Is your screentime affecting your tween?

Plus: What Can Parents Do About Technoference?

Author

Lakshmi Jayanthi
August 20, 2024

Just yesterday, I waved goodbye to my youngest as he climbed onto the school bus, backpack almost as big as he is. And what did I do the moment he was out of sight? You guessed it - whipped out my phone to check my emails. 🙈

It got me thinking about how often I reach for my phone without even realizing it. We’ve all been there - sneaking a quick peek at our phones while the kids are playing, or scrolling through social media during family time. It seems harmless, right? Well, a recent study has got me thinking twice about my screen habits.

Source: Cheezburger.com

The study found that pre-teens whose parents were more engrossed in their phones reported higher rates of anxiety, hyperactivity, and attention issues.

Brandon McDaniel, an assistant professor of Human Development and Family Science at Illinois State University even coined a term for this: “technoference”- the interruption of our routines and social interactions due to technology use.

As a mom who’s passionate about getting kids active and engaged, this hit home for me. The research suggests that this “technoference” can lead to:

  • Less attention paid to our children

  • Reduced parent-child conversation and play

  • Even a higher risk for child injuries

So, What Can We Do?

Now I haven’t cracked the magic code to reducing screen time, but here are a few tricks I’m trying:

  • Grayscale is the new black: Turn your phone display to grayscale. Suddenly, those colorful app icons look about as exciting as a bowl of unsweetened oatmeal.

  • Silence the social media circus: Turn off those pesky notifications. Do we really need to know instantly every time someone likes our 10-year-old throwback pic?

  • The hair tie trick: Slap a hair tie or elastic around your phone. Every time you take it off, it’s like a little nudge saying, “Hey you, do you really need to check your phone right now?”

Source: New York Times

Source: Wing Assistant

  • Timebox that screen time: Set specific times for checking emails or mindless scrolling. Your mental health (and your kids) will thank you.

Here’s a mind-bender for you: The average person picks up their phone about 100 times a day and spends more than 4 hours on it. That’s like.….. half a workday 😲 Imagine what we could do with all that time!

So, here’s my challenge to you this week, Pickup Sports style: For every 30 minutes you'd usually spend on your phone, try spending 10 of those minutes being active with your kids instead. Have a dance-off, play catch, or join a pickup game, make the most of the last days of summer!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this! Got any clever tricks for managing screen time in your family? Hit reply and spill the beans – I'm always on the hunt for new ideas to share with our Pickup Sports tribe ✌🏽