From smart phones to tablets, to video games and personal computers, it’s hard to imagine a world without technology. And for today’s generation of children, technology is a way of life, an opportunity for them to learn, to communicate and to play.
But what happens when kids are consuming an abundance of media? Experts believe that too much screen time can cut into quality family time and decrease the valuable parent-child interaction that is so important to a child’s healthy development. The family unit also takes a toll as kids and parents battle it out over how much screen time is enough and what’s too much.
It’s a scenario that many parents are familiar with, including Scarsdale mom Tali Orad, whose new invention, Screen, is helping to disengage her kids from the constant TV viewing and overuse of electronic devices.
Screen is a home automation solution that sets healthy limits on family screen time and turns off access to smart phones, tablets, computers and TVs as well as the gaming consoles and streaming boxes that are attached to them.
Users can install the easy-to-use app on their iPhones or Android devices, or on tablets, computers or other devices. The same app can also be downloaded on children’s devices, with the family creating a universal username and password for all to access. Screen also includes a special box that can be plugged into the back of a television.
Technology, a Complex Reality
It’s not that Orad, an Israeli native, is against the use of technology. It’s just that she believes it is best used in moderation.
Recent evidence points to the continued overuse of technology amongst America’s teens and tweens who, according to a 2015 Common Sense Media census, are spending between four and six hours a day viewing the screens of multiple devices. That includes watching TV, movies and online videos; playing video, computer and mobile games; using social media and general use of the Internet.
A 2013 Common Sense study on children ages 8 and under shows that 72 percent of them have used a mobile device for some type of media activity such as playing games, watching videos or using apps, which is up 38 percent from 2011. The report contends that today, 38 percent of children under 2 have used a mobile device.
“At one time, catching up with the world was through magazines and talking with friends. Now it’s all about the device,” says Orad, the mother of three, ages 12, 9 and 6. “We all just need to take a break from it once in a while.”
Setting Healthy Limits on Screen Time
Consumed themselves by technology, parents are often at their wit’s end to quell it. Attempting to teach their children the appropriate boundaries for media use, they often find themselves mired in an endless cycle of family battles and arguments.
Orad found that she, too, had a problem trying to put healthy limits on screen time for her own kids. “I was honestly tired of looking at them on their devices all of the time,” she says.
The realization among many parents in general is that too much tech time could be harmful to their children’s developing social skills and their ability to learn.
A 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation report found that heavy media users, those who consume more than 16 hours of media a day, get lower grades than their counterparts who spend less time in front of a screen.
A professional software engineer, Orad was looking to develop something different from other products on the market, something that was more holistic in its approach. Prior to that, she tried every parental control technology that existed, adding that her kids eventually learned to get around them. “Nothing worked for the entire house and outside our home, and everything was very cumbersome to use, un-educational and sometimes limited the home Internet access,” she says.
Working with an engineering team in Israel, Orad’s intention was to develop an application that wouldn’t be seen as a tool for policing her kids. In an effort to protect their privacy, Orad developed Screen so that it wouldn’t give parents access to children’s text messages, nor would it allow them to see their social media activity. “I honestly don’t believe in snooping too much,” explains Orad, who spent two and a half years in the Israeli military before moving to America. “I need my kids to know that I am watching and I have their backs, but on the other hand, I’m not into the nuts and bolts of it and analyzing them constantly.”
Family Agreement Central to Screen’s Success
What makes Screen different from other technology blocking devices is the agreement that families must sign on to before using the app. Once the Screen setup has been complete, they are prompted to create the digital document so that parents and their kids can decide on their overall use of technology, with each of them signing on to the pact.
In the Orad household, technology use is limited to two hours a day during the week, with all devices turned off every day between the hours of 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. This, says Orad, gives the family the opportunity to share meals together without the constant distraction of a device, and to talk about the day’s events.
When it comes time for homework, Orad wants to be sure that is the only thing on her children’s minds, so she created a set of rules that would work for each of them. For example, all of her son’s mobile devices are unavailable to him while he is doing homework, except for his laptop, which he needs to complete assignments. Her 9-year-old daughter’s homework is done largely on paper so there is no reason why the computer should be available to her.
Users can set different rules for different devices at different times of the day, which allows for some flexibility, explains Orad. So for example, a family might decide to have the computer in use between 3 and 5 p.m. between Monday and Friday, while the TV is off during that same time period or on a Sunday, the computer, TV and phone are all available for three hours between 12 and 5 p.m.
Time limits can be set to turn a device off when it reaches the usage limit, with all users getting a custom message to warn them when the device will shut down. Parents can remotely shut off a device from their own phones or add time if necessary.
A simple “shake” motion from the main device can turn off all other connected devices, adds Orad, who has the capability of viewing any applications that are being used.
The idea, says Orad is that the family is not just making the rules; it is agreeing with them and signing them as well. The feature also prompts families to come up with activities they can do when the devices are off and to prevent them from “staring at a blank screen and saying, ‘I’m bored,’” she adds.
Removing the Gatekeeper
Marcella Moran, a Westchester-based licensed psychotherapist who works with families to develop positive strategies for children who are disorganized, says empowering kids to disengage from games and other technology without the inherent battle is the best part of Orad’s invention.
“So many fights come about when the screens are shut off,” Moran says. “Often there’s no warning and no preparation – and that’s really hard for a lot of kids to handle.”
Moran says that when kids are engrossed in a game or other screen-based activity, they lose track of time. Overuse, she says, affects children’s executive functioning, including their ability to manage time, pay attention, plan and organize and remember details.
Orad says she frequently alerts her children as to the time they have left on their devices, which she believes better prepares them for their eventual turn-off. Moran agrees. “When they have a warning, they can prepare themselves, and when you can prepare them, it’s easier for them to accept it.”
Orad says Screen has already had a positive effect on her children’s time management skills and their overall understanding of responsible technology use.
As a busy mom who appreciates that technology can positively influence her children – especially at school where today’s web applications can encourage self-expression, interaction with peers and a whole host of authentic learning experiences – Orad also appreciates the time they can also spend away from it.
Comparing technology to candy, Orad says, “Screen helps families consume electronics in a healthy way, and the result is no tummy ache.”
Screen is currently available for pre-order from getscreen.com, for a discounted price of $99.
Colette Connolly is a Westchester-based freelancer who writes frequently about education, health and family matters.
Ways to Limit Your Child’s Screen Time
Media consumption need not be an all-or-nothing rule in your household. Here are some ways you can limit your child’s screen time.
- Provide interesting non-tech options for your child such as hands-on projects at home and the opportunity to visit museums and other interesting places that will pique your child’s interests.
- Keep your TV and computer in a central, high-traffic part of your home. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that parents keep television sets out of their children’s bedrooms.
- Establish frequent media-free times, especially important at meal times when no hand-held games or cell phones should be allowed.
- Look into buying educational games for your children that will work on multiple platforms, including Gameboys, PlayStation and Nintendos for pre-schoolers.
