Creating Offline Time

Parents want to know: What is right amount of Screentime? 

Parents always ask me for a specific number of hours. With younger kids it’s easy to recommend (following the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations) to limit screen time for children under 2 to avoid media use, preschools to have no more than 1 hour of high-quality programing, and grade-schooler/ teens to not let media displace other important activities. 

With remote learning and as kids get older and need to use devices for homework, research and as a socialization outlet the waters get a little murky. I would then encourage parents to instead focus on the time spent offline. Not only is this easier to calculate, it also makes it more manageable. Personally I like to encourage my kids to get at least 2 hours of outside time in everyday (and yes this includes the rain and the cold of winter). We usually make this time spent together taking the dog for a walk, playing a game of soccer/ basketball, or exploring the woods near our house. If outdoors isn’t your thing, cooking up a snack or treat in the kitchen, playing a board game, getting a workout in, or crafting could be great options for offline time. Our kids (especially once they have their own devices) may need help making a list of potential offline activities. This may seem crazy but for kids mindlessly scrolling Instagram or playing a mindless game on their phone is simple and easy. Helping them brainstorm a list of non-screen ideas gives them a jumping off point for offline time. 

Some ideas for offline time may include: 

• Taking a walk
• Playing a board game
• Reading a book
• Playing a board game
• Playing their favorite sport (soccer, basketball, etc.)
• Dancing to their favorite songs
• Making something (legos, beading, crafts, making a card, painting, drawing, etc.)
• Cooking something (snack, dinner prep, treat)
• Cleaning their room 
• Doing a load of laundry 
• Yard work (pick up sticks/ leaves. shoveling snow)
• Play a card game
• Doing a puzzle 
• Creating a skit/ show with costumes (can even be videoed and sent to grandparents) 
• Choreographing a dance (again can be videos and sent to grandparents— not for TikTok)

As a parent creating a screen-free time for the entire family EVERYDAY is a helpful strategy for creating offline experiences. This can be a family rule of screen-free dinners. If you find your kids are rushing through dinner to get back to their phones, then having a set time (like from 6-7pm) every day where everyone in the family (and YES THAT MEANS YOU TOO) have to put phones away. The most important part of screen-free time is that you the parent follows the rule as well to set the example for the child that offline time is important to create a healthy tech relationship. If you can’t put your phone away for an hour or during the meal, how can you expect your child to do the same? 

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Parenting in the Digital Age Infographic

Technology Myth

One of the Myths that is perpetuated online is that one policy of time limits fits for all kids and that's simply just not true. Technology- use is never going to be a one- size- fits all strategy when we talk about screen time, apps, games and devices. What works for some kids will not work for others. Just like with parenting, it takes some trial and error to find the right fit for your child. Personally my son needs a hard limit set (prior to use) for time and for certain shows/apps/games or he becomes hyperactive and has a meltdown when the time is over. I've also noticed certain things make him more aggressive so we don't allow him to watch/ play those games and shows. Find what works for your family and your child. 

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Summer Break

School is almost out for Summer Break (whether or not we are ready to have the kids home). It's easy to start the summer off saying we are going to have screen time limits and then 2 weeks pass and boredom and frustration set it and the next thing you know the kids are watching Netflix marathons and haven't gotten out of the pajamas in days. To avoid this scenario, approach the summer with a set plan for media use. A good start is creating a Family Media Plan and then adjusting for the summer months. A summer chart check list can also be helpful in setting up your child for a healthy and balanced summer break. 

What's a Family Media Plan you might ask? A Family Media Plan is a set of guidelines customized to your family values that establishes how, when and where technology is used. It can include screen-free times, screen-free zones, device curfew, safety and digital citizenship. The simple act of having a discussion about media use in your household will hep your family identify the purpose of using technology (work, school work, social interactions, communication, games, etc) and create a balance between your online and off-line lives. Over the summer months kids can easily play video games, binge Netflix's or text into the night hours, then sleep half the day away and get nothing accomplished. Check out a full article on the topic here: https://www.teachingdigitalliteracy.com/2018/09/creating-family-media-plan.html

Here's a quick chart to help keep kids on track during the summer months and create a healthy routine yet still allow them to enjoy their extra screen time. 

