As an educator in a 1:1 classroom, I have had many conversations about screen time. Parents are concerned about the amount of time their students spend in front of a screen rather than with books or other materials in their hands. I can empathize. I was one of those parents that limited my children’s television time to one program per day for years. I didn’t allow video games in our home with the exception of a Wii that had the kids up and active during play. This time of remote learning due to the pandemic has made parent concerns about screen time even more acute. While parenting today does require taking a serious look at the time your child spends in front of a screen, we must remember that screen time is like calories. They aren’t all created equal. Binge-watching The Office or playing Call of Duty, the metaphorical candy bar, is not the same as being engaged with classmates in a research project or learning about how to do math equations with a quality tutorial.
Students today are using computers to expand their minds, connect and collaborate with other students and experts, and express their own ideas creatively with a larger audience. These are growing opportunities for students that should be understood as such. The silver lining of this remote learning scramble is that it is causing educators to consider the tools available to students that will not only help them through this crisis, but begin equipping them for living in a 21st century world. Screens will never replace face to face interactions with teachers and fellow learners, but they are not an evil to be avoided. Talk with your students and children about discerning the difference between quality screen time and pure entertainment. Help them to learn to self-monitor with an understanding as to the why behind the limitations. The linked article published by Common Sense Media, “Screen Time in the Age of Corona Virus,” has great tips for parents on how to approach this concern. Teachers, share it with your students’ families and your own.
