Schools & Families Can Come Together to Teach Healthy Habits
Healthy use of technology is one of our current age’s greatest challenges. Our students have access to cellphones and screentime at unprecedented levels. And it’s up to families, in partnership with schools and other youth organizations, to find ways to set kids up for success.
From decreased capacity to focus and attend, to skyrocketing rates of anxiety and depression, we are all too aware of the perils of misused and overused technology. It’s all over the news, no matter what your news source is. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some best practices that we share with our families at orientation sessions and also with our students during Life Skills classes. These practices align with our strict no-cellphones-at-school policy. Some of these are also featured on FBRA’s Acceptable Use of Technology agreement that students must sign annually.
Speak to Your Child.
Share your values. Have a family talk about the negative effects of phones, social media, and screen time. It’s important to focus on how devices are designed to be irresistible, as well as how devices can distort one’s reality.
Set Guidelines That Decrease Temptation.
Establish a communal space for the use of laptops, cellphones, game consoles, televisions, etc. Keep entertainment/media in your home’s shared spaces so that content can be shared and supervised.
Create “no-phone zones.” These are areas – bedrooms and dining spaces, for example – where phones and devices are not allowed.
Give devices a “bedtime.” This should be at least one hour before actual bedtimes to buffer the stimulating effect of “blue light” and allow everyone’s brains and bodies to wind down for sleep. It’s a complement to a no-phones-in-bedrooms policy for everyone.
Establish time limits for screentime and internet access.
Create a central charging station for devices that is not in sleeping areas.
Identify & Learn.
Know the apps, websites, and technology that your child uses. Sit down together and go through their devices on a regular basis.
Talk about cellphones and screentime with other families. Share your approach and ask for theirs. Keep the lines of communication open with the parents of your child’s friends.
Learn about and activate parental controls for kids’ devices and apps. But know that these features can be complicated and confusing, and ingenious kids can find ways around them. That’s another reason for deferring access to the Internet and social media as long as possible.
Consider subscribing to a third-party family protection plan. These can block websites, apps, and Internet access across devices and create access schedules.
While no single strategy can “solve” the conundrum of device management for families, we hope this list provides a launching point for considering the issue in your home. If all else fails, go outside in nature! We at French Broad River Academy will see you there!