This is really so helpful! My 8 and 5 year old have a pretty decent level of screen time, especially when it's so hot in the summer but it's almost entirely PBSkids app shows or Bluey - sometimes on the TV and sometimes on their Kindles - this makes me feel like it's not all terrible! My 8 year old is extremely into Arthur which I also loved as a kid in the 1990s and we've had a lot of fun discussing the episodes and me reminiscing about watching it with my brothers! (the music video episode I still knew by heart "having fun isn't hard when you have a library card!") There are also several episodes where Marc Brown shows how to draw a character at the end and so I now have many well drawn Arthur characters adorning our home.
Thanks for summarising this research. It has always seemed obvious that the increase in social struggles and emotional regulation is linked to a lower quality of attention from adults. Glad the research is out there
My son is now a teenager & screen time has a whole lot of other meaning for us at the moment. However, I’d like to address this as a children’s storyteller. I’ve been working with children (largely in India) for over 10 years now.
When I transitioned from digital media (I was a TV journalist / producer) to the world of oral storytelling, we were not scrambling for attention with YouTube. You didn’t see children with screens ALL the time. However, very early on, a business mentor quipped and chastised me for attempting to tell stories to children when there is YouTube to entertain them.
During the pandemic all of us transitioned to the screen to reach our audience, big and small. I once told stories to over 1000 children online! 😳 I was aghast at the organiser’s approach to it all! *“Children are used to sit with screens. If you’re entertaining enough, they will stay till the end.”* I didn’t know who were they more confident about…children or the storyteller?
Having said that, I still believe, a good digital product that brings a family together is a useful piece of content. I tried doing that my podcast, **Golpo: Stories from Around the World.** My stories were meant to spark conversations - at dinner time, during travels, or bedtimes.
When it comes to children & families, nothing beats the magic of LIVE, interactive storytelling. Even if the stories are prerecorded, they MUST demand the coming together of families. Sometimes we have to convince the grown up to stop adulting and try *childing* everyday!
A certain Ms Rachel is more attractive than any of us who can sing and charm children if you bring them to us. Alas! Ms Rachel comes in your smart phone, we may be a few miles away…
Ten years back, when I was snubbed I was hurt and angry. Today, a children’s storyteller is really competing with a screen! It’s getting tough!
Most of our family lives multiple states away from us and our two-year-old. Do you have any insight into the use of video calls? Generally we are present and also talking with whoever is on the other end of the line, and our two-year-old recognizes his family and wants to interact with them. I struggle with trying to balance keeping him connected to his grandparents and cousins, and my worries about integrating a device into play time, breakfast, etc. He also loves to look at photos and videos of himself and family, much like I liked to look at photo albums as a kid. How do we reconcile the pros and cons of the presence of tech in the life of our toddler?
Hi Maggie! We are in India, living away from my parents who live in another city. Long before Apple devices, we would Skype with our parents so they could see their infant grandson. By the time we our son reached 4-5, some of us got our first iPhones. My son got used to talking to his grandparents every day twice or sometimes more. Screen time with grandparents has been a highlight for us. We have simulated meal time conversations as a family, keeping the screen on the fourth chair on the table. Until my father’s passing in March this year, my son and he would speak everyday in the evenings. Both looked forward to it. My son turns a teenager next month. He is busier now. However he misses his chat with his grandpa. I’d say, this is a meaningful use and association of screen time.
I have many thoughts about swimming lessons, so I hope you write about it!
I have a newsletter on swim lessons!
https://parentingtranslator.substack.com/p/does-your-child-need-swim-lessons
This is really so helpful! My 8 and 5 year old have a pretty decent level of screen time, especially when it's so hot in the summer but it's almost entirely PBSkids app shows or Bluey - sometimes on the TV and sometimes on their Kindles - this makes me feel like it's not all terrible! My 8 year old is extremely into Arthur which I also loved as a kid in the 1990s and we've had a lot of fun discussing the episodes and me reminiscing about watching it with my brothers! (the music video episode I still knew by heart "having fun isn't hard when you have a library card!") There are also several episodes where Marc Brown shows how to draw a character at the end and so I now have many well drawn Arthur characters adorning our home.
I love the PBSKids app for my kids too!
Thanks for summarising this research. It has always seemed obvious that the increase in social struggles and emotional regulation is linked to a lower quality of attention from adults. Glad the research is out there
Thanks for writing this post!
My son is now a teenager & screen time has a whole lot of other meaning for us at the moment. However, I’d like to address this as a children’s storyteller. I’ve been working with children (largely in India) for over 10 years now.
When I transitioned from digital media (I was a TV journalist / producer) to the world of oral storytelling, we were not scrambling for attention with YouTube. You didn’t see children with screens ALL the time. However, very early on, a business mentor quipped and chastised me for attempting to tell stories to children when there is YouTube to entertain them.
During the pandemic all of us transitioned to the screen to reach our audience, big and small. I once told stories to over 1000 children online! 😳 I was aghast at the organiser’s approach to it all! *“Children are used to sit with screens. If you’re entertaining enough, they will stay till the end.”* I didn’t know who were they more confident about…children or the storyteller?
Having said that, I still believe, a good digital product that brings a family together is a useful piece of content. I tried doing that my podcast, **Golpo: Stories from Around the World.** My stories were meant to spark conversations - at dinner time, during travels, or bedtimes.
When it comes to children & families, nothing beats the magic of LIVE, interactive storytelling. Even if the stories are prerecorded, they MUST demand the coming together of families. Sometimes we have to convince the grown up to stop adulting and try *childing* everyday!
A certain Ms Rachel is more attractive than any of us who can sing and charm children if you bring them to us. Alas! Ms Rachel comes in your smart phone, we may be a few miles away…
Ten years back, when I was snubbed I was hurt and angry. Today, a children’s storyteller is really competing with a screen! It’s getting tough!
I loved this! Thank you!
Most of our family lives multiple states away from us and our two-year-old. Do you have any insight into the use of video calls? Generally we are present and also talking with whoever is on the other end of the line, and our two-year-old recognizes his family and wants to interact with them. I struggle with trying to balance keeping him connected to his grandparents and cousins, and my worries about integrating a device into play time, breakfast, etc. He also loves to look at photos and videos of himself and family, much like I liked to look at photo albums as a kid. How do we reconcile the pros and cons of the presence of tech in the life of our toddler?
Hi Maggie! We are in India, living away from my parents who live in another city. Long before Apple devices, we would Skype with our parents so they could see their infant grandson. By the time we our son reached 4-5, some of us got our first iPhones. My son got used to talking to his grandparents every day twice or sometimes more. Screen time with grandparents has been a highlight for us. We have simulated meal time conversations as a family, keeping the screen on the fourth chair on the table. Until my father’s passing in March this year, my son and he would speak everyday in the evenings. Both looked forward to it. My son turns a teenager next month. He is busier now. However he misses his chat with his grandpa. I’d say, this is a meaningful use and association of screen time.