Online session will help parents set screen-time limits

“Essentially we’re trying to say that screen time is not evil, it is not something that we need to avoid or even a necessary evil,” he says. “I think it’s important that mainly we focus on parents being the limit setters. It’s not even that important although it is important, what exact limits, as much as it is that parents set limits that they are the ones that control and sit in the driver’s seat of this conversation and that they are consistent.”

He says research has shown that in families where parents have consistent limits kids watch less screen time.

Godard says that’s even the case when kids disagree with the limits.

“But when teens agree with parents on the limits that they’ve set in the house, we find that the amount of time kids spend on screen decreases even more,” he adds.

He says knowing the boundary is defined makes things easier for kids, likening it to walking in a fog on a path with a cliff on either side.

“If you don’t know where the sides are you’re going to be very anxious and not know where to tread. But if you know where the edge of the cliff is at all times you can walk comfortably.”

He says during the pandemic when kids don’t have their typical extracurricular activities and they have so much time in their home screen time can very easily become excessive.

Godard says there isn’t a one-size-fits-all daily limit for families but that the general guideline is no more than two hours a day of recreational screen time.

The free session will take place on Zoom at 7 p.m. on Jan 27. It’s presented by Alberta Health Services, in partnership with the Digital Wellness Coalition of Medicine Hat and Area.

by Chris Brown

Online session will help parents set screen-time limits

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