#screen-free — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #screen-free, aggregated by home.social.
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Resources for Christian Discipline @resourcesforchristiandiscipline.com@resourcesforchristiandiscipline.com ·Screen Time
13 minutesHelping our children build a healthy relationship with technology.
We are the first generation of parents raising children in a world where technology is this accessible, this immersive, and this unavoidable. Which means it’s an unprecedented time in terms of parenting. Today, screen use requires regular evaluations as studies revel more about tech use and as our children grow. I do not have ‘the right’ answers on what to do with what we know so far, but I can provide suggestions to guide our children towards a healthy relationship with technology.
Here is what the research says about children and screens, starting with the youngest:
- Toddlers with more than two hours of screen time per day have higher odds of language delay compared to those with limited exposure.
- One study found children spent an average of two hours on screens each day by age two.
- A 2020 review of 42 studies found that children who spent more time on screens had lower language skills.
- A 2024 systematic review found growing concerns about the association between screen time in children under five and motor development, including both gross and fine motor skills.
- Another study of children aged 3 to 5 found that screen time (depending on length of use) can negatively impact brain development in areas responsible for empathy, attention, complex memory, and early reading skills.
- Researchers did find one accelerated area: visual processing.
While the research does not conclusively point to eliminating screens entirely for under-fives, the evidence is clear enough to support highly limiting young children’s screen time. Especially when you consider how God has designed children to learn and develop. The early years of a child’s life represent one of the most critical windows of brain development that will ever exist. The brain during this time is particularly plastic and responsive to environmental stimuli. Sensory inputs like visual, auditory, and tactile experiences form the synaptic connections foundational for learning, memory, language, motor coordination, and social bonding. Higher level skills like language are built on a foundation of sensory development, formed by interacting with people and their environment. A screen cannot replicate that. Every hour spent passively in front of one is an hour the brain is not building those foundations.
Not all screen time is bad. High quality educational screen time carries real benefits for children over five. Research shows no negative health associations with educational-focused sessions, and links to improved problem-solving, digital literacy, and cognitive development. Children can explore almost any subject at their own pace, with personalized content that was once hard to access.
Signs of quality educational media:
- A clear learning goal. The child is building a skill, learning content, or solving problems
- Requires the child to think, respond, or make decisions (interactive, not passive)
- Moves at the child’s pace rather than rushing to the next dopamine hit
- Little to no advertising
Red flags:
- Autoplay- the next video or level starts without the child choosing it
- Loud, fast, highly stimulating visuals designed to hold attention rather than build it
- Frequent ads or in-app purchases
- No clear educational purpose and entertainment is dressed up as learning
- Your child becomes dysregulated, irritable, or resistant to stopping
- You feel vaguely uncomfortable but can’t explain why. Trust your instincts
Negative impact on sleep when a device is used in bed: The studies and results around this are extensive, robust, and absolute. The child who gets into bed and grabs a screen will categorically lower the quality of their sleep. Sleep is where it all starts. It is foundational to raising physically and psychologically healthy children. Chronic sleep disturbance is linked to poor food choices, low energy, obesity, reduced immunity, stunted growth, and a range of mental health issues. God designed childhood development with great care and purpose, and protecting our children’s sleep is a faithful ways to steward it. Devices at bedtime harm children’s health, both physically and mentally. This is not a gray area. And it is not something parents can claim they have no control over.
Research on general screen time and mental health is less conclusive, but the research connecting social media to poor mental health (particularly in kids and teens) is clear and well-established. Oxford University found that high social media use was linked to depression in twice as many boys and three times as many girls compared to no use at all. For girls especially, the association between social media and poor mental health is stronger than the link between mental health and binge drinking or hard drug use.
Here is research on teenagers and screens:
- The average teenager spends 8 hours and 39 minutes on screens every day. And that does not include screen time connected with school or homework.
- 95% of teenagers have access to a smartphone. In 2015, roughly one in four teens reported being online almost constantly. By 2024, that number climbed to nearly half.
- One study found that limiting social media to one hour per day led to significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and FOMO, along with improved sleep, compared to a group with unrestricted access. You might think less social media would lead to more FOMO, but the opposite was true. There was a brief spike at first, but it faded within days.
For children over five, time spent on technology is not the big problem, it’s what the child is doing on the screen that matters more. To help parents facilitate screens in a way that actually helps children grow, we need to recognize “quality over quantity and consumption vs creation” (Issy Butson, Stark Raving Dad, Episode 25). A child who spends two hours a day scrolling and being entertained is in a very different place than a child who spends five hours learning to code in Scratch or editing their first short film.
Screen time with quality creating-type media invites our children to learn, build, create, think, and grow. This is where the bulk of screen time should be spent. Think Minecraft or Scratch for building and coding, Khan Academy or Udemy for learning at their own pace, GarageBand or iMovie for musical and creative expression, and Zoom for connecting to live piano lessons or tutoring. The internet, used this way, is an extraordinary tool!
Consumption is passive entertainment with no real engagement or learning value. This includes scrolling social media, watching videos, browsing without engaging, and certain types of gaming (think Candy Crush, Subway Surfers). It isn’t inherently bad, but it needs clear limits. And your children need to understand why. Teach them that these apps are designed to be as engaging and addictive as possible, built on ads and dopamine-driven loops. Using them well requires maturity. Tell your child, if they cannot put it down when the agreed-upon time is up, they are showing you that they are not yet ready for that media. The same is true for adults. If we cannot stay in control of how long we use tech, we need a break from it.