This chart can easily be adjusted based on your child's age or developmental level. We typical do 'homeschool' time right after breakfast which includes summer workbook and reading time while my boys are most focused, least tired and the least likely to push-back on doing the work. It's important to find your own grove with what works for your family. 

Happy Summer!

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Finding Balance with Devices Visual Aid

Since I'm a visual person I regularly utilize visual aids when teaching. Here is the visual from an earlier blog post that provides tips for your kids to help find a balance with Technology so it doesn't interfere negatively into their routines and life. 

You can find the original blog post with more information here: https://www.teachingdigitalliteracy.com

Creating a Positive Relationship with Technology:

As parents we need to set the standard regarding technology use. If we want our kids to develop a healthy online/offline balance, they need to see us as parents doing the same. 

How to create a positive relationship with Technology: 

• Sets boundaries regarding Technology use
• Set screen-time limits, downtime and screen-free times for yourself. This could include screen-free meals, screen-free zones in the house (like the bedroom or dinning room), and downtime (like before bed). I also like to include app limits (like on social media apps) so that I'm reminded when I've hit a certain time. Since I do need to use social media for blogging and growing my page by setting app limits I'm more purposeful when I am using the app and don't get sucked into the mindless searching or scrolling that sometimes occurs on these apps. This could also mean restricting device-use in bedrooms so that everyone can get a better nights sleep.
• Sets tech-positive environment 
• How do you look at technology? Is it a tool to make your life easier? Creating a tech-positive environment is about how you react and look at technology. If we can demonstrate that there our times for technology use and times (like family time or meal time) where we unplug we can help create a balance. Try not to judge what your child might be interested in. Certain apps, games and YouTube videos may seem odd to you but try and ask why your child is interested in them. Using curiosity instead of judgement will help foster a tech-positive environment and open communication. Creating a Family Media Plan and following it as a family will also help create a tech-positive environment. 
• Models acceptable and respectful online activities 
• When online we as parents should use positive language and show our kids positive social interactions. We can also demonstrate consent by asking our kids permission before posting images or videos of them. If we can model acceptable online behavior our kids will follow suit. 

Please follow us @TeachingDigitalLiteracy on Instagram for weekly quotes, inspiration and helpful information about technology. 

Setting Up Parental Controls in YouTube Kids

I have always had a love/hate relationship with YouTube and YouTube Kids. It offers a wealth of useful how-to videos and interesting clips but kids can easily fall down a rabbit hole of odd, weird and sometimes inappropriate videos. I have resisted setting up the YouTube Kids App on my 5 year olds iPad. With the onset of complaints from parents regarding inappropriate videos YouTube Kids has been updated with new parent safety controls that make me feel  more comfortable in letting my son use the app. 

How to Set up Parental Controls on YouTube Kids: 

Photo: YouTube Kids

1. Open Settings 
2. Select Child’s profile 
3. Go to “approved content only.” Add channels (like PBS Kids or Sesame Street) that you approve. *This turns off your kids ability to search for content and only will show them channels you approve. 

Some things to note about YouTube Kids’ New Features: 

• There is an older kids mode (geared towards age 8-12) which offers more content such as music and gaming videos. 
• You can add different children into the App so that each child has there own profile with safety setting and channels and search capabilities set to the specific child’s developmental ability. 
• Time Limits can also be set. 
• Block videos you don’t want your kids viewing 
• Check out what your kids are watching with ‘Watch History’

Photo: YouTube Kids

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Technology: A tool or a distraction?

Is Technology a distraction for your Child? Is homework taking hours every night? Is your kid waking up tired because their sleep is being disrupted by devices or notifications? 

These are serious questions parents have regarding their young tween or teenager. I frequently hear these issues brought up by parents as a major concern of technology; Is it a distraction for my kid? 

