Screen Time: Being Thoughtful About The Right Mix #054

What is the truth about screen time? Who knows. There is no shortage of people telling you about the intense dangers of screen time. There is so much drama and stress for parents around this topic, starting when we are brand new parents.

It doesn't have to be this hard. Don't get bogged down in all the rules. You don't have to live up to someone else's standard nor do you need to impose your standard on any other parent.

Instead, focus on being thoughtful about your kids' screen time and intentional about when they do and don't have screen time. Too much screen time is not good, so use it as a tool to train your child to have self-control and wisdom around how much is appropriate and how much is too much. And, engage with what your child is watching in order to connect with them and develop other interpersonal skills (e.g., critical thinking, problem solving, conflict resolution, etc.).

As always, have empathy for the other parents in your life. Be patient and kind towards them (and towards yourself).


The Stat of the Week about how much time we spend on media (via Zenith Media).


A few other items that come up during the episode:

• The beauty of The Jetsons theme song.
• A great book about how to reduce your dependence on screens and smart devices: indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal
• Screen time can also be educational in the right doses. (Note: We haven't played the games listed in this article, so proceed with care and wisdom.)

Thank you for listening! We hope you enjoy this episode. Please take a moment to share the podcast with a friend who might be encouraged by this conversation or who just needs a good laugh at our expense.