Work out your family’s screen time rules together, keeping in mind that what works for a seven-year-old will look different for a three-year-old. Maybe an hour of consuming a day works, maybe two hours feels more realistic. Try it for a week and see. Be willing to adjust as your children grow and their needs change. And make sure your children know that you reserve the right to say, “This app is no longer working for our family.” Try again in a few months or delete it, and don’t look back.
Very young children have no real need for any consuming-type media. Most experts suggest avoiding it entirely for children under age 2, with highly limited exposure through age 5. Each family will have to decide when consistent access becomes appropriate for their child, but the guiding principle in the early years should be: if a screen is on, it should almost always be for something educational. Many apps marketed to young children hide the more educational or ad-free experience behind a paywall, while the free versions are designed primarily to keep children hooked. Find one or two worth paying for. Or don’t. Apps like YouTube Kids are not a necessary part of childhood.
That said, even quality programming is no substitute for time with you. If your three-year-old watches Daniel Tiger, sit down and watch it with them. Put your phone away. The lessons in a show like that are far more likely to stick when you engage with your child about them afterward. Screens can occasionally give you a few minutes to make a phone call or step away, and that is reasonable. What is never reasonable is doom scrolling social media or YouTube while your child sits beside you.
My recommendations. Take and leave what you want, mold it to the needs of your family.
- Don’t hand a child under 2 a smart phone or tablet. Try to use one as little possible when you are together. Be present and involve them in what is going on around you; count apples at the grocery store, find matching socks in the laundry. The ordinary moments are not obstacles to get through on the way to the good stuff. They are the good stuff. Life is mostly cooking and cleaning and running errands together, and those rhythms are where relationship is built.
- Decide how old children in your house must be to get something more advanced than a dumb phone. 14, 15? When will children get access to social media in your house. 16, 18?.
- Screen-free places and times: No screens in bedrooms, bathrooms, or at the dinner table. For younger children, no screens after dinner. You’ll have to decide what age that threshold looks like in your family. Teenagers can earn after-dinner screen time by helping in kitchen cleanup first. Then that screen time ends early enough to wind down and/or read a book, maybe around 8pm.
- Mostly screen-free places: Short car rides, restaurants, shopping. Screens used in these situations should be rare if ever. Involve your children in the real world. I know parents are tired and just need a moment to think. But handing over a screen in those moments is a slippery slope. Children make associations quickly, and then it becomes the expectation.
- Involve your child in rulemaking. Lean toward creation over consumption.
- Seek balance with screens, not total avoidance. Make sure screens are not crowding out other interests.
- It starts with us. The way we model our own relationship with technology will speak louder than anything we say about it.
Parents who stay curious and engaged about how their children use technology by asking questions, setting boundaries, and staying involved will support a child’s healthy development. Checked-out avoidance will do the opposite. Talk with your child and share what you’ve learned about screens. The key to making limits work is including your children in the conversation, in the planning, and giving them a real voice in the decisions. Focus less on screen time alone and more on what your child is using screens for, how, and when. Get those things right, and screen time will naturally begin to shape itself into something that feels healthy and balanced.
Source Notes:
Toddlers and language delay from screen time: Chonchaiya, W., & Pruksananonda, C. (2008). Television viewing associates with delayed language development. Acta Paediatrica, 97(7), 977–982. See also: Multivariate analysis findings reported in International Journal of Life Sciences, Biotechnology and Pharma Research, 9(1), 268–272. https://ijlbpr.com/uploadfiles/55vol9issue1pp268-272.20250603100113.pdf
2020 review of 42 studies on screen time and language skills: Madigan, S., Browne, D., Racine, N., Mori, C., & Tough, S. (2019). Association between screen time and children’s performance on a developmental screening test. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(3), 244–250. Summarized by the Hanen Centre: https://www.hanen.org/information-tips/does-screen-time-affect-childrens-language-develo
2024 systematic review on screen time and motor development in children under five: Bakht, D., et al. (2025). Assessing the impact of screen time on the motor development of children: A systematic review. Pediatric Discovery. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12258109
Children spending an average of 2 hours and 7 minutes on screens by age two, with only 2% meeting guidelines: Reported in Screen use by children aged under five: independent report. UK Government/Early Years Scientific Advisory Group. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69c53daf4a06660f085442a7/EYSTAG_report.pdf
Screen time and brain development in children aged 3 to 5, including negative impact on empathy, attention, complex memory, and early reading skills: Hutton, J. S., Dudley, J., Horowitz-Kraus, T., DeWitt, T., & Holland, S. K. (2020). Associations between screen-based media use and brain white matter integrity in preschool-aged children. JAMA Pediatrics, 174(1), e193869. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6884886
Brain plasticity, synaptic connections, and the critical window of early development: Brotherton, S., & Williams, R. (2023). Environment and brain interactions: Typical development of learning and memory networks from fetus to age two. Journal of Integrative Neuroscience, 24(11). https://www.imrpress.com/journal/JIN/24/11/10.31083/JIN41452. See also: Bhatt, R. S., & Bhatt, D. L. (2013). Brain development and the role of experience in the early years. Zero to Three, PMC3722610. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3722610
More than one million neural connections form per second in the early years: Harvard Center on the Developing Child. Early Brain Development and Public Health. https://developingchild.harvard.edu
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding screen media other than video chatting for children under 18 to 24 months, and highly limiting exposure through age 5: American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016). Media and young minds. Pediatrics, 138(5). https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/138/5/e20162591/60503/Media-and-Young-Minds
Research on the impact of bedtime device use on sleep quality: Carter, B., Rees, P., Hale, L., Bhattacharjee, D., & Paradkar, M. S. (2016). Association between portable screen-based media device access or use and sleep outcomes. JAMA Pediatrics, 170(12), 1202–1208. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5380441
