Alan is 26, Travis is 20 and Anthony is 10. All 3 of our boys have their very unique personalities and all 3 socialize more online over a TV in game rooms than they do in person, hanging out with friends. All 3 boys in 3 stages of life are homebody’s and they were not this way before the advancements in video gaming and online play.
Is this the “new way” or tis this more harmful than we realize? I have to admit, when I hear they spent Friday night playing games “online with” friends I sort breath a sigh of relief…because I remember the trouble I was getting in at their age on a Friday night! However, those memorable (and not-so-memorable) nights are a part of my story today. Gathering at a night out with old friends reminiscing on “that night”! What are these boys going to laugh over one day? A bad game kill? Really?
So, what is screen overload?
Screen overload is far different today than what it was considered 10 years ago so the definition changes. It also depends on who you ask? I have read many articles and many are very different in opinions so now I am really confused!
North Carolina-based Relay, the screen-free, super-fun, kid-tough smartphone for kids by Republic Wireless, today released the results of an extensive survey on the impact of screen time on families. This study was titled, “Bring Back Play” and the results indicate that most of us have lost the balance at home.
>>Let’s see how we measure up!
How many tech devices do you have in the home? Go ahead, run around and do the check!
—How do you rank? The average household has 15 tech devices – 10 of them with screens
At what age did your kids first ask for a smart phone? What age did they first get one?
—How do you rank? By the time they are six, almost half (49%) have already asked for a smartphone. By the time they turn 12, more than half (63%) of all kids have a smartphone.
How many hours a week (multiply the average day by 7) in front of a screen-gaming or TV watching?
—How do you rank? Teenagers (12 to 17 year-olds) are spending 45 hours in front of screens weekly. Six to 11 year-olds are spending 33 hours in front of screens each week.
Your kids pick – play outside or play video games?
—How do you rank? Only one in 10 kids (nine percent) consider outdoor play their favorite activity.
What activities does your child list as their favorite?
—How do you rank? While 73% of parents fondly remember playing outdoor games with friends, like Four Square, Tag, and Capture the Flag, only nine percent of kids (ages 6 – 11) say outdoor games are their favorite.
Are you concerned about your child’s creativity and independence as gamers or TV watchers?
—How do you rank? 42 percent of parents believe kids today have less independence than they did when they were growing up. 51 percent of parents believe kids are less imaginative than they were growing up.
Do you frequently argue with your kids over screen time?
—How do you rank? A third (36%) of parents frequently argue with their kids about screen time and about a quarter (26%) argue with each other about how much screen time should be allowed
What is your overall opinion of kids screen time – bad or healthy?
—How do you rank? The majority of parents (76%) agree too much technology is a “bad thing” at home. More than half of parents (59%) have found that screens time interrupts quality time within the family.
How did you compare? Before, I end this I really need to mention that the Relay Bring Back Play Study was fielded online by Republic Wireless from April 27, 2018 to May 2, 2018 in partnership with Critical Mix, a global insights data provider and owner of consumer online survey panel, OneOpinion. A total of 1,403 parents of children aged 6-11 were interviewed across the US. The margin of sampling error for total respondents (N=1,403) is +2.6 percentage points.
