Who’s Raising Your Kids?
I work really hard to stay in touch with today’s kids. I grew up in the 90′s. Things have really changed since then.
Last year the New York Times discovered that If Your Kids Are Awake, They’re Probably Online.
From the article:
The average young American now spends practically every waking minute — except for the time in school — using a smart phone, computer, television or other electronic device, according to a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Those ages 8 to 18 spend more than seven and a half hours a day with such devices, compared with less than six and a half hours five years ago, when the study was last conducted. And that does not count the hour and a half that youths spend texting, or the half-hour they talk on their cellphones.
And because so many of them are multitasking — say, surfing the Internet while listening to music — they pack on average nearly 11 hours of media content into that seven and a half hours.
Did you catch that part at the end? Nearly 11 hours of media consumption. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!
At the end of a single week, your kid has put in almost two full work weeks in front of a screen. So let me ask you again…
Who’s Raising Your Kids?
I’m not anti-technology. Cell phones went mainstream when I was in eighth grade. After Columbine I never went anywhere without one. (I was smart enough to keep it hidden at school). I’m not saying kids shouldn’t have smartphones.
The world is changing. We can’t expect our kids to live in the past. I get that.
…But the world is more than bits and bytes. It’s made of flesh and blood.
There’s no substitute for human connections. Our children need to realize that although technology is great, there’s more to the world than what’s on their screens.
What can we do? How can we teach them this? Even telling them to “go read a book!” won’t work… We’re all reading books on our tablets!
This is Why Fun Family Activities Are So Crucial!
I know you’re busy. Just take one hour a week. Spend it together as a family. Do something that doesn’t involve a screen. Actually spend time interacting with each other.
There’s a ton of activities you can do together! They don’t cost much. They’re easy to prepare. Your kids might resist at first, but eventually they’ll get really into it!
One hour a week for fun family activities. That’s it. You’ll be astounded at the difference it makes!
In fact, you don’t even have to come up with the ideas! I’ll help you out!
I’m passionate about this. I care about making a difference in kids lives, both at home and at school.
In the Coming Months I’ll Be Posting a
Variety of Fun Family Activities on This Blog!
You don’t want to miss out on these. To be notified when they’re available, just fill out the form below!
I promise I won’t spam you or send a bunch of junk. I know you’re busy and won’t waste your time with that.
Here’s one more thing from the article I want you to think about:
While most of the young people in the study got good grades, 47 percent of the heaviest media users — those who consumed at least 16 hours a day — had mostly C’s or lower, compared with 23 percent of those who typically consumed media three hours a day or less. The heaviest media users were also more likely than the lightest users to report that they were bored or sad, or that they got into trouble, did not get along well with their parents and were not happy at school.
Technology is great, but our kids are getting too much of a good thing!
But spending just an hour a week together as a family, your kids will be happier, get into less trouble, and get better grades.
Image by Seth W. licensed under Creative Commons.