Social media use linked to depression in boys and girls, and comparison to binge drinking and hard drug use: Goldfield, G. S. (2024). The dark side of social media. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/nz/blog/no-more-fomo/202406/the-dark-side-of-social-media
Average teenager spends 8 hours and 39 minutes on screens daily, excluding school use: Common Sense Media. (2023). Media use by tweens and teens. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/8-18-census-integrated-report-final-web_0.pdf
95% of teenagers have smartphone access; frequency of being online almost constantly rising from 24% in 2015 to nearly half by 2024: Pew Research Center. Teens and technology. https://www.pewresearch.org/topic/internet-technology/user-demographics/age-generations-tech/teens-tech
Limiting social media to one hour per day led to reductions in anxiety, depression, and FOMO, with improved sleep: Davis, C. G., & Goldfield, G. S. (2024). Limiting social media use decreases depression, anxiety, and fear of missing out in youth with emotional distress: A randomized controlled trial. Psychology of Popular Media. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000536
Consumption vs. creation framework for screen time: Butson, I. (2024). Episode 25: Finding balance with screens. Stark Raving Dad podcast. https://www.starkravingdadblog.com/episode-25-finding-balance-with-screens
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#parenting #ScreenTime #ScreenFree #ScreensAndTeens #Technology -
#TinCan is a #screenfree, #Wi-Fi enabled #phone designed for #children. It allows #voicetovoice communication with other Tin Can users and approved contacts, with parental controls accessible through a companion app. The phone is currently available in the US and Canada for £80, with plans to expand to the UK. https://www.tomsguide.com/phones/tin-can-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-viral-screen-free-phone-for-kids?eicker.news #tech #media #news
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#TinCan is a #screenfree, #Wi-Fi enabled #phone designed for #children. It allows #voicetovoice communication with other Tin Can users and approved contacts, with parental controls accessible through a companion app. The phone is currently available in the US and Canada for £80, with plans to expand to the UK. https://www.tomsguide.com/phones/tin-can-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-viral-screen-free-phone-for-kids?eicker.news #tech #media #news
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The Perfect Playroom Doesn't Exist
We put so much pressure on ourselves to have the aesthetic, perfectly organized play spaces. But kids prefer the box the toy came in. Keep it simple. Let them create.Browse all Penny Bloom books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Penny-Bloom/author/B0DYZDM2G9
#SimpleLiving #PlayBasedLearning #ParentingReality #ScreenFree
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PrimaSTEM Math drawings Heart #stem #SCREENFREE #edtech #school #kindergarten #blind #coding #mathematics
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PrimaSTEM Math drawings Heart #stem #SCREENFREE #edtech #school #kindergarten #blind #coding #mathematics
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PrimaSTEM Math drawings Spiral #stem #SCREENFREE #edtech #school #kindergarten #blind #coding #mathematics
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Turning off the screen is a powerful act of resistance and an act of care that can save Gen Alpha from the doom of distraction.
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Turning off the screen is a powerful act of resistance and an act of care that can save Gen Alpha from the doom of distraction.
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Is there still hope for kids raised by Cocomellon and Disney Plus? Yes, but the hope lies with us, the grownups, the parents---not blaming ourselves or each other--and not making excuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
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Is there still hope for kids raised by Cocomellon and Disney Plus? Yes, but the hope lies with us, the grownups, the parents---not blaming ourselves or each other--and not making excuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
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IPAD KIDS: Is Gen Alpha Doomed to Distraction?
Generations from Boomer to Gen Z are sharply differentiated by their relationship to technology. But Gen Alpha has been quite literally branded by tech--as the iPad Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
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IPAD KIDS: Is Gen Alpha Doomed to Distraction?
Generations from Boomer to Gen Z are sharply differentiated by their relationship to technology. But Gen Alpha has been quite literally branded by tech--as the iPad Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
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Turning off the screen is a powerful act of resistance and an act of care that can save Gen Alpha from the doom of distraction.
-
Turning off the screen is a powerful act of resistance and an act of care that can save Gen Alpha from the doom of distraction.
-
Is there still hope for kids raised by Cocomellon and Disney Plus? Yes, but the hope lies with us, the grownups, the parents---not blaming ourselves or each other--and not making excuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
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Is there still hope for kids raised by Cocomellon and Disney Plus? Yes, but the hope lies with us, the grownups, the parents---not blaming ourselves or each other--and not making excuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
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IPAD KIDS: Is Gen Alpha Doomed to Distraction?
Generations from Boomer to Gen Z are sharply differentiated by their relationship to technology. But Gen Alpha has been quite literally branded by tech--as the iPad Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
IPAD KIDS: Is Gen Alpha Doomed to Distraction?
Generations from Boomer to Gen Z are sharply differentiated by their relationship to technology. But Gen Alpha has been quite literally branded by tech--as the iPad Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
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Turning off the screen is a powerful act of resistance and an act of care that can save Gen Alpha from the doom of distraction.
-
Turning off the screen is a powerful act of resistance and an act of care that can save Gen Alpha from the doom of distraction.
-
Is there still hope for kids raised by Cocomellon and Disney Plus? Yes, but the hope lies with us, the grownups, the parents---not blaming ourselves or each other--and not making excuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
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Is there still hope for kids raised by Cocomellon and Disney Plus? Yes, but the hope lies with us, the grownups, the parents---not blaming ourselves or each other--and not making excuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
IPAD KIDS: Is Gen Alpha Doomed to Distraction?
Generations from Boomer to Gen Z are sharply differentiated by their relationship to technology. But Gen Alpha has been quite literally branded by tech--as the iPad Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
IPAD KIDS: Is Gen Alpha Doomed to Distraction?
