Fight Kids' Screen Addiction Through These Easy Ways

By: Yassmine ElSayed

CAIRO, Jan. 28 (SEE) - As we are now in the mid-year vacation, and we wish our kids to take proper but also healthy break from studying and from the busy schedule of schooling time, we should pay much attention to what can harm them in this time, that is, excessive exposure to screens.

Thomas Henricks Ph.D., wrote a piece at psychologytoday.com discussed how sirens of technology lure us and make us forget our ordinary commitments, in other words: screen addiction.

He considers that modern people have come to believe that the world “out there” is somehow more interesting than the daily here-and-now.  “Our electronic accounts are effectively passports to places where exciting information and stirring imagery reside. Even relationships at-a-distance (my texting or instant-messaging Bill or Betty) seem somehow better than the plodding, often entrapping conversations before us (talking to a fully present Bill or Betty).  In the electronic world, we control the pattern and pace of communication. In an instant, we can declare the matter finished and move on to other, presumably more interesting matters.”

For Dr. Henricks, life, so precious and short, must be safeguarded from technological sirens that promise much and give little.  Screen entrancement is a pleasing distraction, but it is only that. We – and our loved ones – deserve better.

Below are 7 surprisingly easy ways to fight kids' screen addiction, but also for you.

1. Turn off all notifications, except those from people. Notifications can be helpful when they let you know something important needs your attention. But most notifications are sent by machines, not people. And they’re designed to draw you into interacting with an app you might not otherwise prioritize. Go to your phone’s settings to turn off everything except messaging apps or other crucial tools.

2. Go grayscale. All those colorful apps are designed to trigger your brain’s reward system and make you feel good. If you want to check your phone less, cutting off this trigger may help. It won’t be easy, though. We’re pretty hooked on all those flashy colors. But most phones let you choose muted colors.

3. Limit what’s on your home screen. Keep only your email, maps, calendar, and whatever else you use daily front and center. Put all those other apps—from games to recipes—into folders or move to the second or third screens. If you don’t see them right away, you’ll be less likely to use them.

4. Type to find apps. Tapping is so easy! It’s easy enough that we do it without even thinking sometimes. But if you need to take the time to type the name of the app, it gives your brain a second to consider whether you really need to play another game of Candy Crush.

5. Take social media off your phone. You’ll likely be more intentional about when and where you dip into Facebook and Instagram if you only do it on a computer. If you’re a regular social media user, you might be amazed to find how much time you actually spend on these apps. And when you feel the urge to add them back to your phone, consider where that compulsion is coming from.

6. Charge your phone outside of your bedroom. It’s so easy to roll over, tap snooze on your buzzing phone, and delve right into the latest news or last night’s work emails. But is that really the habit you want to create? And for kids, having a phone by the bed is known to cause sleep problems. Invest in an old-fashioned alarm clock and keep phones away from sleeping bodies overnight.

7. Fight fire with fire. It’s ironic, but downloadable apps and extensions remove some of the triggers built in by designers and engineers and help you to be more conscious of what you’re doing. Harris recommends Apple’s Night Shift setting to reduce the phone’s stimulating blue light, as well as apps such as Moment, Freedom, and InboxWhenReady. Plus, there are other apps to help kids stay focused while on devices, plus some great tools that can help kids and adults reduce digital distraction.