Screen Time

According to Neilsens statistics, children aged 2-11, in the year 2009, spent at least 28 hours per week in front of a screen of some kind.  That’s more hours per week than in a classroom, talking, eating, or playing.  This does not even account for what likely is an even larger number by the 12-18 year old group.  This is becoming a reality of our world, you have to be able to use the cell phone and the computer to communicate well.  How much is too much though?  Are we losing the ability to communicate effectively and face to face (and those two often go hand in hand)? 

You may remember your early days of messenger and emails and message boards.  You offended and were offended very easily, this was an evolving technology and we didn’t know how to deal with it. 

Sadly, our children are growing up with technology and we assume they know how to use it.  We don’t recognize that the ability to use the technology is not the same as being able to handle it.  Teach your children to talk when they need to talk and text or message when its appropriate.  Teach them that arguing things out online or via phone messages is not an effective way of dealing with important situations.  More will be said about texting later.  

Screen time, its here to stay, but we own it, it doesn’t own us.  Or our kids.