Generations from Boomer to Gen Z are sharply differentiated by their relationship to technology. But Gen Alpha has been quite literally branded by tech--as the iPad Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
Turning off the screen is a powerful act of resistance and an act of care that can save Gen Alpha from the doom of distraction.
-
Turning off the screen is a powerful act of resistance and an act of care that can save Gen Alpha from the doom of distraction.
-
Is there still hope for kids raised by Cocomellon and Disney Plus? Yes, but the hope lies with us, the grownups, the parents---not blaming ourselves or each other--and not making excuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
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Is there still hope for kids raised by Cocomellon and Disney Plus? Yes, but the hope lies with us, the grownups, the parents---not blaming ourselves or each other--and not making excuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
IPAD KIDS: Is Gen Alpha Doomed to Distraction?
Generations from Boomer to Gen Z are sharply differentiated by their relationship to technology. But Gen Alpha has been quite literally branded by tech--as the iPad Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
IPAD KIDS: Is Gen Alpha Doomed to Distraction?
Generations from Boomer to Gen Z are sharply differentiated by their relationship to technology. But Gen Alpha has been quite literally branded by tech--as the iPad Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
Turning off the screen is a powerful act of resistance and an act of care that can save Gen Alpha from the doom of distraction.
-
Turning off the screen is a powerful act of resistance and an act of care that can save Gen Alpha from the doom of distraction.
-
Is there still hope for kids raised by Cocomellon and Disney Plus? Yes, but the hope lies with us, the grownups, the parents---not blaming ourselves or each other--and not making excuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
Is there still hope for kids raised by Cocomellon and Disney Plus? Yes, but the hope lies with us, the grownups, the parents---not blaming ourselves or each other--and not making excuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
IPAD KIDS: Is Gen Alpha Doomed to Distraction?
Generations from Boomer to Gen Z are sharply differentiated by their relationship to technology. But Gen Alpha has been quite literally branded by tech--as the iPad Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
IPAD KIDS: Is Gen Alpha Doomed to Distraction?
Generations from Boomer to Gen Z are sharply differentiated by their relationship to technology. But Gen Alpha has been quite literally branded by tech--as the iPad Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
Turning off the screen is a powerful act of resistance and an act of care that can save Gen Alpha from the doom of distraction.
-
Turning off the screen is a powerful act of resistance and an act of care that can save Gen Alpha from the doom of distraction.
-
Is there still hope for kids raised by Cocomellon and Disney Plus? Yes, but the hope lies with us, the grownups, the parents---not blaming ourselves or each other--and not making excuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
Is there still hope for kids raised by Cocomellon and Disney Plus? Yes, but the hope lies with us, the grownups, the parents---not blaming ourselves or each other--and not making excuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
IPAD KIDS: Is Gen Alpha Doomed to Distraction?
Generations from Boomer to Gen Z are sharply differentiated by their relationship to technology. But Gen Alpha has been quite literally branded by tech--as the iPad Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
IPAD KIDS: Is Gen Alpha Doomed to Distraction?
Generations from Boomer to Gen Z are sharply differentiated by their relationship to technology. But Gen Alpha has been quite literally branded by tech--as the iPad Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
Turning off the screen is a powerful act of resistance and an act of care that can save Gen Alpha from the doom of distraction.
-
Turning off the screen is a powerful act of resistance and an act of care that can save Gen Alpha from the doom of distraction.
-
Is there still hope for kids raised by Cocomellon and Disney Plus? Yes, but the hope lies with us, the grownups, the parents---not blaming ourselves or each other--and not making excuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
Is there still hope for kids raised by Cocomellon and Disney Plus? Yes, but the hope lies with us, the grownups, the parents---not blaming ourselves or each other--and not making excuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
IPAD KIDS: Is Gen Alpha Doomed to Distraction?
Generations from Boomer to Gen Z are sharply differentiated by their relationship to technology. But Gen Alpha has been quite literally branded by tech--as the iPad Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
-
IPAD KIDS: Is Gen Alpha Doomed to Distraction?
Generations from Boomer to Gen Z are sharply differentiated by their relationship to technology. But Gen Alpha has been quite literally branded by tech--as the iPad Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTUeXxqEHo
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🎉🚼 Oh, look! Someone reinvented the rotary phone for toddlers! Because what every three-year-old *really* needs is the ability to call Grandma in Timbuktu without the distractions of those pesky screens and apps. 📞🌍 Who knew the future of #communication was a Fisher-Price landline? 🤦♂️
https://wip.tf/posts/telefonefix-building-babys-first-international-landline/ #rotaryphone #toddlers #innovation #screenfree #nostalgia #HackerNews #ngated -
🎉🚼 Oh, look! Someone reinvented the rotary phone for toddlers! Because what every three-year-old *really* needs is the ability to call Grandma in Timbuktu without the distractions of those pesky screens and apps. 📞🌍 Who knew the future of #communication was a Fisher-Price landline? 🤦♂️
https://wip.tf/posts/telefonefix-building-babys-first-international-landline/ #rotaryphone #toddlers #innovation #screenfree #nostalgia #HackerNews #ngated -
Does anyone have tips to stay off the screen? I'm always on my phone 😩 #ScreenFree #DigitalDetox #Balance #LifeHacks #Help
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The French Government’s Push to Curb Children’s Screen Time
https://therealists.org/?p=8104
It’s hard to believe but there are many things we deemed normal in the 1980s and 1990s that went through government regulations and are outlawed in the present day.
People in their 30s and 40s may still remember smelling cigarette smoke in airplane cabins – onboard smoking was allowed until the late 1990s. It’s fascinating how there are still ashtrays and “no smoking” signs on virtually all planes to this day. (Some trivia: the European Union banned smoking on planes in 1997 but AirFrance allowed it till the year 2000).
