Something about winter darkness and the distance of spring has us looking to take inventory and make a change. From clearing out a cluttered closet to a new workout routine, this is the season for leveling up. Or at least considering it.
As you consider lowering the sugar or number of toxic people in your life, you might have a nagging feeling about the latest screen time report on your phone. Screen-time is another one of those “resolutions” that we all say we need to do, but know we probably won’t. Most likely we aren’t making changes because the goals and even our relationship with electronics is unclear. Clearly we are not going to stop using them, but are they actually harming us?
A refreshing trend in the conversation about electronic usage is simply that is complicated. That’s right. It really depends. Depending on your age, depending on how you use the electronic, depending on how the digital usage specifically impacts you as a person—there can be a lot to consider. Since protest and denial of a problem are hallmarks of addictive behavior, let’s assume that we need to keep talking about electronic usage. Let’s take a look at some of the things we do know and how that can help us make better choices.
Age matters:
Babies and young children are not only growing and learning rapidly, their most powerful way of learning is with human interaction. We are wired to turn towards human faces, match emotions and model behaviors from the big humans in the room. Patricia Kuhl the world’s leading brain scientist says that babies actually show no learning at all from machines. Not only does the stimulation of a blue screen not promote the growth they need, it can actually interfere with development of attention span, impulse control and even empathy. Recommendations from the World Health Organization is exactly zero screen time for the first two years of life. Will future generation need to know how to use electronics? Yes, but just as you don’t allow a toddler to play with fire hoping they will excel at welding, don’t expect that “earlier is better”.
What are you replacing?
While there are amazing innovations and even social groups that are exclusively digital, the human body continues to have clear physical needs. When screen time results in physical pain, lack of exercise or even movement, we can say it’s a problem. Body health is a good way to measure balance for all of us. From eye strain, obesity and even depression—excessive screen time takes a toll even when we are enjoying it. One of the clearest ways that electronics become addicting is the access to endless amounts of information and stimulation, hence “doom scrolling”. Tuning into the clock and our bodies to let us know when we may have fallen down a rabbit hole is an important way to keep tabs on your use. If you are having pain, missing meals, isolating from family or failing to sleep at night you may want to find an accountability partner and start getting serious about cutting back on certain digital activities.
Not all digital is created equal
What if all digital isn’t harmful, isolating us or making us “dumber”? A new voice in the conversation on digital use is that not all activities are created equal. We no longer have CDs for music, radio for baseball games, audiobooks for leisure and textbooks for learning. Between listening, viewing, reading or even practicing a skill, electronics are tools for a wide variety of things. Sometimes we are learning, referencing or connecting with another human virtually. It’s important to recognize that compulsive shopping and mindless scrolling may have a very different impact on mental health than an interactive group game. Some platforms have social expectations and real relationships between members. Others may have unspoken messages that are toxic and harmful. This means the general screen-time report may not be as helpful as we hoped. It takes discretion to see if you (or your child) are growing and learning or if the digital world is diminishing confidence and real-life skills and relationships.
Online aggression and bullying can happen at any age
Cyberbullying and online aggressive behaviors are very real and not just for teenagers. Organizations like the Cybersmile Foundation are creating online support and information to help the internet become a safer place. You can take mini-digital courses at their website teaching you how to stay safe and set boundaries online. Even better, you can learn how to intervene and support a target of bullying in a safe and effective way. Polls from CS Foundation show that well over half of everyone on the internet has experienced or witnessed aggression, bullying and targeted behavior meant to intimidate or harm.
Rather than allowing aggressive online behaviors to isolate you or make you feel less-than, confiding in someone about your experience can be critical. Strangely, while so many of us encounter unsafe internet, we can feel alone or even responsible for allowing it to happen. These “unseen” communications and actions that are hiding in texts and DMs are just as harmful as real-time bullying and aggression.
Professional support
If you feel that areas of your digital life are impacting your personal well-being, it may be important for you to speak with a professional.
Digital life learning
The following resources for all ages to help digital and online safety.
Be Internet Awesome
Powered by Google, this resource provide resources to help kids learn online safety.
Cybersmile Foundation
This award winning non-profit is having big conversations about worldwide online culture and how to make it more compassionate. From reporting online abuse to body image, this website has some great information.
Internet Matters
A user friendly site with videos and guides on internet safety with age- specific information for parents. This site also talks about grooming, hate and pornography—stuff we want to ignore but is very real.
National Cybersecurity Alliance
Has up to date resources and tips on how to keep your information and devices safe.
