Can Kids’ Screentime be a PLUS?

Video games and other online content produced for kids these days can give even the most involved parents headaches. Who has the time to keep up with it all? We can’t watch all the kids’ movies and shows, can we? We can’t monitor everything they view, play, or text, right? We can’t read every “parent’s guide” for everything they consume. After all, children ages 8-12 in the United States typically spend 4-6 hours a day on a phone, tablet, or computer, and up to 9 hours for teens. So what’s a concerned parent to do?

A few common-sense steps are relatively easy, even if our kids protest. We can use the available parental controls for devices and apps. We can limit our kids’ daily screen time (for example, a limit of no more than two hours per day, except for homework, is a common recommendation for both children and teens). Some families even keep a box or bowl in the entryway for family members to deposit their devices when they’re home!

Those are just a few ideas, but what if it’s possible to turn things around—to make screentime a positive in your family? Don’t laugh. It can happen, with just a few simple adjustments:

1. Make positive, proactive choices

So much content is available for kids these days, and far too much of it is questionable, even harmful. That’s the reason we at TruPlay created the TruPlay app, an all-in-one game, comics, and video resource available for both Android and iOS mobile devices. By downloading and subscribing to the TruPlay app, parents can make hundreds of hours of worry-free—and even redeeming—content available to their kids. Taking the initiative and making positive contributions to your family’s devices can change the dynamic.

2. Enter your kids’ worlds

I once brainstormed with a friend how we could each spend more time with our sons.

“I know,” he said. “I can take him golfing!”

“Does he like golfing?” I asked.

“No,” he answered. “But maybe he’ll learn to.”

I suggested a different approach: entering his son’s world, sharing some pursuit his son enjoyed.

Sure, you may not find everything your kids are doing on their devices interesting—or even bearable. But you may be surprised at how excitedly they explain their interests to you. It may even spur some of your favorite interactions—and their favorite memories—of their growing-up years.

3. Enjoy screentime together

Yes, we all have busy lives. But instead of your family staring at their own devices, separate from each other, why not play games with your child or watch content together? On the TruPlay app, for example, you might read a digital comic with each other or challenge the kids to a ChirpSong tournament on the TruPlay app. You may be surprised at how much time your kids want to spend with you when you allow “together time” outside their daily screentime allotments.

With a few strategies like these, and perhaps some others you might add, screentime really can become a plus—instead of a battle—for your family.