When I was a small child people in Italy rode in cars without seatbelts: they only became mandatory in 1989! I still remember the uproar over it, even though I was really small. I have a distinct memory of news reports showing defiant people in Napoli who wore white t-shirts with a diagonal black stripe that mimicked a seatbelt – because they didn’t want to wear one.
When I was a young adult I would wash my hair nearly every day because smoking was allowed inside restaurants, bars and clubs. I remember smelling like an ashtray after I hung out in public places. Smoking indoors was ultimately banned across the European Union in the mid-late 2000s.
The End of the Wild West Era of the Web?
The World Wide Web was invented by English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 while he was at CERN. It was opened to the public in 1991. Even if it is already 33-years-old, we are arguably still in the “Wild West Era” of the Web – with no consequential regulations for tech platforms or device manufacturers.
The French Government wants to change all that and pioneer regulations that rein in screen time and access to addictive platforms for children and young adults.
In January 2024 French President Emmanuel Macron set up a special commission of experts from “civil society” (psychiatrists, neurologists, educators, researchers and internet experts) with the goal of studying the effects of screen time and internet use on children and adolescents. The goal? To create a report with recommendations about best practices – and possibly new legislation.
The panel of experts worked for 3 months, doing research and interviewing other experts in the field – as well as over 150 children and adolescents. Earlier this week the task force delivered the report to the President and released it online for all to see. If you are interested in it, you could download it from the Elysée’s website (PDF in French). The title of the report is a nod to a Proust novel: “In search of lost time.” This made me think of what founders of the British association Smartphone Free Childhood often say: “smartphones rob children of their childhood. Even harmless content isn’t harmless. Time spent on a device is time not spent with other children; playing, exploring, interacting and developing vital social skills.”
Expert Recommendations
Some highlights from the report and its recommendations – which have been making headlines in France all week:
- no screen time whatsoever until the age of 3
- from 3 to 6 years of age: very limited screen time – occasional, with educational content and accompanied by an adult
- no smartphones before the age of 11
- from 11 years of age: phones that are not connected to the internet
- from 13 years of age: smartphones connected to the internet but without social media
- from 15 years of age: smartphones connected to the internet and with “ethical” social media (Mastodon but not TikTok or Instagram)
- from 18 years of age: access to all social media networks
The reasoning for such strict recommendations? As the report states:
A clear scientific consensus is emerging on the harmful consequences of screens on several aspects of the somatic health of children and adolescents. In particular, the use of screens contributes, directly or indirectly, according to a cause-effect relationship, to sleep deficits, a sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity, obesity and the whole range of chronic pathologies associated with it, as well as eyesight problems (development of myopia and possible risks for the retina linked to exposure to blue light). As yet unresolved scientific questions about the effects of exposure to electromagnetic waves, and the possible impact of exposure to substances present in digital terminals and recognized as endocrine disruptors…
Moreover:
Children’s uncontrolled access to screens and inadequate regulation of the content to which minors may be exposed, in terms of pornography and extreme violence, pose a high risk to their equilibrium, and sometimes even their safety, all the more so if there is little dialogue with adults. More broadly, they raise societal issues, such as the massive dissemination of certain stereotypes or deleterious representations of relations between men and women, sexuality and living together. The risks of confinement caused by algorithmic bubbles need to be given greater consideration, and deleterious representations deconstructed. The dangers of child sexual abuse have never been so high, and are present in all digital spaces where minors can be found (video games, forums and messaging systems in particular).
A personal win
If you have been following this blog for a while, you may guess that these official government recommendations – and the outpouring of articles and media coverage on the subject – have been like music to my ears.
My inner circle occasionally made me feel like an extremist for my “no screen time” stance. I have been called by family members – to my face – “Putin” and “a Taliban” and “rude” for removing my child from a room with TV on and for taking away a smartphone from her hands (when an adult gave it to her).
As I explained in an earlier post, my family has finally come around: when we visit my parents in Italy they hide TVs for the entirety of our stay (otherwise they are typically on). My in-laws now turn off their large screen TV when my child and I enter the living room. But it’s a daily battle, especially for someone like me who spent her life being conflict-avoidant. It’s awkward having to speak up and ask “can please turn the TV off” in homes of family and friends.
If you are reading this and are wondering: “what is the big deal about a TV on?” well, a small child immediately stops talking, playing and interacting with others when there is movement and sound on a screen – the child is under a spell, hypnotized by it, freezing up and watching the screen like a zombie. And most adult programming and TV ads are not suitable for an impressionable toddler. Thus my stance.
What is the problem with watching a little bit of TV or playing with a smartphone for a few minutes, you may wonder?
Well, parenting is so much easier when kids are NOT exposed to things that you want to limit or outright forbid (for now). There’s this simple trick I taught my parents: if my daughter grabs an object she’s not supposed to use, smoothly take it away within a minute and offer something interesting as a replacement. This is my formula for avoiding tantrums. If my toddler uses something “forbidden” for more than a minute, then it becomes challenging to distract her and redirect her attention to something else. Meltdowns are almost guaranteed (this is why I always keep in my purse an “interesting” object or two to divert her attention). If my toddler gets used to something she is not supposed to use, she may nag me for hours; she can repeat the same request on loop dozens of times. No exposure makes life a lot easier – especially when a child is little and doesn’t have a fully developed brain yet.
Devices to Soothe Little Ones vs Screen-Free Time
If you’ve been to a restaurant or on a plane in recent years you might have seen how parents often soothe little children with tablets or smartphones. There is this feeling of inevitability like: it’s the only way to keep a child quiet and entertained.
