Food for Thought: Is screen time taking away who we are?

With the long vacation fast approaching, and the temptation to spend time watching and playing on screens, I thought I'd share a Food for Thought on screen time. Screen time is also one of the five strands that Cognita has asked us to focus on in September as part of their 'Be Well' day initiative. Screen Time is certainly a discussion that those of us with children discuss regularly at home, especially as we face the long holiday when we need to keep them occupied for 7 weeks with no school during the day. However, don't think that screen time is just an issue for our children and students, it's not, as Adam Alter points out in this good talk that was shared with me recently.   

"What are our screens and devices doing to us? Psychologist Adam Alter studies how much time screens steal from us and how they're getting away with it. He shares why all those hours you spend staring at your smartphone, tablet or computer might be making you miserable -- and what you can do about it."

There is much written about screen time and you don't have to dig too deep to find negative presentations, news broadcasts and articles. However, watching and listening to Kenneth, my son, interact with his friends when online gaming i have to say we need to be careful about damining the next generations world out of hand. Listening and watching I see so many positives from these interactions; friendship and bonding, communication, collaboration, creativity, compassion, empathy, problem solving, data analysis and so many more. This talk raises doubts about some of the common criticisms levelled at screen time.

"We check our phones upwards of 50 times per day -- but when our kids play around with them, we get nervous. Are screens ruining childhood? Not according to children's media expert Sara DeWitt. In a talk that may make you feel a bit less guilty about passing your phone to a bored kid at a restaurant, DeWitt envisions a future where we're excited to see kids interacting with screens and shows us exciting ways new technologies can actually help them grow, connect and learn"