Tips to help your kids find balance with Technology: 

• Turn off the Wifi: Have kids do their offline work first (even an online assignment or post can be written separately and then uploaded) to help them focus on the task at hand. 
• Remove other devices: If they are working on the computer, the phone doesn't need to be right next to them. It will only be a cause of distraction if a notification comes up. If they insist on having it next to them, turn on the ‘Do not disturb’ setting to help minimize distractions. 
• Make them sit in the kitchen or dinning room instead of their room: Some kids need a little help staying on task and being in the same room will help. 
• Use apps, settings or website blockers to block distractions: Along with turning off WifI you can use tools like Freedom or Leechblock or screen-time limits to block out the distractions. While not all kids will appreciate these tools, it’s nice to know they are available if needed.  
• Model for your kids: It’s important that kids see you putting your phone away during screen free time/ family time or meals. I also found talking about how my productivity goes down when I’m distracted by social media or checking email if I’m in the middle of writing and have a deadline due. 
• Setting time limits: Again this depends on the kid, but setting a time limit for the online work can help some kids focus on the task at hand. 
• Print text: Some kids have a hard time focusing when reading text and articles online. The environmentalist in me hates suggesting this strategy but the teacher in me knows that some learners benefit from having the physical paper in front of them. This allows them to highlight and take notes and takes away the temptation factor when reading text online.  

Every child is different and limiting tech distractions will vary based on the child. It’s easy to get frustrated with our children's inability to focus when using Technology and devices. Instead of getting frustrated try helping them set up strategies for removing distractions. In a 2017 Study of College students published in the Journal of Social Psychological and Personality the authors found that successful goal- attainment was not in fact due to ones self-control but actually attributed to eliminating temptation (aka distractions). As parents we can start teaching strategies to eliminate distractions when our kids are young so that they can be successful when they get to college and beyond. If we take away the idea that self- control is linked to success and emphasis eliminating distractions, we are giving our children tangible strategies they can use to attain their goals. 

Milyavskaya, M., & Inzlicht, M. (2017). What’s So Great About Self-Control? Examining the Importance of Effortful Self-Control and Temptation in Predicting Real-Life Depletion and Goal Attainment. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 8(6), 603–611. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550616679237

Tips for approaching Screen-time with young children:

• OBSERVE the child’s behavior. When using high-quality, age-appropriate media, kids will exhibit positive behavior. 

• SCREEN what the child is watching, viewing and playing before they do. There is no criteria to be an “educational app” even though many apps parents find in the app store label themselves as such yet have no research supporting this claim. Choosing shows, movies, apps, and games that are age-appropriate is key for learning to occur. 
• For children under 18 months media should be avoided (except video-chatting). 
• For children 18-24 months viewing high quality media with the child is most effective (avoid solo media use at this age). 
• For children 2-5 years old, co-viewing is the most effective way to use media, limit to under 2 hours a day, avoid fast-paced media, avoid those with advertisements, and talk with children about what they are viewing and try to make a connection to the world around them. 

• DIVERSIFY the media. Not all media was created equal; passively watching TV is very different than an educational app or game. As children get older they will be using computes and devices in schools and a set amount of screen time will be difficult to enforce. Time spent with technology should be diversified over apps, gaming, research and homework, social networking and entertainment. The goal is for children to be well-adjusted socially and emotionally both online and offline.

• TURN OFF background television as it can distract children from creative play and can limit parent-child interactions. 

• TALK with the child about what they are viewing, why they find it interesting and how it makes them feel. Create an open dialogue. As children get older they may come across images, comments or content that is hateful, inappropriate or makes them uncomfortable. If you approach social media and technology with open dialogue, if a situation arises the child will come to you and you can work through it.

• Create a MEDIA PLAN that works for your family and then enforce it consistently. This could include screen-free times such as during dinner or having screen-free rooms like the kitchen or bedrooms. This also means setting limits based on the child's age or time of day. Its recommended that screens should be limited an hour before bedtime as it can interfere with sleep.  For older children charging of devices should NOT be done in bedrooms so sleep won't be interrrupted or distract before bedtime. Having the conversation with your partner early about the purpose of media and screen time within your family helps sets the stage for the future. Every child and every family will have a different media plan. Be realistic about your families needs. 