As the mom of a screen-free 3-year-old I can say that there is another way; it’s easy to keep a child calm and happy without a screen – if they are raised without them.
“Easy” is a relative term steeped in privilege because the tradeoff is that you have to interact, find ways to entertain or keep a vigilant eye on your little human when they’re with you. The real cost is time: complete undivided attention. If you can afford the time, it’s a real joy. At the restaurant or on a plane my child asks for a story, or curiously looks around and asks questions or plays with her toys. All this is positive for us but I know we constitute a small minority – as screens have become so prevalent in the lives of many children and teens.
The French government’s report stated:
As far as total cumulative time is concerned, the most recent reference study in France at the time of writing dates back to 2015, well before the Covid period (Etude Esteban conducted by Santé publique France). According to this study, children aged 6 to 17 spent an average of 4 hours 11 minutes a day on a screen.
9 years ago is a long time for a study on this issue. We can only guess that after Covid screen time must have gone up for children of all ages.
All I know is this: I am incredibly privileged to be able to spend so much time with my child. I can see the benefits of our one-to-one, screen-free interactions: she has a sophisticated vocabulary in French and Italian, she’s curious, loves books and lots of activities. She’s 3 years old and can entertain herself for long stretches of time. All this didn’t happen all of a sudden: she got used to independent play little by little over the course of her life… because screen-free play is all she knows. It takes time and patience and perseverance.
In Search of Lost Time
The French government’s report mentions several times how adults need to model good behavior to their children. Its title “in search of lost time” applies not only to little ones, but arguably to adults too: excessive screen time is a problem that extends far beyond childhood.
I am grateful that because of my little one I have the opportunity to spend half my day offline. It’s a real honor and a gift – something I haven’t been doing since my own childhood. I will be thanking her for many years to come and I will explain to her, when she’s older, of this incredible gift she’s given me.
One of the most salient passages from the report:
Public authorities and the various players in the digital sector have not remained inactive in the face of the emergence and amplification of these various risks. But the subject is highly complex, leading to a feeling of powerlessness and even renunciation. In this respect, the new European commitments attached to the Digital Services Act (DSA), which has just come into force during France’s presidency, represent an essential window of opportunity for action. They must be articulated with a growing political intention in France, reflected in a number of recent initiatives, which have the advantage of putting the issue on the public agenda, but would gain in effectiveness if attached to a clarified collective strategy.
There’s never been a better time to act. I look forward to hearing what the French government will come up with, legislation-wise. President Macron said “I have given the government one month to examine its recommendations and translate them into action.” I will keep you updated.
Elena
#attentionEconomy #digitalLiteracy #education #EmmanuelMacron #France #news #parenting #politics #resistance #screenTime #screenFree #socialMedia #time
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The Small Town in France Aiming to Kickstart a Global Conversation about Phone Addiction
https://therealists.org/?p=8033
“A silent epidemic” is how Vincent Paul-Petit – mayor of Seine-Port, a small town south of Paris, France – describes the screen addiction that is plaguing the inhabitants of his town: from children, to adolescents and adults. “We’re dealing with a truly widespread addiction. To think that a teenager spends an average of 8 hours a day behind the screen… is considerable.” Paul-Petit continued: “There are a few dozen minutes devoted to educational subjects or subjects of interest to their education, the rest are games, social networks, messages of no interest that clutter their minds and prevent kids from concentrating on the essentials of their lives.“
And so mayor Paul-Petit took action: in early February, he ran a referendum asking his town’s inhabitants whether smartphone scrolling should be restricted in certain public areas.
54% of voters said yes.
Cue: countless articles in small and big publications, in France and abroad, talking about a “smartphone ban” in public in a world first. Outraged soon followed: in the comments section of articles about this topic, most readers denounced an attack on personal freedoms. Some mocked the small town’s voters, saying they were old and out of step with the times.
Missing the point
Most reactions missed the larger point: Seine-Port’s referendum was symbolic, attempting to kickstart a conversation about phone addiction and what to do to curb it. There will be no sanctions or fines for people breaking the rules in the town. But Seine-Port’s inhabitants will now be keenly aware that excessive scrolling and social media use out in public will be frowned upon.
As mayor Paul-Petit explained:
[There are] places in the public space where we have restricted the use of smartphones, which seem to us to respond to issues of social life and safety for children: in front of schools, parents need to talk to each other and children need to see children talking to each other, that seems essential to me. In a public park, when there are three of us on a bench and everyone is fixated on his or her screen… When you’re on the street asking for directions, instead of asking another passer-by where the bakery, the town hall, or a public service is, and you’re on your GPS at the risk of falling.
Here is the banner that the town created:
The banner reads: “Let’s protect our children. Screen-free town.”
France and its initiatives to protect children from the harms of Big Tech
I applaud Paul-Petit’s initiative as a crucial conversation starter. And I am not surprised this debate is taking place in France – a country whose government has been taking active steps to rein in tech giants and to combat against the most toxic, damaging sides of our brave new technological world.
Some examples:
- cell phones were banned in French schools in 2018 on all school premises, including the playground and during break times
- child influencers in France are protected by a 2020 labor law, in the same way as child actors and models. Their earnings are protected (their parents cannot claim them) and child influencers can ask for all their content to be deleted with the “right to be forgotten” – even without parental consent
- during a press conference last month, French President Emmanuel Macron talked about the need to seize back control from excessive screen time, as a priority for his government
President Macron stated:
Each generation of French people must learn what the Republic means: a history, duties, rights, a language, a deep sense of respect and commitment, and we must do this from childhood, by reinforcing the support and demands we place on parents, and by regaining control from our screens, which all too often confine us where they should liberate us. On the basis of recommendations to be made by the experts I brought together last week, we will determine the proper use of screens for our children, at home and in the classroom, because the future of our societies and our democracies depends on it.
