We are hearing the warnings everyday. Too much technology and social media is creating kids with short attention spans, lower levels of well-being feelings and social dysfunctions. But, what is too much plugged in time? How are we to know where to draw the line? Maybe the answer lies in your child’s actions. If your child can’t be dragged off a devise, claims other activities are boring, refuses to engage with friends, and generally only wants to play or communicate through a devise, then the chances are good that too much time is being spent with technology. In short, if your child is plugged in and tuned out, they are using it too much! Around our house, we had a rule that for every hour on a devise another hour had to be spent on a more engaging activity like playing outside or building legos. We also required our boys to read an hour for every hour spent on a video game. If I recall, my parents did the same thing when I was a kid. The big worry then was watching too much TV. The good news then was you couldn’t carry your TV around everywhere you went like kids can today which creates a much bigger challenge for parents now. Do you have recommendations on how to make sure your kids don’t stay too plugged-in? Please share your ideas with us!
