/span><br \/>\n              <span class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"source\">AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana<\/span><\/span><br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>So what should parents do?<\/h2>\n<p>How, then, can parents get a handle on their children\u2019s media use? As always, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.danah.org\/books\/ItsComplicated.pdf\">it\u2019s complicated<\/a> \u2013 and no expert advice should trump the real, everyday experiences that parents have with their own children. That said, there are some general guidelines that can help.<\/p>\n<p>First, parents should get away from ideas about time and focus more on the <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.lse.ac.uk\/mediapolicyproject\/2016\/08\/05\/the-content-and-context-of-screen-use-is-more-important-than-the-amount-of-screen-time\/\">content, context and connections<\/a> provided by different kinds of engagement with media. There\u2019s a world of difference between spending a few hours playing games with close friends online and spending a few hours interacting with hate groups in an online forum.   <\/p>\n<p>Second, parents should ask <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.lse.ac.uk\/parenting4digitalfuture\/2016\/10\/21\/new-screen-time-rules-from-the-american-academy-of-pediatrics\/\">real questions concerning the well-being of their children<\/a>, independent of their media use. Are your children healthy, socially engaged, doing well in school and generally happy? If so, there\u2019s probably no need to enforce hard restrictions on technology. If not, it\u2019s best not to rush to conclusions about the inherent evils of technology. Have a conversation with kids about what they\u2019re doing and what they think the rules should be. Unilaterally cutting kids off without understanding their problems can often <a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/entry\/warning-screen-time-rules-can-backfire_us_5925d374e4b090bac9d46b07\">make things worse<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.edu.au\/content\/79538\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/>Finally, parents should remember that there\u2019s no substitute for a meaningful, supportive relationship between parents and children. With a stable, trusting relationship, even negative experiences online can become positive learning experiences. In my many years of working with families, I\u2019ve learned that if you already care enough to be worried about digital media, you\u2019re probably already \u201cdoing enough\u201d to protect your kids.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n            <img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.theconversation.com\/files\/176451\/width754\/file-20170630-22617-18kaozg.jpg\"><figcaption>\n              <span class=\"caption\">Monitoring children\u2019s media consumption is important, but there\u2019s no substitute for quality family time.<\/span><br \/>\n              <span class=\"attribution\"><a class=\"source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/nathaninsandiego\/3995036506\/\">Nathan Rupert<\/a>, <a class=\"license\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/nathan-fisk-376195\">Nathan Fisk<\/a>, Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity Education, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-south-florida-1359\">University of South Florida<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>This article was originally published on <a href=\"http:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a>. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/screen-time-is-about-more-than-setting-limits-79538\">original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nathan Fisk, University of South Florida In today\u2019s media-rich world (or media-saturated, depending on your view), one rarely has to look far to find parents concerned about the ways that kids engage with technology. Recently, managing \u201cscreen time\u201d seems to be on everyone\u2019s mind \u2013 particularly during these summer months when kids find themselves with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":9534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[292],"tags":[2712,2708,2711,2705,2714,816,981,1229,651,1034,2709,2713,2710,2715,487,702,933,2706,2027,2707],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9533"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9533"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9533\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9535,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9533\/revisions\/9535"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}