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The Screen Time Dilemma
I spend a lot of time with my young grandchildren. For the past 6 years, I’ve been taking care of them while their parents work. So obviously, I have spent a lot of time managing the pull of movies, tv, iPads, and a laptop. My daughter and her husband do a wonderful job of setting limits on the time that the kids spend on these various screens, so I have good clear guidelines to follow.
But lately, I’ve been thinking that setting these time limits might not actually be the best approach to managing the incipient addiction.
What I’ve noticed in the past several years is that the vast majority of the adults in my life are struggling to manage their use of screens. I have watched adults spend time playing mindless games on their phones while waiting for doctors. I’ve seen them playing those games in the middle of conversations and once in a while even at dinner.
I have recognized that some of the adults in my life spend more time on social media than they do in family interactions.
As an older adult, I even find myself wanting to check the headlines while I’m with my little grandkids. I feel an intense need to quickly check AP News or Twitter or the Boston Globe, just to make sure that I’m up to date on any big breaking story.
