Technology is fantastic. Not only can we talk to somebody halfway across the world from the comfort of our living room, we can also watch the latest blockbusters and order a pizza for the ultimate cosy night in. However, with research from the CDC showing that young people in particular now spend a huge 6 – 9 hours a day on their tech devices, you wouldn’t be alone in wondering if this is always a change for the better.

Increased screen time has been linked to a downturn in fitness, self-esteem, and social behaviour and an uptick in depression and anxiety, especially in young people. It’s a worrying thought when we consider how the current pandemic has seen kids of all ages begin learning remotely through a screen. This has made these involved relationships with our screens feel inevitable, a fact of life, and something that it’s difficult to break away from.

That’s why we’ve put together our top 5 tips on how to help encourage your family to step away from the screen a little more in 2021, for a happier and healthier new year.

Give Them Options

Let’s face it: scrolling through social media or playing an online game is much more fun than sitting around doing nothing. The more we do it, the more we rely on it to for entertainment. It’s important to give your child options when beginning to limit screen time as you don’t want them to start associating screenless evenings with boredom. Make sure their recreation areas are well-stocked with comics and books, board games, and even art supplies to make it feel like a fun and welcoming part of the day. We’re not tearing them away from a world they love, we’re nurturing exploration in a galaxy of fun activities.

Stay Active

With young people becoming more sedentary than ever before in the wake of the current pandemic, it’s a worrying thought that we’re replacing exercise with endless scrolling. You can still create an active environment within your own home where you can keep fit together. There’s a wealth of exercise videos on YouTube, from Aerobics to Zumba, and it’s fun to take time out of your day to stay active in the garden with small-space games like badminton, tennis, and catch.

Create Screen-Free Zones

Where once kids would have been in classrooms until the mid-afternoon, young people are now spending 6+ hours onscreen for their education. And whilst this quality of learning would have been impossible without the tech capabilities we have available in 2021, it does mean that they’re already spending a long time behind screen already.

You can, however, establish areas or times in your house where technology isn’t allowed. The kinds of dedicated recreation spaces encourage interpersonal play, creativity, and conversation. They can also drastically reduce the amount of time spent scrolling through social media and online gaming.

Set an Example

Whether it’s Instagram, Pinterest, or good old Twitter, we could probably all do with decreasing our own scrolling time too. Make time in your day to set down your phone and indulge in your hobbies like reading, cooking, or staying active, and it’ll encourage the young people in your environment to see these periods of screen-free living as the norm.

Good and Bad Screen Time

Learn to differentiate between good and bad screen time. For children with dyslexia and reading difficulties, it’s important to realise that sometimes certain apps and programmes help them develop and grow their skills. Schools in Malta have been exploring how ReaderPens can improve reading age and help young people become more confident readers. The same can be said of text-to-speech apps and even, surprisingly, some video games. Just because there’s a screen on a device, it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a bad thing.

Although sometimes it’s difficult to see the harm in spending a few hours a day more on Fortnite, Facebook, or Twitter, it’s important to remember that it’s not easy to break a habit. Increased screen use in lockdown sets a precedent for increased screen time throughout young people’s lives. This can lead to adolescence and adulthoods that are wholly reliant on tech for recreation as well as working, which is bad for their mental and physical health.

The increased tech use of pandemic living means it’s more important than ever to take another look at the role technology plays in our lives. Do we really need so much screen time every day? Perhaps it’s time to start asking questions, mute those WhatsApp groups for an evening or two, and find something else fun to do.