How to make screen time work for your family
“By zeroing in on duration, families are led to believe that managing screen use is a simple numbers game,” says Katie Davis, author of Technology’s Child: Digital Media’s Role in the Ages and Stages of Growing Up and co-director of the UW Digital Youth Lab. Instead, she encourages parents to “consider what children are doing on their screens, who they are interacting with, and how the experience makes them feel.”
Keena McAvoy, a digital wellness educator and co-founder of DMV Unplugged, adds, “Boundaries can be missing with simplistic screen time guidelines. For example, a 5-year-old watching a 45-minute long-form story on their iPad in the living room while their parent cooks dinner nearby is a much-preferred experience for a growing brain than a 5-year-old accessing YouTube shorts alone in their bedroom for 45 minutes.”
This numbers-focused mindset can also unfairly vilify technology, says Regan Vidiksis, a senior researcher at EDC’s Center for Children and Technology. She adds that the conversation often overlooks the many positive uses of screens and media, including opportunities for creativity, learning, and connection.
Making screen time meaningful
Parents and caregivers can make screen time a tool for growth and connection by thoughtfully integrating it into family life. Rather than imposing rigid rules, Davis suggests families “weave screens into the fabric of daily routines in ways that enhance, rather than detract from, shared experiences and individual growth.”
For instance, a 2022 study highlights how video games, in the right context, can improve problem-solving skills, hand-eye coordination, and cognitive development in children.
