Brooke Thompson, a devoted mother of two pre-teen daughters, 12-year-old Mia and 9-year-old Ella, recently discussed her approach to limiting their screen time in an interview with a popular parenting magazine. She shared her straightforward yet effective plan to maintain control over their digital consumption.
“Mia doesn’t have any of her passwords,” Thompson reveals. “She needs to come to me if she wants to log in. She finds it frustrating and embarrassing in front of her friends, but I believe in being firm.” As the guardian of her children’s social media accounts, she also closely monitors their phone and computer use. “Mia isn’t permitted to have her phone in her bedroom, and there are specific times allotted for computer usage, aside from homework,” she explains.
Opinions about managing screen time and social media usage among young people vary widely. While Thompson’s daughters are not yet teenagers, they are approaching that stage, and she believes some level of oversight is crucial. In today’s world, where digital interactions can be consuming and addictive, parents face unique challenges, especially when navigating a landscape that was not present in their own childhoods. Unlike the past, when bullying occurred privately, today’s issues can unfold on a global platform.
A report from last year indicated that teens spend an astounding nine hours each day engaging with various media, including television, video games, internet browsing, and social media. This overwhelming amount of screen time often surpasses the time they spend sleeping or engaging with family and friends. It’s no wonder that parents like Thompson are looking for ways to regain control.
On the other side of the conversation is researcher Sarah Green, who argues that adults should take a step back. “When parents react with fear and isolation as a way to manage risks, they can damage their credibility and erode the trust that teens have in adult guidance,” she states in her book, Navigating the Digital World: Understanding Teen Connections. “The importance of friendships in a teen’s social and moral development is well established, yet parental fears about social media often overlook this critical need for connection.”
Every parent is striving to ensure their children thrive, whether that means granting them more independence or imposing stricter limits. If anyone has figured out the ideal balance, it would be great to share that wisdom with the rest of us.
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In summary, Brooke Thompson’s approach to managing her daughters’ screen time reflects a proactive stance amidst a challenging landscape of digital consumption. Striking a balance between guidance and independence is a shared goal among parents today, as they aim to prepare their children for a complex digital future.