Oh, technology – can’t live with her and certainly can’t live without her. Our love/hate relationship with technology can be one of the most beneficial and the most toxic relationship we face. With phones, computers, television, and streaming services constantly at our fingertips and real-world stressors beating down our doors, it is no wonder we struggle to resist the temptation of escaping into the void of screens for relief and detachment. However, that escape comes with a heavy price – frustration intolerance. Today’s blog will explore how screentime not only affects our children but can have an impact on parents as well. Let’s learn new ways of navigating screentime that can make a big difference.
The Research
Let’s start with the facts, shall we? A 2023 study was conducted to explore the effects of increased screentime during Covid-19 for preschool-aged children. As expected, the study showed that increased screentime (exceeding more than 1 hour a day) may forecast difficulties in emotional regulation and frustration tolerance. In addition, many parents utilize screens as an immediate solution to manage tantrums and emotional outbursts. While this may be a short-term gain, the long-term effects can be detrimental.
The Impacts
The impacts of increased screentime can be felt in both the parents and their children. If a parent struggles with screen addiction, their frustration tolerance will be significantly low. What does this mean? Young children learn by modeling, so if they witness their parents turning towards their screens to avoid emotional outbursts or detach from relationships, they are likely to do the same. It is helpful for parents to attempt to hold themselves to a similar standard that is set for their child, regarding screentime. Utilizing healthy coping strategies to regulate emotion is beneficial for parents to model to their children.
In addition to the foundational impacts the child will incur, their frustration tolerance is significantly limited due to the short attention span that is prevalent with screentime. The area in the still-developing-brain that is necessary for setting priorities and decision-making, called executive functioning, is being distracted by screens, not being challenged with growth. This can severely affect them in school to the point that the child struggles to maintain sustained focus, is easily distracted, and becomes dysregulated without the tools to cope. Excessive screentime has also been linked to difficulties sleeping, thus perpetuating their difficulties in regulating even further.
The Solution
No one is saying parenting is easy. In fact, one can argue that parenting in the digital world provides new challenges that were not prevalent during the parents’ upbringing such as internet safety, monitoring developmentally appropriate media, etc. However, the solution can carry across generations: maintaining screentime boundaries. When your child is upset or becomes dysregulated, avoid using a screen to fix the problem. Sit with them, co-regulate, and validate. Model the same expectations that are expected of them. My Blog “This or That” can provide some more helpful hints in how to hold boundaries and teach accountability. You can do this!
If you need more assistance, feel free to reach out. Give us a call or contact us through our website by clicking HERE. We are happy to help!