• And always MODEL the behavior you want from your children with media use. They are watching everything you do. For young children it is helpful to narrate what you are doing when you are on your phone or computer. As adults we frequently use our devices for work or other necessary times and saying “Mommy needs to answer this email to her client right now but will be able to play once I’m finished” will help young children put a context and purpose to what you are doing. 

How to Utilize the new iOS 12 Parental Controls

Apple’s newest iOS 12 update is changing the way we use screen time in a positive way. These new features will provide you and your child with vital feedback about how much screen time you're actually using and makes it easy to set limits and privacy setting. Some of these features will be similar to family sharing (if you’ve set one up) but there are added features in this newest update that combine everything into one place under settings. Setting limits and content & privacy restrictions can be done in 2 different ways: set up family sharing and control the device remotely, or you can set limits directly on the kids device with a password- protected code in settings. 

How do you utilize the parental controls in Apple’s new iOS 12 update?

Step 1: Head to settings and scroll down to ScreenTime. 

Step 2: Set your Usage: This will show how much time was spent on the device and where and when (time of day) the device was being used. Most interestingly it shows information regarding your usage based on the categories (social networking, entertainment, etc.) and the specific app itself (Instagram, Fortnite, etc.). You can also see how many notifications the device received and where from.  

Step 3: App Limits: App limits can be set for specific apps or for an entire category of app (such as Entertainment or social networking). Limits can also be set for “All Apps & Categories” as well. Once a limit has been set the user will receive a notification 5 minutes before the limit expires. Once they hit the time restriction, they can request more time from you. If you set a time limit for yourself you can choose to ignore the limit for that day or set 15 more minutes.  

TIP: Limits can be set for an entire category such as social networking or can be set directly onto the specific app itself (such as for Instagram).

TIP: For older kids the goal should be for them to set their own limits. These new features allow you to start the conversation about how much time is being spent on their device and how that might be affecting the online/offline balance on their lives (i.e. the struggle to get their homework done). The Family Media Plan should also be looked at and revised if necessary with kids goals. If you allow kids to set their own goals they will have more ownership of them and less arguments about screen-limits. 

Step 4: Schedule Downtime: This feature allows you to set time away. You can specify which apps are allowed during this time (phone calls will still be available). This feature is ideal for helping to set a healthy bedtime routine. If your kid uses a sound machine app to help them fall asleep you can allow just that app to be accessed during downtime. 

TIP: Most likely if your kids are older and have their own phones you will need to have a discussion with them about why you need to set downtime and include that research suggests turning off devices one hour before bedtime to help the mind wind down. This opens up time before bed for reading. Downtime can also be scheduled at meal times or other times during the day you don't want the device being used.

Step 5: Content & Privacy Restrictions: This is similar to the previous restrictions settings. Here you can control and block inappropriate content, iTunes and App purchases can be limited. You can also set content restrictions or explicit music, podcasts & news, movies/TV Shows/ Books based on age (example you can set movies to G rated only). Websites can be limited to specific websites you set (for younger kids) or limit adult websites (for older children). Siri can have limits set for explicit language. And finally game center can have limits for adding friends, not allowing screen recordings and not allowing multiplayer games. Under privacy settings location services can be turned on as well for your child’s safety so you can see where they are. 

TIP: Younger users would benefit from limits that aren’t appropriate and they could stumble upon. With older kids the best method for dealing with privacy settings will be a continued conversation about why a limit needs to be set or a setting turned on like location services. Making in-app purchases and gaming with friends is something that older children can earn through responsible technology use. As long as the conversation regarding media use remains open and ongoing, limits can be adjusted to fit the needs of the family and of the child. There will be natural periods of heavier and lighter media use and as long as a balance is reached then it shouldn’t be a problem.  

NOTE: I’d like to leave a quick note that although these parental features are helpful and will hopefully create less tantrums when device time is over, it is still important to mentor and provide guidance to our kids. As long as your kids use devices, ongoing conversations between you and your child will be necessary so that they can become competent digital users. As parents and educations we want our children to have the tools to navigate technology and become technological literate and good digital citizens.