GRAND Magazine- Winter 2020 - 13

tech and kids

5 tips to help your g-kids value face time
over screen time
BY MARYGRACE SEXTON

s grandparents, there's always an inclination on
our part to spoil our grandchildren just a little
bit, whether it's behind parents' backs (or sometimes in front of their faces!). Traditionally, this has
taken the form of an extra serving of dessert, a piece
of sweet candy, or staying up past bedtime. Anything
that will make the child's time with us feel more special and fun.
But lately, I've seen an indulgence that has me a
little bit concerned. I've seen grandchildren beg for,
and grandparents concede to, extended screen time
on computers, iPhones and smartphones. The grandparents don't want to upset the grandchild and much
like that child's parents, use the technology to make
them behave or keep them quiet, especially in public
spaces. But is extending screen-time really any different than other attempts on our part to curry favor
with our grandchildren? And is it really bad for the
child?
For one thing, the World Health Organization
just released guidelines that suggest children one
year and younger be given no screen time at all.
And children under five-years-old be limited to one
hour. Why? The organization expresses concerns

13 GRAND

JAN., FEB. & MAR. 2020

that sedentary activity is
unhealthy for the development of young, healthy
minds. The group was clear
to associate that other sedentary activities such as
storytelling, reading and
prayer were fine. It's passive screen time, where
children just observe and
react to entertainment
being fed to them, which has been seen to adversely
affect young lives. '

" "
It's clear that grandparents
today face a unique
21st century conundrum.

There is also some evidence to suggest that the
light illuminating from these screens can prevent
the child's brain from developing properly. Other concerns have linked fast motion graphics in games and

movies to the development of ADHD in children.
It's clear that grandparents today face a unique
21st century conundrum: what do you do when your
grandchild seeks more screen time from you than
face time - and how do you effectively say no to
their requests, without risking coming off as the "bad
nana"?
The key is to package the limiting of their screen
time with activities that will engage them in a different
way. I like the recent Hyundai Santa Fe commercial
where a family is shown having fun on their road trip,
hiking by the shore, interacting with farm animals,
Continued on next page

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0994809700/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=grandmagazi0d-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0994809700&linkId=c0cf2342749a51234e00421ef2df453e https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003B6QYSW/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=grandmagazi0d-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B003B6QYSW&linkId=74a78ba0a510c9871c2e38f745d59213 https://www.childmind.org/article/do-video-games-cause-adhd/ https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more https://www.allaboutvision.com/parents/children-computer-vision-syndrome.htm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q8FzvJlXV8

GRAND Magazine- Winter 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine- Winter 2020