By Geneva Nodland
DIGITAL ADDICTION
Digital addiction is something almost everyone can admit to, if they're being honest. But sometimes we might not be aware of how much screen time we, or our kids, are getting. Dakota Medical Foundation (DMF), an organization that spearheads communityfocused projects and programs, aids in fundraising for charities, and provides resources for solutions for broad health betterment, looked deeper into this health issue.
The bottom line is that if adults with matured brains and focus find it challenging to fend off the constant temptation to scroll and click, children stand little chance against this digital pull and the consequent addiction— which is why DMF has provided a ton of resources for families to challenge digital addiction. After becoming aware of digital addiction through DMF, Kelly Barbot considered her and her family's screen time and decided to challenge them, and herself, with change. "I wanted to model a more appropriate digital
The family's usage of screens and media looked like this: most mornings began with tablet time and TV before school, which led to a tough time for the entire family when trying to get ready to go. For Kelly, after the alarm went off, she was immediately checking social media like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, "I'd have to see what I missed while I was sleeping, of course," she said. "Throughout the day, at any buzz or social media notification, I'd immediately have to check it out—no delaying. I was worse than the kids and my husband. I don't know how many times I'd check social media throughout the day, but let's say it was excessive and my husband was usually the one to call me out on it." After sharing what she had learned about digital addiction with her family, they implemented some new rules and
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a model around what screen time would look like. While this wasn't without pushback from the kids and a challenge for everyone, this was something Kelly wanted to try with her family— whatever that looked like to them. Whether it was Jerad and Kelly reminding each other of their phone usage, Kelly actually deleting her apps, or the kids adjusting to the lessened tablet time— they were creating new habits to replace the times when they had previously reached for their devices. How did the family adjust to the changes? Brody started playing basketball and said, "My confidence is slowly growing." Jerad began coaching Brody's basketball team and says it has been amazing to watch that confidence grow. According to Leo, he's less angry, and Kelly has found her anxiety lessened and isn't experiencing FOMO—or, fear of missing out—like she once did. "I find myself not comparing myself to others like I once did," she said, "I'm enjoying what I have more."
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usage for my children, I don't want them to remember Mom and Dad always being on their phone," she said.
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hroughout their study, they found a multitude of statistics that inspired the larger campaign. American teens spend an average of nine hours a day consuming entertainment media, and adults spend about seven hours—and those high numbers are linked to a higher likeliness of having suicidal ideation than those spending few hours in front of a screen.
Kelly Barbot, with over four a half years as a design lead at Dakota Medical Foundation, enjoys reading, crocheting, and the comforts of home. Her husband, Jerad Barbot, has been a web developer at Onsharp for 12 years, recently returning to his hobbies of golfing and tinkering around the house. They met while working at Blue Cross Blue Shield of ND and have been married for 12 years. They have two active boys: Brody (10) joined basketball, and Leo (8) loves sports and creativity. Weekends are spent relaxing, attending local events, and cheering on the Vikings, Fighting Hawks, and the Wild while visiting family.
