Why you should be worried about your screen time as a parent

Without a doubt technology has brought so many positive changes in our lives. We’re able to get breaking news faster, we can connect with relatives who are far away, and with a click of a mouse we can shop from anywhere and have it delivered right to our doorsteps.

At the same time, we know that our devices can be destructive as well especially when it comes to social relations more so if you’re a parent.

With a family, your top priority should be spending quality time with each other rather than editing and filtering photos for the ‘gram.

If your daily screen time happens to be six hours and above, you have a problem. And this is why you need to be concerned about burying your head in that phone for too long

i.You risk addiction

I’m almost sure that most, if not all of us are addicted to our devices. I can barely go anywhere without them and it’s sometimes a struggle to avoid using them the whole day. This addiction can affect a parent in different ways.

When you’re controlled by your devices, you can’t be there for your kids or yourself for that matter. Many addicts often sacrifice self-care for screen time and this has many damaging effects mentally and physically.

Even when you’re not really addicted, the things you constantly see on your devices affect your mood. The internet usually has no filter so you’re bound to come across all sorts of negative information.

Those psychological effects interfere with your psyche and this will eventually affect how you relate even to your children.

ii.You set the trend for your kids

Children usually emulate what their parents do. When they see that their parents glued to their screens, they start believing that it’s okay to do the same. By that time, they don’t really understand what addiction is so they are vulnerable to the risks.

Set a good example for your kids by monitoring your screen time as a parent. If possible, spare a few hours a day or at night without any devices present and you will see a positive shift with your kids.

iii.You miss out

There is a difference between being physically present and actively present. The former means that you’re just being seen but you’re not actively participating in whatever’s going on.

Too much screen time can actually make you miss important events in your child’s life. You’ll be too distracted to even notice if there are some changes in your kid’s behavior and that’s quite sad, to say the least.

iv.Children feel like they have to compete for attention

The same way you can sense whether or not someone is giving you their full attention, so do your children. Children notice when their parents aren’t giving them much time. And the psychological effects of such situations run deep.

Your kids might feel like your devices are more important than them and that they have to compete with them for your love. That should never be the case because parental attention is a vital part of their development.

v.The family relationship suffers

The quality of your relationship as a family is affected by your screen time. Family time is no longer about bonding and enjoying each other’s company.

Instead, it’s about being in the same room while everyone is on their phones or watching TV. This is a sad but true reality of family relationships in these so called modern times we live.

Take control as soon as you can because the negative impacts of too much screen time are dire. The only way to deal with this is developing a strong sense of self-discipline so that the family relationship can be restored.