Screen time (out?)

Most of us old enough to have tweens in the house, will remember the mantra from our childhoods that ‘watching too much television will make your eyes go square.’ Now the choice of screens and screen activities to be glued to is significantly wider with everything from Fortnite to TikTok competing for attention. But just how detrimental is this to the overall well-being of tweens and are there any significant lasting effects?

The British Psychological Society warns that ‘too much screen time can unintentionally cause permanent damage to stilldeveloping brains.’ It also advises that when using screens ‘the ability to focus, to concentrate… to sense other people’s attitudes and communicate with them, to build a large vocabulary… are harmed.’

However there are some pluses. Screens can be social, interactive and provide escapism. They can be an opportunity to connect with friends and family members; they can, at times offer a welcome break and respite from the challenges and anxiety of modern day living.

Let’s also not forget that it’s valuable for today’s generation to be ‘tech savvy’ when it comes to the workplace.

With new research suggesting that four in five parents think gadgets are beneficial for their children’s development, how do we maintain a healthy balance?

WeareTwixt, offers parenting support for tweens/teens.