This is a part of a series of thoughts for my next book, Slow Schooling…And Other Thoughts on Rescuing Childhood
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This seems a bit fruitless to discuss years of life watching the tube. After all, we probably spend a year just looking for stuff we’ve lost and another six months waiting at traffic lights. So what?
There are other issues with regards to screens and children that are probably just as important as the time spent. For example, the effects of electronics, magnetics and radio-frequency fields on a child’s health has been fairly ignored, even though many people are beginning to question the FCC and FDA regulations on such things. The FCC, for one, has not levied a single fine against a wireless carrier for exceeding the radiation limits and although some doctors have been warning about the dangers of cell phone usage, its use amongst young children continues to rise. So do the rates of cancer. But are screens the cause of that? The arguments for both sides seem strong, but in reality the amount of research–and the funds and the desire for it–is slim. I suppose that leaves it open for considering whether or not we want our children to be the guinea pigs.
Short-term memory is already on the wane with too much media use. This, coupled with the very real danger of distracted driving …well, none of it seems to be cultivating a healthy lifestyle.
The pull of the screen is magnetic. One option is to limit screen time. Of course, this is pointless if it isn’t modeled. Certain hours of the day, certain days of the week, even certain weeks of the year…they can all be part of Net Nap times. The phone, the computer, the tablets: simply power them down. Powering them down when visiting with other people is simply good manners, and helps to focus on the person in person, undistracted.
I admit it’s a little uncomfortable at first, when the screen goes black. You end up holding or looking at something that is just metal and glass. It’s lifeless. It is a wonder just to take a moment and consider: this is the thing that has captivated you and your child. This THING. Notice how it feels to go without it for a time, even five minutes. Do your fingers not itch for a swipe? Do you not hear your notification ring tones–even though your phone is turned off? How long is it before your brain, and dare I say, your heart, hungers–perhaps angrily–for a hit?
It feels perhaps more intense for your child. The child may have fits! You may rationally understand the reasons behind the black out. All your child may know is that you stole his blankie from him. What a perfect opportunity to point out the potential addiction, the dangers. There are two roads at this point…
…more to come…
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