Seine-Port’s mayor Paul-Petit is already one step ahead, running a pioneering awareness program in his town.
According to The Guardian:
The village has also approved a charter for families on children’s use of screens: no screens of any kind in the morning, no screens in bedrooms, no screens before bed or during meals. If parents of teenagers sign a written agreement not to give their child a smartphone before the age of 15, the town hall will provide the child with an old-fashioned handset for calls only.
Fighting the Status Quo
It’s exhausting to be a pioneer.
France is a traditionalist country and whenever you attempt to come up against the status quo or established traditions, you are often met with mistrust, skepticism or outright hostility. I see this in the public reactions to mayor Paul-Petit’s initiative. And I have experienced it myself since moving to France several years ago.
I firmly believe that 10 years from now this initiative by Seine-Port will be applauded – it will be seen in a positive light “of course screen time needed to be reined in! Terrific initiative.” I believe that in the France of 2035 wariness about screen time will be totally commonplace. But today – not so much.
Bien sûr, in theory people already agree that screen time should be limited, especially for children. But in practice? Not really. I’ve been nicknamed a “Taliban” “Putin” or “censor” for my efforts to keep my 3 year old screenfree. “But! It’s an educational program I’m watching!” “But, she can play with my locked smartphone, she doesn’t have the password” “It’s only a 5 minute video!” “It’s only a 10 minute video.” And on and on.
It’s interesting how, before becoming a mother, I would be the most conflict-avoidant person you would meet. Sure, I’ve always been an activist at heart, but with family and friends I was often afraid to create conflict or offend people. Afraid to ruffle feathers. Afraid to speak up. Friends and acquaintances nicknamed me the “gentle warrior.”
Now, I don’t hesitate for a second to immediately remove my child from a room where the TV is on. Or to ask to switch it off. My parents – bless them – now move the kitchen TV to my old bedroom – on the floor, unplugged – when my child and I are visiting. And as soon as my toddler and I leave, the TV goes back to the kitchen and is often turned on for several hours a day, during and after meals. Not with us there. And I’m incredibly thankful for it.
Déjà vu: Being a Pioneer Isn’t Easy
The fight to limit screen time – computers, mobile phones, tablets – is something else. Possibly because – and I get it – people can be personally offended, thinking you are accusing them to be addicted to screens. Like you are casting a judgement on them.
I’m reminded of the signs you often see at rallies – held by older people – who state “I can’t believe I still have to protest this s**t.” In this particular case, I have this strong familiar feeling of being in a fight people aren’t ready to join quite yet. New fight. Old reactions.
It felt this way when I protested the media treatment of Nafissatou Diallo in the “Affaire DSK”. Or the Cinémathèque’s celebration of Roman Polanski. Or the sexism and objectification of women in advertisements.
I remember being initially met with hostility, being told that I was overreacting. And then years later, hearing “No, I never said that! Of course DSK needed to face justice.” “I never said that! Of course we shouldn’t celebrate directors who escaped a trial for assaulting a young girl.” “Of course advertisements that openly objectify women are bad.”
If you are a pioneer in a fight against the status quo, against powerful entities, these reactions – and the future rewriting of history – are par for the course. The elegant approach is to let it go.
You can always celebrate change and small victories with your tribe. People who were on your side from the get go. Remember who they are. And nurture these connections – they invariably give you energy and motivation when you need to be fired up for the next (pioneering) fight.
As always, thanks for being here.
Elena
#addiction #awareness #digitalLiteracy #education #France #parenting #screenTime #screenFree #SeinePort
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ICYMI: I wrote about what it's like to be a member of the LAST generation that grew up offline, without the internet... plus raising a small child screen-free in 2024: https://therealists.org/2024/01/in-betweeners/
#technology #tech #parenting #screenfree #genX #genY #genZ #education #TheRealists #digitalliteracy #mindfulness
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The In-Betweeners
https://therealists.org/?p=8116
Capturing Gen Z’s attention
In early December I was invited to give a 30 minute presentation about The Realists for recent graduates of a prestigious business school in Paris. Their teacher told me that the students were already aware of many of the topics I typically write about – Big Tech, surveillance capitalism, behavioral manipulation – especially after watching the documentary The Social Dilemma. My task: to keep my presentation fresh and original to impress an audience that grew up online.
In the days leading up to the lecture, I was really intimidated. I had shown my documentary The Illusionists to auditoriums with over 300 spectators – but presenting to a class of 30 or so Gen Z students felt far more daunting. What could I possibly tell them that would grab and hold their attention?
Until I found an angle – that the audience eventually appreciated.
Meet a Geriatric Millennial
I am a geriatric millennial: I had an analog childhood in the 1980s; discovered the Web 1.0 in my teens, and the birth of social media once I was a university student.
I have this unique perspective of being in between worlds: I experienced socialization away from screens for most of my childhood and early adolescence; and the tidal wave of the internet and the monumental changes it brought to us as humans once I was already a young adult.
My dad worked in technology and would bring home early computer prototypes. Our first laptop, in the late 1980s, came in a heavy grey plastic suitcase that opened to reveal a keyboard on one side and a small orange, low resolution screen on the other. The availability of the internet would be a few years away… all I could do was play around with DOS commands and Paintbrush.
An IBM computer from the 1980s. Source: Wikimedia
At home, I would be engrossed in these new technological tools. At school, none of my classmates could relate to these experiences, as personal computers were still rare and prohibitively expensive in Italy at the time.
