Screen time and kids

This week we talk about screen time. Are our kids getting too much screen time, how does it effect them and what are some different strategies for dealing with the stimulating and addictive nature of screens and our kids... whether watching videos/movies/showes, playing video games or on a social media / social network platform.

 

NOTES:

This Weeks Whiskey: Branch and Barrel, CO  With the majority of kids doing school virtually, nearly every kid has much more screen time to facilitate their education and school time... but what are the downsides of kids learning via screens and video, rather than in-person instruction and text / reading in books. It's a different part of the brain that engages and processes reading text (dealing with logic, categories, ideas and reason), while it's a different part of the brain that process videos (dealing with impressions, feelings and emotions)... which literally results in the brain to be wired differently and process information differently based on if they are primarily raised  or learning via video images vs. reading. Do we as parents default to allowing more screen time for our kids then we should, because it's easier for us to not be bothered because the screen is acting as their "baby sitter". The information we consume about our larger world, affects and alters our perspective of the condition and how safe the world we live in is... and it's likely that that perspective is not our experience or really reflect reality. Common wisdom says that our kids need a phone for "safety" to be able to get ahold of them, which gives the kid access to an incredibly addictive medium with access to a world of information (assuming they have a smart phone)... which is very dangerous. Like many things, how involved and intentional the parents are in their kids lives will have the biggest impact on the extent of how good or negative the screen use will be. When watching movies or letting our kids play video games, it's essential we are intentional with our kids to "debrief" with them and talk about the messages and narrative of the story. So we can help them not just be passive consumers of entertainment but to be thoughtful engagers of culture and entertainment to pick out the messages that aren't compatible with God and a biblical world view. Messages in entertainment (and from the world in general) are either True (good and compatible with what God loves), lies (opposes God) or needs to be redeemed (is a twisted truth - started off as something good that God created but has been tainted, like how the world views sex). It's our job as parents to guide our kids and protect them not just from the effects of too much screen time but also protect them from online dangers of access to certain information, images and predators.  It's essential that we are involved in their screen time, what they are watching, playing or what apps they are using. Make sure they are using their screens in a public family area, not alone in their rooms and have limitations and guidelines around their use. 

 

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