Digital Boundaries

According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 8-to-10-year-olds watch nearly eight hours of on-screen media daily. That hardly seems possible, but apparently, in some households, it is nonetheless true. These days, the TV and the computer all too easily become the babysitters, the entertainers, and the go-to tools for academic resources. Think about it. How many of us have encyclopedias in our homes today?

If left unchecked, children become addicted to digital media. How do you prevent screen addiction? How do you control how much time your children are on the computer, especially when they are at a friend’s home and perhaps not being monitored by the friend’s parents?

There are many ways to set up rules and digital limits. First, be a good role model. Does your child always see you on your computer, on the phone, or in front of the television? Don’t let that be the case. Here are some ideas to help avoid screen addiction in your children.

• Put the electronic devices away as soon as your child comes home from school.
• Spend face-to-face time with your child. The dinner table should be free from all electronics. Mealtime should be totally devoted to connecting and bonding with family members.
• Designate specific times during the day when digital devices may be used and limit TV time.
• Consider using video game time as a reward for spending time doing other activities. For example, allocate 15 minutes of video game time for every hour spent outside playing or for every hour spent reading a book.
• Make sure your child clearly understands the rules and the punishments for disobedience.
• Watch television together. Make TV time a family activity. This way you always know what your children are viewing.

Want your children to sleep well at night? Turn off the digital world a few hours before bedtime and, as always, make sure your children have spent plenty of time engaged in physical activity outside during the day. Children need to release their energy, and isn’t it better for them to do so a while before they go to bed? End every night in prayer time!

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