While preparing the presentation for the class of business graduates in December, I realized that I have always felt in between worlds. One foot in the digital world; one foot out in the real world. It’s been my normal my entire life. And being an in-betweener can offer a powerful perspective to what is happening to our world today.
An in-betweener doesn’t accept new things as normal; an in-betweener is reminded of what “normal” used to be like and questions every innovation. Maybe this is why I am so drawn to the writings of the late Neil Postman – especially his superb book Technopoly – as he held the same critical attitude towards technology.
The Last Generation
I belong to the last generation that grew up offline. The LAST one. Generations that came after me experienced the internet and social media from middle school… or even earlier. The only people who could relate to this are my late grandparents. They were born in a world without television… and then, in their adult years, they discovered this “magical” box that would bring the outside world in their living room.
As a geriatric millennial I distinctly remember what friendships used to be like – nurtured in the real world, away from screens. Sure, I would spend hours on the phone talking to friends in high school, once I got home from school. But there weren’t technological companies involved in mediating our communications, gamifying our interactions with hearts and likes and visible metrics. I am not saying one way is better than the other. Do not mistake this as nostalgia for a time now gone. Mine is just the testimony of someone who remembers what it was like to hang out for hours with friends in the afternoon, after school, in the absence of the internet, social media and the walled gardens of Big Tech.
I was an in-betweener as a child and adolescent, dipping in and out of two worlds. And I am still an in-betweener today, in 2024. How? You may wonder.
Half the day online; half the day offline
I wake up at around 6am every day. I immediately go online to read the news (bad habit, I know) or resume reading a book on my Kindle. Then I have coffee, get ready, and wake up my little one at around 8am. As soon as my child is with me, the phone goes in my back pocket… and stays there until I drop her off at daycare. I go home to work, power up my computer and tablet and dip back in the digital world for about 6 hours. When, at 3:30pm, it’s time to go pick her up from daycare, the computer and tablet shut off for the rest of the day and the phone returns in my back pocket… where it will stay for the next 5 hours, until my child is asleep.
I’ve been putting away my smartphone when I’m with my child ever since she was born: I never wanted to give her the impression that whatever appeared on this small black rectangle was more important than her. My number one priority has been – for 3 years now – to give her my undivided attention.
It’s fascinating to see how we model behaviors to our little ones and how much they learn by observing us.
Ever since my child’s toddlerhood, she has often yearned to imitate what mommy does. At home, we have had an unplugged, inactive cordless phone lying around in the living room. I explained to my child that that black object is a phone. Next time I caught her playing with it, she was trying to shove it in her back pocket – even if her pants that day didn’t have one. So she simply took the phone and sat on it. And then looked up at me and said “phone pocket.” It was hilarious. And incredibly endearing and powerful. When it happened my girl wasn’t even 2 yet… maybe she was 18 months old. And yet, she knew what I kept in my back pocket was a phone. And that it belonged there when we were together.
Takeaways from a tech-free, TV-free life
What happens when a 3 year old doesn’t have access to television, smartphones or tablets for “entertainment”? The entire world around them is an object of wonder, to be observed with the utmost curiosity and vigilance. A 360° interactive playground.
For example, on the way to daycare in the morning, she often screams “Mom! The moon!” The first time it happened I thought to myself: “what is she talking about it’s daytime” But then I looked up to the sky and saw a banana-shaped tiny sliver of light. Sure enough, there was a crescent moon barely visible behind some fluffy clouds.
It takes my girl less than 5 seconds to spot the moon on a clear morning, whenever we leave our apartment building. The moon… planes… cats perched on a windowsill… my offline, screen-free toddler spots interesting things all the time – an inspires me to be present, in the real world, and to notice interesting things too, so I can point them out to her.
Conversely, on the way to daycare, we often come across people walking while staring down at their phones, completely oblivious to the world around them. How many crashes have I averted! When I’m in a rush, pushing her stroller, I often feel like I’m playing a real life video game. Think: Frogger, but the obstacles and dangers are not cars and trucks… they are fast-walking humans whose eyes are hypnotized by cell phones and who do not notice incoming pedestrians.
It’s a bit awkward to be with my toddler and observe her observe these people who are completely engrossed in their screens. Whenever I get on public transportation with her, we are often the only people not staring down at a screen during the journey. She often tries to smile and establish eye contact with people – especially if someone is dressed in her favorite color – but it’s rare to have people look up and smile back. Fellow moms and dads, or people over the age of 70… but that’s about it. Luckily I always pack books, so we can read stories… and I can pull her attention away from this new normal of disconnection. My explanation to her “they’re probably writing to or reading a message from their mom.” Ha!
The Pursuit of Human Happiness
Seeing what makes my child tick, what she needs to be happy (attention! love! safety! her favorite stories!) is the biggest drive for me to make a documentary on technology and how it is changing us as humans.
Kids a decade older than my child are witnessing an epidemic of depression and anxiety – that has coincided with the introduction of smartphones and gamified social media platforms.
The idea that my child’s happiness will one day depend on social media metrics and online popularity – subject to an opaque algorithm – just about breaks my heart and infuriates me at the same time. I intend to fiercely protect her from this ugly digital world for as long as I can… and when she’s old enough, educate her about the mechanisms driving it and teach her to question everything and to follow the money.
My child may one day see me as an out of touch dinosaur, but I will be in the position to remind her that there used to be another way. And that there still is another way – if she chooses it. The Realists’ way. Informed, aware, and keen on using tech in a mindful way, instead of being used by it.
Thanks for being here.
#digitalLiteracy #GenX #GenZ #geriatricMillennial #millennials #NeilPostman #parenting #personalHistory #screenFree #socialMedia