Too much screen time?
Not all screens are the same. Let's stop giving advice like they are.
So much of the advice, like the guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, warn about too much “screen time.” But what does this even mean? Is using the school laptop the same as watching TV, playing video games, or scrolling on social media?
It’s important to keep in mind that each type of screen can do many different things and many things can be done across different types of screens. There have been some advice givers who encourage watching a large TV screen over being curled around an iPad. It really doesn’t matter what screen someone is using to watch that show or play that game. School computers are not somehow superior to other devices with an internet connection. You can goof off and do non-school things on the school computer, just like you can do research and even write papers on non-school devices.
Different screens allow for different interaction types – TVs use remotes, tablets and phones use touch, computers use mouse and keyboard, game consoles use specialized controllers. This means that specific screens and their interaction types are better for different tasks. There are not any screens that are morally superior to other screens.
Passive vs. Active Screen Time
Taking a global view of screen use, passive vs. active screen time is the first important distinction. Passive screen use refers to instances in which the viewer doesn’t interact with the screen, such as watching TV and movies. Active screen time is when the viewer interacts with the media in a cognitively or physically demanding way (e.g., video games or computer use). While these seem like two clearly distinct categories, it’s really more of a continuum. Watching videos on a computer or phone is generally passive, but becomes more active if the viewer is also commenting or in a chat discussing the video. Live streaming video can be even more active, with the person on the stream directly responding to the chat in real time. And if you’ve ever watched a preschooler watch TV, it can practically be a contact sport with the couch. Similarly, if a video game has a big narrative component with as much time in cutscenes as in playable portions of the game, it becomes more passive.
Potential concerns and benefits also differ between passive and active screen use. Passive screen use, like other sedentary behavior, has been correlated with obesity, high blood pressure, and over-eating (Hancox & Poulton, 2006; Martinez-Gomez et al., 2009). Active screen use does not show the same correlations (Wake, Hesketh & Waters, 2003; Kracht, Joseph & Staiano, 2020) because it isn’t actually sedentary behavior, even though it can be done while sitting (Wang & Perry, 2006).
Given that passive screen time is correlated with negative outcomes and active screen time is not, does that mean you should never just sit and watch a TV show? Of course not. Passive screen use can provide a chance for cognitive rest, entertainment, and distraction. There can also be social benefits (e.g.,keeping up with that showthat everyone is watching). In fact, the best way to enjoy benefits from passive screen use is by watching with “joint media engagement” (Dore & Zimmermann, 2020). This is a fancy way of referring to experiences that you share with someone else. This can look like siblings watching a show together, parents asking their children about the shows and relating it to other things, or bonding with coworkers talking about the show you all watched. An important thing to note is that it does not matter what kind of screen you use to do this. Whether those kids are watching the TV or crowded around an iPad, they are getting the same benefits.
This distinction, however, is important because passive and active screen use are two separate types of activities but they usually get lumped together into “screen time”. It’s like watching a sports game versus playing the sport – they both involve the same sport but are certainly not the same activity. Active screen use can have many positive effects without needing to worry about the same negative health effects.
Use Contexts
There are also a myriad of reasons and contexts for using screens. Is a laptop or tablet that we use for homework the same as a phone that we use for scrolling social media? As playing a video game? Are some uses “better” than others?
Many of us have a gut feeling that these aren’t all the same, but a lot of advice out there doesn’t make any distinctions. These different uses serve different purposes, so it doesn’t make sense to lump them all together. Here at Screenwise Parenting, we also don’t believe in “good” and “bad” screen use, which is why we put them in quotes. It’s about what you need at that time. There is a time and place for it all.
For example, if you need to get work done, then there’s a good chance you’ll want a laptop or tablet to get that done. This could be for anything from writing a paper to researching a topic (including watching YouTube and TikTok videos about it).
If you’ve been working hard and you just need a break, then it might be a good time to go on social media or start playing a game. You might also want to be able to move away from where you’ve been sitting and therefore you do this on your phone.
If you want to be entertained, you might turn on the TV or play the latest game. If you don’t have much time, you might pull up social media or a game on your phone.
Use Considerations
Consideration #1: Breaks from any activity is your best friend.
First, too much time on any screen (passive or active) can be tiring and dysregulating. In this case, dysregulation can look like becoming moody and more prone to emotional outbursts, increased fidgeting and body movement, or ignoring your bodily needs (hunger, thirst, etc.). We’d like to point out, however, that this can also apply to many other activities like reading a book or playing basketball. This is not an indictment of screen use, but it is a sign that it is probably time for a break--from anything. When my six-year-old, for instance, gets this way while playing a video game, I give him a choice to either calm down and try again or take a break. I also enforce movement breaks when he gets dysregulated watching TV, giving him physical challenges that use his brain and his muscles (e.g., jumping onto the ottoman several times).
Consideration #2: Consider the reasons for the screen use.
Some reasons are unavoidable, like needing to do school work, although we still may need a break before finishing the work. Everything we do also has a reason, whether conscious or not, behind it. Your kid (or you) comes home and just wants to veg out on the couch watching TV or scrolling on the phone – they clearly need some rest. Your kid immediately runs to play their current video game – they are looking to meet a need that they didn’t get enough of at school or trying. Considering why they are using the screen may help you to connect to them rather than getting frustrated by how they immediately turn to a screen.
Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2010) provides one explanation for intrinsic motivations that can be helpful to frame why your kid might want to use this screen. There are 3 core needs they may be trying to meet: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Autonomy is about having choices. Kids are often instructed in what to do, when to be where, how to act. Technology, especially video games, give them the opportunity to make choices for themselves.
Competence is about both feeling a sense of being good at something and about your actions being effective. Video games can give them a chance to actually do something they can feel successful doing.
Relatedness is about feeling connected with the others around you. With various screen technologies “others around you” can include virtual space, connecting with friends, families, and communities who may not be nearby.
Consideration #3: Help your kid get what they need.
While screen use can be a great way to address our needs, they aren’t the only option. If you understand the why of the screen use, you can help your kid to get what they need. This can be in addition to the screen use, like getting them a snack to go with that mindless TV watching. It can also be finding other, more effective ways, like challenging them (in a playful way) to do something with a direct result (e.g. who can fold laundry faster?). Your kid will naturally be drawn to do things that meet their needs, but they won’t always choose the best ways to do that. As adults, we get to help them understand and improve their choices.
It’s not about the screen, it’s how you use it
Let’s push the conversation away from treating screens like the newest street drug and talk about the activities our kids are doing. Instead of “kids shouldn’t have more than an hour of screen time per day,” let’s talk about our kids’ passions, successes, and struggles. Screens are the tool and like with all tools, they come in different sizes for different purposes. What is your kid’s “go-to” activity that uses a screen?