Technology Distraction

With the internal exams coming up, I admit that there’s a tendency
to some up with “new rules” around the house; study timetables are drawn up, sleep and wake-up times change, technology access guidelines are put in place etc. They’re all good ideas, but I can’t help but feel sometimes like I’m fighting a losing battle with regards to technology.

I am certain that our children are well aware of the how their devices cause considerable distraction but they also believe that that social media makes them feel less lonely, less depressed, and more confident. Social media can in many ways be a positive force in their lives – connecting them, as it does all of us, to information and people from whom we can live and share experiences.

But with the exams coming up I was looking around for a few basic strategies to talk to my children about with regards to restricted use, without suddenly cutting off total access to social media.

Here are some limits which I’m going to suggest:

• No phones (or other devices) in the bedroom at night, use a real alarm
• No use of devices within an hour of bedtime (light and psychological stimulation interferes with sleep)
• Device use is limited to two hours of leisure time a day (or as decided with their input) plus legitimate use for studying.

Please feel free to share some techniques that you use that work in your household.